#this was intended to be a friendship story but you could take it romantically if you really wanted to

[acacia-may]

Take Care Of Yourself Masterlist (And Links to All Chapters)

Masterlist with Links to All Chapters of my "Take Care of Yourself" story 💙💜

Story Summary:

Aspiring Demon Slayer Giyu Tomioka is on a quest to prove himself, and he doesn't think it matters too much what happens to him in the process. When he winds up in the hospital again, however, he discovers there is someone who does.

Giyu & Shinobu's relationship through the years and an origin story of how they became friends.

Story Details:

Fandom: Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba

Genre: Friendship, Developing Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Angst

Relationships: Giyu Tomioka & Shinobu Kocho Friendship (though I suppose you could take it in a romantic way if you really wanted it to be) [A/N: This story focuses on how their relationship developed over time and how deeply and genuinely they care about each other so how you want to qualify that (platonic or romantic) is really up to you. My intention was to write about their platonic friendship, but I have been told that the final chapter could lean a little more romantic than the others(?) so warnings for that upfront...]

Characters: Giyu Tomioka (POV Character) and Shinobu Kocho. [Kanae Kocho and Sabito are mentioned but do not physically appear in this story. Sanemi Shinazugawa is briefly mentioned once in every chapter as an easter egg for my sister who loves him and encouraged me to write this story in the first place].

Rating: T for Thematic Elements (Please see "Warnings" below for more details)

Warnings: Heavy themes (i.e. grief, emotional trauma, & survivor guilt), mentions of (non-depicted) past deaths, and depiction of injuries as well as some discussion of demon slaying violence related to those injuries. Ch. 3 has some action sequences and mild, non-gory/non-graphic depictions of demon slaying. All chapters contain SPOILERS for and through Ch. 131 of the manga. Ch. 3 & Ch. 4 contain vague spoilers from and through Ch. 163 of the manga and some related foreshadowing.

Word Count: 7573 Total

Link to original post on AO3. Please do not repost to another site.

CHAPTER LINKS (TUMBLR):

CHAPTER 1 LINK

Chapter Description: Aspiring Demon Slayer Giyu Tomioka is on a quest to prove himself, and he doesn't think it matters too much what happens to him in the process. When he winds up in the hospital again, however, he discovers there is someone who does.

Chapter Specific Warnings: Chapter 1 contains spoilers through Ch. 131 of the Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon Slayer manga so please proceed with caution if you do not want to be spoiled.

CHAPTER 2 LINK

Chapter Description: Though Giyu tries to take Shinobu's words to heart and take better care of himself, there is only so much someone can do when facing a Lower Moon. When he winds up in the hospital again, Giyu is sure he has disappointed her and waits for her lecture about how he didn’t listen to a word she had said—but it never comes. It seems Shinobu is avoiding him. Somehow this is worse…

Chapter Specific Warnings: Chapter 2 contains very specific spoilers for Ch. 131 of the manga and mentions/discusses a (non-depicted) past death. Please proceed with caution.

CHAPTER 3 LINK

Chapter Description: On yet another joint mission, Water Hashira Giyu and new Insect Hashira Shinobu face off against a formidable adversary. Shinobu insists that being out in the field with him has she finally understand how he keeps getting all of his injuries. However, as she is getting to know him better, she is becoming more of a mystery to him--buried somewhere beneath what she wants him to see and the grief she tries so desperately to keep hidden...

Chapter Specific Warnings: Chapter 3 contains some action sequences and mild, non-gory depictions of demon slaying with some non-serious/non-life-threatening injuries. Spoilers through Ch. 131 of the manga, and some vague spoilers/foreshadowing through Ch. 163 as well as mentions of a (non-depicted) past character death. Please proceed with caution.

CHAPTER 4 LINK

Chapter Description: When Giyu is injured as part of Hashira Training, he visits Shinobu for the first time in a long time. She patches him up once again--teasing him as always about taking better care of himself, but this time, there is something in her voice when she says "I'm not going to be around to patch you up forever, you know?" that gives Giyu pause and makes him wonder: if Kocho is the one who is always telling him to take care of himself, who is there to tell her the same thing? And would she even listen to them if they did? 

Chapter Specific Warnings: Chapter 4 contains spoilers and foreshadowing through Ch. 163 of the manga and has an angsty ending. Apologies in advance for that.

Author's Note: This story's title was inspired by the song "Take Care of Yourself" by Maisie Peters. Links below.

Maisie Peters - Take Care Of Yourself - Lyric Video - YouTube

Thank you so much for reading! 🦋

[tcvsfiredemon]

Platonic Narumayo and Romantic Tension

I was originally gonna post this as a twitter thread, but it started getting really long and that toxic sludgepit doesn’t deserve that kind of effort. Get yourself a snack or something, it’s gonna get rambly.

I think people who go out of their way to shut down the possibility that there could be any romantic attraction between Nick and Maya are missing out on a really cool aspect of their platonic relationship.

There’s a lot to be said about the many facets of the Narumayo friendship, from their bonding through shared trauma, to their building a found family with Pearl, to their effortless ability to trade off being the straight man of their comedic duo. But I think a lot of people miss how much of their friendship is informed by the fact that they both kinda want to kiss each other.

First off, Maya is constantly teasing Phoenix, and often in a weirdly flirty way. Just a few examples off the top of my head. She says Max is dreamy with stars on his face and immediately suggests Nick put stars on his face. She acts like a spurned lover when Phoenix is talking to Adrian, specifically in an attempt to get him flustered. She explicitly compares Phoenix rescuing her from being kidnapped to the DeLites’ love story. 

There’s quite a few moments like this throughout the games, and coupled with a lot of Maya’s actions and reactions, I get the sense that we’re supposed to believe that she has a thing for Nick. Maybe that’s just the shipping goggles talking, but it really does feel like the intended subtext. I mean, look at that what she instinctively drew when she was in 

(You’re probably wondering when the platonic part comes in. We’ll get there.)

But even if Maya does have a crush on Phoenix, does he return it? Obviously she’s very important to him, but is that really as a romantic interest? We often see him get flustered or stunned into silence whenever people assume he and Maya are dating(which happens a lot), but I feel like that can easily just be read as him being uncomfortable with people assuming he’s in a relationship with his assistant.

In general, Phoenix’s feelings for Maya are fairly ambiguous and probably not something that he’s thought through too much himself. That is, of course, until the waitress scene. That scene, in my opinion, is the single hardest thing to justify if you’re trying to deny any romantic tension within Narumayo. I’ve seen people say that it’s just Phoenix giving a compliment to his best friend/sister figure, but is that really the tone that’s being conveyed there? 

That initial comment on her voice. The pregnant pause when he sees her. The weird pick-up line that probably just came out of his mouth without any thought. That’s not the actions of a guy innocently complimenting his friend, that’s the reaction of a guy who just realized that he finds his friend hot. I’d argue that the case can’t even proceed the way it does unless Phoenix thinks Maya is attractive, because that’s what gives him the idea to try to get her to seduce information out of Kudo.

So between Maya and Phoenix we have two best friends with a lot of chemistry who are probably into each other, and whose friends definitely think are already togeyhet, but we never actually see them take that step into romance. And you know what? It fucking works!

(See, told you we’d get into the platonic stuff eventually.)

One of my favorite movies of all time is When Harry Met Sally, and while the titular couple does get together in the end, most of the film is about the two of them navigating being best friends while obviously having romantic feelings for each other. It’s a beautiful story of these two people building a wonderful platonic relationship and then very nearly ruining it when they try to turn it romantic. 

That’s the dynamic I see between Phoenix and Maya. They love each other and are probably in love with each other, but they insist on keeping things strictly platonic because to change that could mean to destroy what they’ve spent years building up. It’s an underlying tension that underscores a lot of their actions.

It’s the dynamic that the two of them still have almost a decade later in SoJ, where they find immense comfort just being in each other’s presence, investigating cases like old times. And no matter how much Phoenix gawks at Maya like a sun fish, no matter how many times Maya teases Nick while they’re investigating a wedding-based case, no matter how much they may or may not want to kiss, they’re so happy just to be friends.

(Not that I’d be mad if they did end up kissing…)

Obviously there’s nothing wrong at all with seeing Narumayo as siblings or as purely platonic friends who would never in their wildest dreams be romantically interested in each other, but I do feel like something is lost in that interpretation. 

Like, I’m not the biggest fan of romantic Narumitsu, but I don’t think you can truly appreciate their friendship while ignoring that those guys have a weird pseudo-romantic tension going on. Without it they’re just two dudes who used to be friends and don’t have a whole lot of chemistry but would still for some reason die for each other. Once you acknowledge that “oh, they’re kinda in love, aren’t they” it all makes perfect sense.

I don’t think platonic Narumayo exactly falls apart if you ignore their romantic tension. They still have all that other stuff I talked about, but their relationship loses a lot of richness if it’s reduced to just “besties” or “siblings”. Even the games themselves took a little time to explore the potential romantic tension between Phoenix and Maya, and I think that’s been pretty instrumental in making them one of the coolest male/female friendships this side of When Harry Met Sally.

[bucksdaffy]

fwiw i've been in the fandom for a long time and took tim's comments the same way you have.

to me it sounds like he was temporarily influenced to keep them apart as close friends to avoid any hint of potential queerbaiting accusations and it caused him to veer off course re: how he would naturally write their story as the very close friends (family, really) that they always have been. and now he sees how that was a mistake and is going to write them their (wonderfully close) platonic friendship the way he always intended, potential looney queerbaiting accusations be damned.

i guess caveat that i'm not a hardcore buddie shipper and don't read something into every work/touch/glance/action between them so perhaps someone with different goggles on will have other examples that could sway you but yeah, i agree with your read on the situation 100%.

it's a relief there are people with more insight into how things work around here who share my view on this. i was afraid maybe i missed some quotes that suggested otherwise, but i'm fairly certain now that is not the case and people are just reading too much into it as usual.

personally, i kind of shipped buddie through s2, but once s3 rolled in, i lost the vision. i think throughout the rest of the seasons, the writers did a pretty good job highlighting how platonic their relationship actually is. i know people in this fandom seem to disagree with this, so i was afraid maybe i don't see the obvious clues that everyone is giving because, for some reason, i developed some kind of aversion to the idea of buddie being involved romantically, and i'm just biased. but when rational buddie shippers interpret such comments the same way i do, it's actually really comforting.

i'm still baffled by how many people are convinced tim, oliver, and ryan are just straight-up lying when they say buddie is not in the works right now. but i guess people cope in their own ways. it's just sad they present it as a fact, not a speculation, and as a result, spread misinformation everywhere. i truly believe they are just baiting themselves at this point. saying tim wants buddie to end up together because he was once afraid of queerbaiting accusations is such a wild take, i just have to laugh.

[fandomfloozy]

Bittersweet Nothings

Pairing: Durge x Gortash, reader x Gortash

C/W: gn reader, redeemed! durge, platonic/romantic soulmates, sfw

~°•*~

It's just a glass of wine, you'd told yourself. What's the harm? You'd naively asked.

Having the newly appointed Archduke of Baldur's Gate set up in your camp was unprecedented enough, but to agree to join him in his tent for a spell was hardly appropriate. Especially now that over half the bottle had disappeared in no time at all.

You were hardly to blame, to be fair. He had a certain air about him that had drawn you in from the beginning. A comfortable familiarity with you that left you equal parts confused and amused. He was charming, as is his way. Which is why when he'd asked you to share a drink with him, the only response you could scrounge up was a shrug and a "What the hell, why not?"

Which left you here. Sprawled out on an assortment of cushions and floor mats, a slight heat in your face that spread from your cheeks to your neck, cackling at whatever sad attempt at comedy has just left Gortash's mouth.

"You're positively primeval," you laugh as you playfully push at his shoulder, which is lightly adorned with just a black dress shirt. His overcoat lay forgotten in the corner somewhere, shed about two glasses ago.

"Oh, come now," he grins slyly in response, face leaning against his hand as he lay facing you. "You always liked that one."

You can tell in the way he says it and in the moment that follows that he knows not what he said or how it came across. The words flowed out of him without thought, as if by nature.

And you're no fool. You've scrounged up enough clues and hints of a past alliance. Words written in your own hand, and some in his, that tease at something even deeper than that. A friendship. A bond. Maybe something more, if you look real close, if you squint.

It's circumstancial at best. Letters can be fabricated, feelings can change. One page of a book tells only a fragment of a story. Yet it's moments like these, where his facade cracks and his defenses drop, that cement a truth in your mind: you meant something to him. Mean something to him. And a lifetime ago--a gruesome, gory, painful lifetime ago--he might have meant something to you.

And you don't remember it.

He's too engrossed in pouring his next glass to notice your shift in mood. You almost feel sober, idly circling the rim of your glass with a finger.

And yet the alcohol definitely plays a part in loosening your tongue. "You know, in our travels," you begin. His gaze shifts to you again. "My group and I, we've come across many an expert who have taken it upon themselves to inform me of just how..." You struggle to find the words, yet he hangs off each one in rapt attention. "Mutilated my mind truly is. In a very literal sense." You don't gauge his reaction. The ichor of the liquid in your glass seems far more fascinating right now.

This subject matter makes you feel shy and exposed, and yet his response is nonchalant. "Yes, well, it should come as no surprise how thorough Orin was in her brutality." You can hear the roll in his eyes.

The mention of her name leaves a foul taste in your mouth and a tightness in your chest. "I've no doubt she took great pleasure in her work," you retort, emulating the exasperation in his tone. Your feelings pertaining to Orin are complicated, and this wasn't really the direction you intended to steer the conversation.

There's a hand at your chin and suddenly your eyes are level with his. "Dear assassin, take comfort in the fact that you were always her better." His expression is fierce. A sense of sort of... pride emanates from him. "She lies in the very bed she made and you alone stand victorious, as is your right." There's a finality in the way he says it. He sounds so sure, as if it was written in stone. As if he'd known this would always be the outcome.

You realize his finger and thumb linger on your chin. The exaggerated sense of warmth is dizzying. You blame the wine.

You attempt to refocus, smile with an exhale. "While I appreciate the sentiment, that's not what I was getting at."

"Speak then." He adjusts his frame. The hand remains in place, save for a rogue thumb that travels upward, brushing your bottom lip. "What troubles you?"

He asks in a cavalier sort of way, but his eyes carry an earnest. I'd move mountains to ease your troubles. It makes you hesitate before you continue. "Well, because of the sorry state I'm in." He chuckles at that. "It's entirely possible that... no amount of magic or healing could ever restore my memories. Return me to I was--"

He scrunches his brow quizzically. "I'm sure some way exists. We are set to conquer an elder brain, after all--"

"If your Grace would allow me to finish my thought." The words spill out of you with a laugh. Playful yet frustrated. So frustrated, in fact, that you've grabbed the hand that was at your chin. It's still in your grasp as you huff out a puff of air at the unperturbed face of Enver Gortash.

Your display apparently gives him no pause. He only raises a brow in amusement. He allows his hand to remain in your grip as he brings the other to his grin. He mimes zipping his lips shut and bows his head as a gesture to continue. You have the floor.

You sigh. "Were it possible... By some miracle or great power, to restore my mind to what it once was..." You look down and fiddle with his fingertips as you try to organize your thoughts. He lets you. "I'm not even sure that's something I'd want?" It comes out as a question. Rhetorical in the sense that you have no answer and Gortash doesn't offer one, true to his promise to let you continue uninterrupted. So you do.

"I'm free of my father. I've no concept of what it was like to submit to him fully, and I don't think I want to." The you that you hear about sounds nothing like the you you know. The you that was willing to watch the world burn--willing to be its last inhabitant, its last sacrifice to your god, your very blood--isn't you anymore. Everything you've heard has led you to believe the person you were was disturbed, deranged, unhinged. Who was that person beyond the madness? Was there one? "That part of me feels better off lost... Lest I lose my current self to it."

When you meet Gortash's eyes again, they're still on you, expectantly. His lips are sealed, determined to a fault to allow you to finish--somehow aware in the first place that you aren't yet.

He waits.

The bastard.

You bite the inside of your cheek. You sit up to your knees, now holding that hand so fiercely in both of yours. "I'm so certain of this. But..." Your brow furrows. "When one decides to leave their past behind, there are tradeoffs. One truly leaves everything behind them. Other aspects of my old life are simply lost to me. I know not who raised me up, I know not whether I was sweet as a child, I know not whether some trace of who I am existed in the person I once was." You bring his hand up to your forehead and shut your eyes as you confess. "And I know not who you are, Enver Gortash."

You either still have the floor or he doesn't know what to say. Either way you keep going.

"While I've come to respect you, and somewhat even trust you, no part of my mind remembers you."

You look down at him and search his eyes in desperation. The amusement in his face has softened into something else you can't quite place. He looks up at you, not having torn his gaze away.

You don't remember him.

"And yet, dear tyrant." You've known something from the moment you first met. "Some part of my soul knows you..." You exhale a laugh without humor.

"And I don't know what to make of that."

~°•*~

[chickentendrsanfries]

Misia and Pampinea's relationship is so toxic but I think it's actually the best portrayal of a trauma bond I've ever seen portrayed in media (and I am referring to the actual definition of trauma bond, meaning "a bond formed between an abuser and their victim", not the common usage meaning "people who bond by experiencing the same traumatic event together")

Like you see Misia's love for Pampinea, and worse, you see why she loves Pampinea. Pampinea uses a very common but very underrepresented form of emotional manipulation to make herself look needy, pathetic, and dependent upon Misia's help. The audience genuinely believes the few moments when Pampinea acts loving and kind towards Misia, and I think sometimes Pampinea actually intends to be genuine, but using Misia is so second-nature at this point that she's, either consciously or subconsciously, always doing it.

Pampinea fluctuates constantly between being Misia's loving friend, holding her, stroking her hair, and then being distant and cruel to her, always with a soft, pitying voice and a smile, to punish and manipulate her into doing whatever Pampinea wants. She makes Misia genuinely believe she (Pampinea) needs, loves, and would be lost without Misia, that for Misia to exit this relationship would kill Pampinea, a person Misia loves. Nobody can take care of Pampinea like Misia can, least of all Pampinea herself. You can really see how emotionally dependant Misia is on Pampinea, especially after her girlfriend dies in the first episode. This story takes place during the fucking P L A G U E. Everyone is losing everyone they love constantly, and for a while Pampinea is all Misia has, to throw her love and energy into. You can see that her forming a relationship with Filomena is the first step to breaking free from this emotional dependence, but even that on it's own isn't enough.

I mean for fuck's sake, Pampinea offers Misia to mourn her dead girlfriend together, she does a whole little funeral with her and offers her support, friendship, and comfort as a noble to Misia, a lowly handmaiden, and you almost think "wow, maybe on some level she really does care about Misia" only to realize she only did it to coerce Misia into murdering someone, an act which traumatizes and wreaks psychological havoc on her already fragile mental state.

It's a portrayal of a kind of abuse that isn't often shown in media, which tends to lean towards the angle of "look at this stupid pathetic sad sack, their (always romantic, usually heterosexual) partner beats them up but they still think they love them because they're so manipulated into thinking they're worthless on their own, and I, the narrative, despite portraying this as a bad thing, am also unintentionally corroborating that by giving them no characterization beyond "Battered Victim in need of rescuing by Other (usually male romantic interest) Protagonist."" Misia has a character outside of her relationship to Pampinea, and more importantly you see why she loves her and why she stays. It's like she says, "Love isn't just one dimension. Love has long claws." Her love has ensnared her in Pampinea's grasp.

When I first watched it, I thought Misia murdering Pampinea was overkill and I was shocked and felt it out of character for her to have done that (especially considering how she did it, fucking WOOF) but upon reconsideration, it's a perfect culmination of everything we've seen of their relationship. Pampinea, for years, convinced Misia that she needed her, that she would die without her. So, when Misia finally decides to sever that relationship, it makes sense that she thinks Pampinea couldn't live without her, so she might as well kill her. Additionally, I think there's an implication that Misia would always be tethered to Pampinea if she were alive, that those claws were sunk so deep she could never guarantee her own emotional safety if Pampinea was around. Further, Pampinea at this point tried to make Misia burn an innocent woman to death in order to kidnap her child and lay claim to her estate, so for Misia to burn her to death instead is poetic in a way, a fitting end. And lastly, Pampinea used Misia's trust and love her whole life, and in her last action, Misia flips the script and uses Pampinea's love and trust to end her life.

"What would I ever do without you?"

"We'll never know, viscontessa."

[iamnmbr3]

Lord Voldemort <- break his ass down, please. (Love you blog, btw! 💖)

How I feel about this character

One of the characters of all time. I find Tom Riddle to be an absolutely fascinating character who is so fun to explore. I think he came out a lot more 3 dimensional than JKR perhaps intended (I say this because a lot of the backstory we get on him makes him a lot more nuanced than the narrative seems to acknowledge) which I absolutely love. His complexity, intelligence, creativity, self sufficiency, determination even in the face of impossible odds, ruthlessness, penchant for drama, and the tremendous amount of adversity he has to overcome provide a lot of richness that is fun to analyze and read about. I mean, without him we wouldn't have the story.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Alphard Black. Yes, I wouldn't have called it either not too long ago but now this ship lives rent free in my head. (If you want to read about why you can look at this post here). All hail the dysfunctional, hilarious, and emotionally compelling mess that is Alphalord - which I ship both in serious incarnations and also for the crack humor potential; truly the versatile ship of all time that gives me way too many feels but also is very fun to make crack humor posts about. Also, although it's not my OTP, I think there's a lot of interesting potential - all of varying degrees of darkness - to explore pairing him with Regulus as well.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

I talked here about how fascinating I find Voldemort's relationship with Snape. He does genuinely seem to like and respect him - to the point that he is actually willing to do favors for him and expresses regret about killing him. Though also...on the flip side, he doesn't like him enough to not murder him (although interestingly from an in-universe perspective we could even read him using Nagini to kill him as him not being able to use the killing curse against Snape due to feeling conflicted). I really like the idea though of him destroying everyone who he feels even somewhat close to.

Which leads me to my actual answer to this question since I already wrote about him and Snape in the Snape ask (linked in the previous paragraph) which is - Hagrid. In the book 2 flashback Tom and Hagrid are on a first name basis. And Tom clearly already knows that Hagrid has an Acromantula because when he gets the unexpected and unwelcome news that the school is going to be closed he immediately knows just where to go to find someone to blame. This suggests that he and Hagrid had a preexisting relationship where Riddle gained Hagrid's trust enough to learn things about him.

It's notable that they would have probably been the only 2 orphans at school (after Hagrid's father died.) I can imagine them running across each other during holidays when everyone is home. (They also both had a nonstandard accent - though Riddle has succeeded in mostly getting rid of his own accent by the time the memory takes place - that might have been looked down on by some of their privileged pureblood peers).

It's also not even clear if Tom intended for Hagrid to be expelled (though he certainly was willing to risk it in order to prevent the school from closing and to avoid incurring any blame himself) given that he seemingly intends to kill the spider and say that it got loose by accident rather than as some sort of intentional plot. He also doesn't kill Hagrid when he has the chance in book 7. This is probably just for plot reasons so JKR can have him carry Harry's presumably dead body back to the school, but in-universe it's interesting. Maybe Tom thought he could still turn Hagrid into a useful servant (which I don't think would have gone well). Either way, the fact that they seemingly had a sort of friendship at one point is very interesting and lends an added layer to Hagrid's assertion in book 1 that Slytherins are bad and not to be trusted.

While Tom likely viewed Hagrid with a certain degree of disdain right from day one, it's up to interpretation whether he ever also felt any positive emotions about his relationship with Hagrid or if the friendship was purely a one-sided farce. I prefer the former because I think it adds more depth and complexity to the characters and relationships if Tom ended up having some feelings of genuine camaraderie with Hagrid but was still willing to sacrifice him to protect his own interests. It makes the moment even more interesting if he did not specifically intend for Hagrid to get expelled and thus ends up losing one of the few people who, unlike the majority of his housemates, doesn't look askance at his presumed lineage as a muggleborn and his utter poverty. And this also adds interest to his decision in the end of book 7 to capture Hagrid rather than kill him.

Though of course, neither Snape nor Hagrid hold a candle to the true Tom Riddle BROTP of all time - Tom & Nagini. I love the way he is generally very touch averse but likes to hold her and pet her like a very terrifying therapy animal.

My unpopular opinion about this character

There's a lot I've talked about before like the fact that I think Tom really did want the DADA job and I also think he's a lot more emotionally intelligent than he gets credit for and the people he seems to enjoy hurting most are actually monied purebloods and the person who behaved most unreasonably in the orphanage memory was actually not Tom.

So for this I'll go with the fact that I view Tom as a much more tragic character than the narrative seems to frame him as. It's weird that so many other characters who do bad things get framed as a tragedy not an inevitability - something that is closely linked with the idea that even for characters who have gone down the wrong path there can be redemption. We see this with Snape, with James Potter, with Regulus, with Dumbledore, arguably with Grindelwald whose last act is to lie about the Elder Wand, and sort of even with Peter Pettigrew.

In contrast, Dumbledore always acts as though it's a forgone conclusion that Tom was going to turn out evil and ignores the way wizarding society and even he himself failed to ever do anything meaningful to help Tom or try to guide him onto another path. That doesn't mean he might not have still become Lord Voldemort. But it's never treated as something that even might have been avoided. There is no discussion of what a loss it is that his talent and power and intelligence and creativity weren't used for good. But it is a loss.

It's not inevitable that Tom turned out the way he did. It's not inevitable that he lived a life where he never knew what it was to be loved. It's not inevitable that the first person to ever offer him mercy is Harry Potter and by that point it's far too late and he doesn't even understand what Harry's trying to do. It's not inevitable that because the wizarding world has no concept of social services he grew up in a muggle orphanage without any knowledge of who or what he was, hated and feared by all, and in turn learning to hate and fear them in return. It's not inevitable that Dumbledore immediately gave him up as a lost cause and he never had an adult in his life who could provide support and guidance and a sense of safety. It's not inevitable that upon arriving at Hogwarts he got sorted into a House with people like Walburga Black who would have called him mudblood and hated him for his poverty almost as much as his bloodline, breeding further anger and resentment. And it's not inevitable that he made the choices that he did to kill and to maim. It's SAD. He could have done and been so much more.

I mean, to be clear, from a reader perspective all of this makes Tom an interesting and fun character. It's not bad from a storytelling perspective that these things happened. But nonetheless, it's a tragedy. And I think that gets very little play in the narrative. Yes, Harry tells Tom to try for remorse, but it's framed by the story more as an instance of Harry being ridiculously decent. When Dumbledore discourages Harry from feeling pity for the horrifying state Tom will find himself in the afterlife, there's nothing in the narrative framing that suggests the readers are meant to view Dumbledore's callousness as awful.

From an in-universe perspective we can talk about the strange bias Dumbledore had towards Tom from the moment he met him, but from an out of universe perspective it's more about the author's bias. Yes Dumbledore is meant to be flawed and imperfect, but we readers are not meant to think his treatment of Tom is an example of that imperfection. We're supposed to think it's just fine that upon learning that Tom has lived a lonely and miserable existence where he is constant mortal fear of being declared mad and forcibly locked up, Dumbledore's first act is to use magic to frighten and to punish. Partly this is just because that scene is a flashback about the villain of the series and JKR kind of forgot that from an in-universe POV he wasn't the villain of the series yet.

But also maybe it says something more profound - because in the end of the story the narrative declares "all is well" and yet none of the factors that led to Tom Riddle's rise have actually changed. As Harry is sending his children off to school 19 years later in the accursed epilogue, nothing has actually changed. It's fine to have a story that doesn't have a happy ending. But the narrative frames the ending as a black and white "everything's fixed now and they all lived happily ever after" sort of ending and...no. And this stems, I think, from the failure to engage with the elements that make the main antagonist a great tragedy rather than a cartoonish inevitability. This all makes the story much more interesting, but I'm not sure JKR is fully aware of what she wrote.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish we saw more of him in book 7. The opening scene at the Manor in Deathly Hallows is really tense and gripping and interesting...and a lot of the wedding planning and camping stuff in my opinion...is not. More scenes of the Death Eaters and Voldemort (delivered via Harry's visions) could have been very engaging. Furthermore, Harry could have actively explored Tom's mind and/or widened the connection to try to figure out where the Horcruxes were. This would have added drama, made Harry's connection to him more central to the plot, and allowed us to see more high stakes and interesting scenes.

[fallenrocket]

I get that a lot of Star Wars fans are way ahead of me on this one, but episode 7 of The Acolyte helped me understand "attachments" in Star Wars in a way I never have before.

(Spoilers)

I've complained plenty of times about the Jedi's views on attachments. After all, virtually every Star Wars story is ultimately about love and friendship. Even though we know that Luke goes against Yoda's teaching when he goes to help Leia and Han in ESB, and even though they take a serious hit at the end of that film, we as viewers know that trying to help his friends is still the right narrative choice. And when he leaves them in RotJ, it's not because he's "detached" himself from them. It's because he cares for them--he's realized that Vader senses his presence, and by staying with them, he's putting them in more danger. By leaving and facing Vader, he's doing what he needs to do for him while also trying to protect Leia and Han. The trio is the heart of the original trilogy.

Star Wars is built on relationships of all kinds, whether you're looking at Obi-Wan and Anakin, Jyn and Cassian, Din and Grogu, and so on. But relationships in and of themselves aren't attachments.

Attachments are what we see in episode 7. Sol's desire to bring Osha to Coruscant as his padawan isn't even fully about her. It's about his own feelings, this selfish and possessive want that overrides his reason. It leads him to shut out the clearer-headed voices around him, and he acts rashly and desperately. And as a result, a lot of people get hurt. Including Osha. And including him.

Sol is obviously not the only player involved in the horrible events that transpire. But even though he doesn't intend for these awful things to happen, he plays a major role in bringing them about, and that's because he makes everything else come second to the "connection" he insists he feels with Osha.

I get it now. That's an attachment. Anakin missing his mother and worrying about her well-being (when she's, you know, stuck in slavery!) is a relationship. Anakin slaughtering an entire community of Tusken men, women, and children after she's killed is an attachment. Grogu loving Din is a relationship. Grogu Force-choking Cara when she and Din are arm-wrestling is an attachment.

And it makes sense why the Jedi would be concerned about this. Besides opening them up to the Dark Side, they simply have so much power that that sort of single-minded focus on a selfish desire makes them dangerous. I wouldn't say Sol specifically goes "Dark Side" in episode 7, but he contributes to a horrific level of pain, suffering, and death. All because he lets his feelings crowd out his judgment.

I also understand why the Jedi would be especially wary of familial and romantic relationships. It makes sense that they'd view these as putting a Jedi most at risk of developing an attachment. But I still think that cutting young children off from their families and forbidding romances for Jedi is a shortsighted way to go about it.

In my view, their methods are a little bit like abstinence-only sex ed. If the only teaching is "no romance, attachments are the path to the Dark Side!", that means any Jedi who catches feelings for someone and wants to pursue it will feel obligated to keep it a secret, like Anakin. They won't be equipped to watch out for warning signs that they're developing an attachment, because they haven't been taught what that feels like, and if they do realize they're getting into trouble, they won't be able to seek help from anyone.

I feel like it'd be better if romance was allowed but relationships were "declared" to Jedi HR. Then they could look out for one another, help to ensure that they're finding love and connection in healthy ways that aren't putting others--and themselves--in danger. By just saying "no" and leaving it at that, they're not preventing the problem. They're only forcing it into the shadows where it'll grow out of sight.

[whamgram]

I’ve binge read under my skin and the plot is absolutely amazing! I loved the chapters with faux charming Vox and jealous Alastor. it was fun watching the whole vox situation unfold because it made Alastor dive deeper into his feelings. That being said, I’m gonna be completely honest Vox wasn’t exactly what I would consider serious competition for Alastor. Let me clarify that in no way does the story need a love triangle. The situation with Vox was great because it brought something between Charlie and Alastor and they overcame the obstacle and have breached a new footing in their friendship/situationship. But at the same time, it wasn’t really a test because Charlie somewhat had her guard up with Vox so he was somewhat more of a minor misstep in their journey towards coming together. It got me wondering on what or rather who would be a major obstacle for these two and immediately my mind went to Vaggie because is there really any one in hell that could give Charlie a better option for a relationship that wouldn’t use her as a way to get under Alastor’s skin or even Lucifer’s? Not to mention that she has to be on her guard otherwise someone could try to use her for her status as the princess of hell. But you already tied up Vaggie’s relationship with Charlie and quite nicely I might add. (having her fall for Emily was believable and understandable because Emily has a similar mindset to Charlie.) That didn’t stop me from thinking about heaven. They’ve been awfully quiet in the story so far, especially considering the events of season one where Charlie led an assault on the exorcists and the whole situation with a sinner that killed Adam. Sure it’s proved that sinners can be redeemed but at the same time it’s proved that Charlie poses a threat. She challenged and changed the order of things. Something from what we know both her parents tried to do. I can’t imagine that heaven or rather all of heaven is going to take the fact that Lucifer‘s daughter is doing what he failed to do which is challenge the world order. And we’ve seen in season one that heaven is perfectly capable of scheming when they kept the extermination under wraps from all of heaven, with only the select few knowing. I can see heaven sending someone down to keep an eye on the princess. Interestingly enough angels are secretive and I would love to see some more of jealous Alastor squirming because Vox while a nuisance was an opponent he knew well, and he knew how to warn Charlie to be cautious. I guess I’m wondering how he would do against someone who he doesn’t know. And Charlie is enamored with heaven, probably because she’s half angel. I’m wondering how she would handle be charmed by an angel who isn’t what they seem, and the reality not all angels have pure intentions

Thanks so much! ❤️ You nailed it regarding the Vox arc. It was never intended as a legitimate love triangle. Alastor and Vox certainly saw it that way, but Charlie didn’t. She had zero romantic interest in Vox. He did charm her a bit in a similar way that Alastor does, but she quickly clocked this as an imitation. Like she said a few chapters back, she knew he was sleazy and was hoping he’d prove to her otherwise.

It’s exactly like you said, Vox was just an obstacle for them to overcome together. As a result, their relationship grew stronger and they both obtained a better understanding of their feelings for each other. And the irony of Vox unintentionally bringing them closer together? That’s my favorite part. 😆 He’d be so pissed if he found that out.

Heaven has been very quiet, haven’t they? 👀 Guess they’re busy sorting through all the paperwork they’ve been asking Charlie to complete. Their suspicious silence will be addressed soon.

I love your idea about them facing a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” threat from heaven. I obviously don’t want to spoil any upcoming story arcs, but I will say that I’ve had some similar trains of thought. Vox won’t be the only threat to their relationship. 😈

Thanks for your thoughtful message! I greatly enjoy the speculation.

[ppeonppeonhan]

2023 BL Breakout Actors

I really hope to see more of these actors next year.

Louis Chiang | Kiseki: Dear to Me

He played a tiny lovesick tyrant who pined for his childhood bff and fellow gang member. I could've watched an entire drama just about him and his journey from impulsive orphan thug to feisty romantic. He was simply electric.

Suggested Role: There's a sports trend in BL right now, and he's so good at the physicality of acting that I'd love to see him play a competitive professional tennis player who's conflicted when he's forced to partner with his nemesis.

Lim Ji Sub | The Eighth Sense

He had to play such a heavy character -- a college student and surfer suffering from depression and survivor's guilt -- and his heartbreaking performance made you want to reach through the screen and give him a hug.

Suggested Role: South Korea does slice of life SO well that I'd really love to see him switch it up and pine for someone in a quasi comedic role. He could play a young real estate agent who starts to fall for one of his picky clients, and they learn together that the perfect home is one you make and not one you find.

Film Thanapat Kawila | Laws of Attraction

I honestly did not enjoy this drama, but I did enjoy his performance. He is so captivating as Charn -- this scenery-chewing, maniacal, traumatized, good-boy-turned-bad lawyer -- that his romantic love interest could not manage to keep up.

Suggested Role: I dunno. I feel like I'd happily watch him play this role again, and take down another corrupt politician.

An Jeong Gyun | Love Class 2

It's so easy to get lost in an anthology when there's three couples and when you're not traditionally attractive, but his character stole the whole damn series. He was so bold and upfront about his emotions in a mature and refreshing way that it made you ignore the beige flags of playful manipulation that comes with courtship, and root for him to win his crush's heart.

Suggested Role: He's actually older (30), and I appreciate that South Korea is exploring more love stories between older men as Thailand conquers the under 25 demo. So for him, I'd say a divorced storyline. Maybe explore the story of how two ex-husbands rebuild their lives apart and rediscover their friendship while they fall for other people.

"Silvy" Pavida | The Warp Effect

Speaking of bloated casts, this series had like a million people in it playing characters of a variety of genders and sexualities, because it was intended to be -- in part -- a modern sex guide that pushed against traditional constructs. But in the midst of all that was a brief performance by Silvy, who was only tasked with playing an aspiring "plus size" actress, but managed to leave a lasting impression, making you want more.

Suggested Role: She's a singer and she's half-Italian. There's gotta be something we can do with that. Maybe the story of a shy singer, who is often hired to record tracks for rising tone-deaf artists, and is encouraged by one to make her debut as her opening act and help her write a romantic duet in Italian for her international audience.

***

Now...most of us agree that Step by Step was...not great. But it did have a lot of Thai actors that I hope to see again soon -- in an entirely different storyline far away from whatever the hell that was.

"Saint" Paramee Matthanadul | Step by Step

Was his character a whiny little shit? Yes. Is he so gorgeous you almost forgot how hot his big brother was? Also, yes. The fandom was pissed his romantic subplot did not get a resolution, because there was so much he could've done with this character if given the opportunity.

Suggested Role: I think he has baby girl potential, so I really want to see him either play a spoiled mafia kid who falls for his mentor OR a rich kid pretending to be a working class waiter at the restaurant he owns, marinated in gay panic every time the head chef scolds him.

Zorzo Nathanan Akkharakitwattanakul | Step by Step

I have yet to watch a proper GL series, but if she was starring in it, I'd clear my TV schedule. There's something so femme fatale about her and her features. She had no business stealing scenes from the nearly full cast of dudes, but she did. Every time.

Suggested Role: I really want to see her in a mystery produced by whoever is doing The Sign right now. Maybe she could play an undercover cop trying to solve a missing person's case in a small town, and her love interest is married to her prime suspect.

"Ben" Bunyapol Likhitamnuayporn | Step by Step

Last, but not least, is the adorable Ben. Who, in spite of wasting our time with the most anticlimactic drama ending, played a character that was an inspiration to every office employee who has been dying to tell their ungrateful and abusive boss to step back and let a bitch cook. He played him with such naiveté and earnestness that it made you want more for his character than a lustful boss who struggled not to abuse his power.

Suggested Role: It's so easy for him to get sucked into passive roles opposite the zaddys of BL, so I'd like to see how he fairs against an equal. Maybe another workplace ensemble comedy where he plays a reporter posing as an intern at a new social media company run by an unhinged mogul spreading fake news, and falls for another intern who helps him take the company down.

[yeehawthethird]

Not only should you present it to the radio but you should also share with us pretty please 🫶🩷

Of course! Be warned it’s not that good lol

Science fiction has been a popular genre for quite some time and has always been a way to express relationships outside of what is considered “normal” by society. The genre imagines life differently from the real world in a scientific context. It, therefore, can express relationships and themes that mirror the real world but could not be expressed in a more realistic medium. Lab Rats is a kids’ science fiction show produced by Disney, airing from 2012 to 2016. The show follows Leo, whose mother has married a tech billionaire named Donald Davenport, who is working on a secret project of bionic siblings built to go on missions and save humans. These siblings are Adam, who has bionic strength; Bree, who has bionic speed; and Chase, who has bionically increased intelligence. Because these siblings have never seen the world before, Leo introduces them to high school and the world beyond; however, Adam, Bree, and Chase still have to hide their bionic secret and go on life-saving missions. After the bionic secret is discovered, a new army of bionic kids is discovered, with their leader, Krane, controlling them and intending to take over the world. After the kids are no longer under the control of Krane, they are blank slates, and Donald creates a bionic training academy island to train the kids to become bionic heroes like Adam, Bree, and Chase (Peterson). One of these kids is Sebastian, a character both incredibly similar and incredibly different than Chase. While the characters of Chase and Sebastian in the Disney TV show Lab Rats are not explicitly indicated to be in an LGBTQ+ relationship, the levels of friendship, manipulation, and betrayal found are indicative of a romantic relationship, despite the limitations found around LGBTQ+ relationships in the early 2010s.

The relationship between the characters Chase and Sebastian surpasses the typical level of platonic friendship found inside the show and instead implies a romantic relationship. At first, Sebastian is a member of Krane’s bionic army and is working to destroy Adam, Bree, and Chase. After he has become un-brainwashed, he is essentially a blank slate. At this point, the personalities that Chase and Sebastian have are incredibly similar, and so they begin to start conflicts with each other. Even though Sebastian rebels against Chase’s lessons by forming his own class an event leading to the sinking of the Bionic Island forces them to work together to save it (“First Day of Bionic Academy”).

After this, they begrudgingly accept each other's presence, and Sebastian becomes a regular character featured. Over these episodes, they become closer and closer until Sebastian trusts Chase enough to ask where the bionic students came from, and Chase starts with: “Well. I’m probably not supposed to say anything, but…” He tells the story about Victor, Krane, and the bionic army, ending with, “But, at least you’re safe now” (“Unauthorized Mission”). The language used here is important. If Chase were to say, “But, at least you all are safe now,” referring to all of the students, it would perhaps make more sense in the context of the story he is telling. However, he singles out Sebastian in particular, implying a strong sense of care. Particular language is not the only reason this interaction stands out. An important idea of Chase’s character is his intelligence. He is supposed to have advanced critical reasoning skills, as well as knowledge about many different topics. Surely, he would understand that revealing a large secret about the past of the students would have unforeseen consequences. These students are considered blank slates, and any deviation from what they already know could have disastrous implications for the person they become.

While the show does explore plots where Chase makes disastrous mistakes in spite of (or even because of) his intelligence, none of them have been this consequential. Plus, a large part of the early show was the bionic teens having to hide their bionic secret. Chase managed to not tell anyone for several years, and yet he is spilling secrets now that Sebastian is in the picture. This also happens in the spin-off, Lab Rats Elite Force, with a character named Reece in a very similar situation, except that dynamic is decidedly romantic. This could imply a romantic element to the relationship between Chase and Sebastian.

Meanwhile, in the next episode, Sebastian asks Chase to unlock him a new bionic ability, but Chase initially declines. After some convincing, he agrees, and Sebastian says that “We really are best friends.” Chase then replies, “Can you say that again? I wanna make it my ringtone” (“Bionic Rebellion Part One”). Chase is not usually described as a people-pleasing character. He considers himself intelligent, and he does not mind insulting other people in order to prove his intellectual superiority. This is particularly evident in some of Chase and Sebastian’s earlier interactions, yet it fades away here. In this dialogue, the feelings of a strong relationship between the two are emphasized by showing Chase’s strong desire to keep this relationship. He does not really do this with any other relationship we have seen him in so far, platonic or otherwise.

Also, there is a strong connotation behind wanting to change a ringtone to a particular person's voice, and more specifically, a clip of that person’s voice affirming their relationship. This is commonly seen in romantic relationships over platonic ones and certainly does imply that there is a romantic element involved. The specific usage of that trope carries the idea that these characters are possibly more than friends. However, the simple romantic subtext in their friendship is not the only reason that this interaction is significant, as there is also another layer, Sebastian's emotional manipulation of Chase.

Sebastian's emotional manipulation of Chase highly mirrors the real-life manipulation tactics used in romantic relationships. After Chase reveals the secret of where the bionic students come from, Sebastian believes that what they had to do (destroy their creator) was morally wrong. He decides to start a bionic rebellion against Adam, Bree, and Chase. One of the ways that he does this is by convincing Chase to give him a new bionic ability. When Chase initially refuses by saying, “No way. Only Mr. Davenport is allowed to do that. I could get into serious trouble.” Sebastian replies by saying, “You’re right. I shouldn’t have even asked. I just didn’t think it was such a big deal. I mean, I thought we were best friends” (“Bionic Rebellion Part One”). Sebastian clearly knows about Chase’s desire to preserve the relationship they have.

Although he does not have the same interest in preserving the relationship that Chase does, he recognizes its romantic connotations. His interest is to get more bionic abilities in order to kill Chase, and he preys on the perceived relationship in order to achieve his goals. While the manipulation is not explicitly tied to a romantic relationship, all too often, the guilt tripping found in their interactions is found in romantic relationships. Later in the day, when the security guard Terry Perry accuses Sebastian of stealing explosives, Chase immediately rushes to his defense by saying “No, he wouldn’t do that. He’s my best friend.” After a pause, he continues, “We talked about it. We’re official now” (“Bionic Rebellion Part One.”). Chase places a large amount of trust in Sebastian. He does not think to consider the fact that it may actually have been Sebastian at fault. Sebastian has manipulated him so far into believing that there are no ulterior motives found within their relationship. This is common in toxic relationships, where the person inside the relationship cannot notice how toxic it is.

Chase is often characterized in the show as someone who cannot enter a romantic relationship due to his nerdiness, as well as his perceived lack of social ability and attractiveness. He is most likely simply thrilled to be in a relationship of these sorts and is therefore looking past all of the red flags. Even though he was raised in a basement for most of his life, he is seen forming platonic relationships, and his behavior in these relationships differs drastically from his relationship with Sebastian. The use of “we’re official now” also insinuates a romantic relationship, as that statement is typically used to represent a romantic commitment. However, all of this manipulation does eventually lead to a sudden and harsh betrayal.

Although betrayal is not romantic in theory, Sebastian’s betrayal of Chase follows tropes commonly used in romantic fiction and is executed with the intensity of a relationship between lovers. After a while, Sebastian reveals his evil plans to Adam, Bree, and Chase. He mentions how correct he believes that Krane is, and Bree asks how Sebastian knew about Krane. Sebastian responds by saying, “Well, my buddy Chase told me all about him. He told me all sorts of things” (“Bionic Rebellion Part One”).

Here, the exact consequences of what Chase told Sebastian are seen. Romantic betrayal is a common trope found in television, and while it typically relates to situations such as cheating, it is no less potent here. The betrayal is intense and seemingly sudden, mirroring a romantic relationship and how quickly it can crash and burn. While this can occur with platonic relationships, as a trope, it is more often used romantically, especially in a situation this intense. The common belief that romantic relationships display more emotion than platonic ones bleeds into all areas of romantic media, including the emotions and intensity found.

In the series, the only betrayal considered of this same intensity is found between the characters of Bree and Troy, and that is a relationship with confirmed romantic feelings involved. This deep betrayal shakes Chase to his core, even in the following episodes. In the episode ‘One of Us’, the former lead bionic soldier of Krane’s shows up at the island and needs help. Chase is decidedly hostile to this person, comparing her to Sebastian when he says “Oh yeah? That’s what we thought about Sebastian, too. And we all know what happened there.” His brother Adam then responds to him: “We get it. He broke your heart. Let it go.” Chase eventually agrees to help the former soldier, and Adam decides to interject: “Okay, but when she crushes your heart like Sebastian, don’t come crying to me” (“One of Us”).

Usually, plots from previous episodes are not referenced in other episodes, particularly due to the show’s sitcom-like nature. Even episodes related to the central plot of the show are not usually mentioned except in other plot-related episodes. For this plot point to be mentioned implies that it had a strong effect on Chase, similar to the way a breakup would. There had previously been platonic betrayals, and they were not mentioned outside of the plot-related episodes, which shows that this relationship had a more profound effect than those platonic betrayals. As seen earlier, the specific connotations of dialogue help show that the relationship between Chase and Sebastian is more than platonic. “Breaks heart” is often attributed to a romantic relationship and is typically unused in a platonic context. Not only is it typically only used in a romantic context, but it is also used in a romantic context where there was some sort of profound betrayal, such as seen with Chase and Sebastian. When Adam uses that language, he is illustrating the knowledge that the dynamic was coded as romantic, even though it obviously could not be shown that way.

All of the subtexts in their relationship had to stay discrete due to the limitations upon kids' media in the 2010s. In this era, LGBTQ+ content in kids' media was far from welcome, especially with claims that such media would indoctrinate children. Therefore, even though this relationship could have been intended to be romantic, it would not have been able to be shown that way. Today, kids' media on Disney, such as The Owl House, has broadened the horizons of LGBTQ+ topics in media for children. In shows such as these, LGBTQ+ relationships are out in the open, without any need for euphemisms or subtext. Pride flags are allowed to be shown, and same-sex relationships are almost normalized. However, there is still a lot of pushback. Even now, not everyone is ok with LGBTQ+ media being shown. Although it is not all the way normalized now, it was not at all normalized in the 2010s when Lab Rats was airing. In this era, however, queer relationships would have been limited to only being subtext. When Adam specifically conceptualizes the relationship in a romantic context, he implies that a romantic relationship between Chase and Sebastian was what was planned all along. The betrayal between Sebastian and Chase, as well as the aftermath, was simply one of the reasons that this relationship was romantic instead of platonic.

Even though there was an inability to explicitly portray the relationship between Chase and Sebastian in the Disney Channel TV show Lab Rats as romantic due to the beliefs around LGBTQ+ representation in media, particularly for children, there were levels of intimacy, emotional manipulation, and eventual betrayal that indicated a romantic relationship between the two. Clues to a romantic relationship such as these could be considered by a large majority of the public to be a coincidence, but for the LGBTQ+ community, they stay in line with the common pattern of media being unable to express outwardly queer relationships. Representation of queer couples is not considered a norm in modern media, and it would have been next to impossible to find when the show was released, especially in media made for children. At first glance, this may seem like a simple ex-bionic soldier befriending and eventually betraying his bionic mentor, but underneath the surface, a touching story on queer relationships and betrayal comes to light.

Works Cited

Distad, Guy, director. “Bionic Rebellion Part One.” Lab Rats, created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore, season 4, episode 1, 18 March 2015. Disney+.

Distad, Guy, director. “First Day of Bionic Academy.” Lab Rats, created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore, season 3, episode 24, 3 February 2015. Disney+.

Distad, Guy, director. “One of Us.” Lab Rats, created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore, season 4, episode 15, It's a Laugh Productions, 12 August 2015. Disney+.

Peterson, Chris, and Bryan Moore, creators. Lab Rats. 2012. It's a Laugh Productions, 2016. Disney+.

[acacia-may]

Take Care of Yourself Chapter 4 (Finale)

Chapter 4 Description: When Giyu is injured as part of the Hashira Training, he visits Shinobu for the first time in a long time. She patches him up once again--teasing him as always about taking better care of himself, but this time, there is something in her voice when she says "I'm not going to be around to patch you up forever, you know?" that gives Giyu pause and makes him wonder: if Kocho is the one who is always telling him to take care of himself, who is there to tell her the same thing? And would she even listen to them if they did? 

Story Description: Giyu & Shinobu's relationship through the years and an origin story of how they became friends.

Fandom: Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba

Genre: Friendship, Developing Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Angst

Relationships: Giyu Tomioka & Shinobu Kocho Friendship (though I suppose you could take it in a romantic way if you really wanted it to be) [A/N: This story focuses on how their relationship developed over time and how deeply and genuinely they care about each other so how you want to qualify that (platonic or romantic) is really up to you. My intention was to write about their platonic friendship, but I have been told that the final chapter could lean a little more romantic than the others(?) so warnings for that upfront...]

Characters: Giyu Tomioka (POV Character) and Shinobu Kocho. [Kanae Kocho and Sabito are mentioned but do not physically appear in this story. Sanemi Shinazugawa is briefly mentioned once in every chapter as an easter egg for my sister who loves him and encouraged me to write this story in the first place].

Rating: T for Thematic Elements (Please see "Warnings" below for more details)

Warnings: Heavy themes (i.e. grief, emotional trauma, & survivor guilt), mentions of (non-depicted) past deaths, and depiction of injuries as well as some discussion of demon slaying violence related to those injuries. Ch. 3 has some action sequences and mild, non-gory/non-graphic depictions of demon slaying. All chapters contain SPOILERS for and through Ch. 131 of the manga. Ch. 3 & Ch. 4 contain vague spoilers from and through Ch. 163 of the manga and some related foreshadowing.

Word Count: 2033 (Chapter 4) [7573 Total]

Link to original post on AO3. Please do not repost to another site.

Tumblr Links to The Previous Chapter: Chapter 3. This Chapter (Chapter 4) is the Final Chapter.

Note: This is an older story of mine, but I am posting it here to Tumblr for Shinobu's upcoming birthday (since as much as I want to write another story to celebrate my favourite Demon Slayer character, I'm afraid I will not have time this year...)

Chapter 4 below the cut. Please Note: Chapter 4 contains spoilers and foreshadowing through Ch. 163 of the manga and has an angsty ending. (Apologies in advance for that). Thank you for reading! 🦋

“Only this once” quickly turned into a recurring, regular stop at small, hole in the wall restaurants or food carts after their missions. Eating together like that was such a mundane thing, but it almost made Giyu feel normal. In his life as a demon slayer, he had very few fond memories of the regular, everyday experiences others took for granted like stopping at a tiny diner and chatting over a bowl of Udon—or, he supposed, technically Kocho did most of the talking while he listened. He sometimes wondered if she, too, appreciated the chance to be ordinary, even though he knew that even in the absence of demon slaying there was very little that was unremarkable about her. Her skills as a doctor and pharmacist, for instance,  were extraordinary in their own right—especially when one was on the receiving end of her treatment, as Giyu was now.

“Hold still,” said Kocho as she stitched the gash in his arm which tensed involuntarily each time the wound was poked and prodded. Maybe that’s what she meant by ‘hold still.’ Giyu tried to make a conscious effort, but when he flinched again, she huffed, “Tomioka-san!”

“Sorry,” he mumbled. Given how many times Kocho had stitched up his wounds, he thought he should be used to it by now. Even so, it was a relief when the suture was finally complete. She huffed again.

“Shinazugawa did this to you?”

Giyu nodded but added graciously, “I don’t think he meant to. We were sparring as part of the Hashira training. Wind Breathing is rough…”

“And I bet you were spacing out again, weren’t you?” Kocho rolled her eyes but frowned at the gash in his arm and the other injuries that she had already bandaged. She shook her head. “At this rate, you won’t be in any shape to fight Muzan or the Moons.”

Giyu sighed. He didn’t think he would be in much shape to fight the remaining upper rank demons even without getting a bit beaten up by Shinazugawa’s Wind Breathing as he doubted he would be able to manifest a mark like he was sure the others would—they were so much stronger than he was. That reminded him…

“Kocho, have you participated in the Hashira training yet?”

She turned away from him and walked over to the shelves of medical supplies. “No,” she answered curtly with her back to him. “The Master has given me another task that’s kept me very busy.”

She sighed as she rummaged around in a cabinet, and her voice grew quieter though still matter-of-fact, “I doubt I could even manifest a mark anyway—my breathing isn’t like yours. I can’t…” She stopped. As Giyu expected, when she turned towards him, she had that hollow smile on her face again. “Besides, I spend all my extra time healing careless demon slayers like you. I don’t have time for any special training, and I’d prefer to save my energy for Muzan and the Moons anyway.”

As Kocho took a seat next to him, Giyu couldn’t help but wonder how much energy she had these days. She appeared more ragged each time he saw her, which had been getting less and less frequent ever since the demon activity had inexplicitly stopped and the Hashira training had begun.

He wondered if she was feeling alright—not that she would tell him or anyone if she wasn’t. Kocho was the master of the brave face—always pretending she was at her best and pushing herself to be strong for everyone around her. She looked out for others before herself without even blinking an eye. She had an unbelievable strength and resolve that Giyu still couldn’t wrap his head around—but he knew it must be a heavy burden and he couldn’t help but wonder if she was growing tired under its crushing weight.

“I think there’s only one left,” said Kocho pulling Giyu out of his thoughts. As she unspooled some bandages and began to dig through her pocket, a handful of something small and brown fell on the ground with a clatter. Giyu’s eyebrows twitched.

“Acorns?”

Kocho sighed and rolled her eyes as she bent over to pick them up. “From Inosuke. He had a nasty cut on his head that I bandaged up for him earlier today, and he gave me those for some reason...” She shook her head, but her mouth twitched into an almost-affectionate smile as she placed the handful of acorns on a nearby table. She turned back to Giyu with the gauze, he assumed, she was trying to get out of her pocket in the first place, and added with a teasing smile, “He’s almost as reckless as you are…”

"I would’ve thought he was like Shinazugawa…” answered Giyu dryly—the Wind Hashira and the boar mask boy both seemed to have the same hotheaded aggression.

“Yes, him too. The three of you are far too reckless…especially you, Tomioka-san,” glowered Kocho as she began to clean the cut on his shoulder with a huff. “Did you really get all of these injuries from sparring?” Giyu nodded.

“You need to take better care of yourself,” she scolded but her violet eyes looked tired and her weary voice started to fade as her gentle hands wrapped the gauze around his shoulder. “I’m not going to be around to patch you up forever, you know?”

Something twisted in Giyu’s chest. He turned towards her with a start.  “What?”

“Tomioka-san, hold still,” she snapped in frustration—his rapid movement having unspooled her bandaging. His brow furrowed, and he stared at her as if searching the irritated expression on her pale face for the unnerving twinge he had heard in her voice.

“What do you mean?” he asked, and Kocho whipped away from him pulling the bandage tight. When Giyu flinched, she loosened her grip and sighed with a slight shake of her head.

“Nothing. I just meant…you never know what’s going to happen. I’m sure you’ve felt it too—our final battle with Muzan could happen any day now, and it would be foolish to think that we’ll all make it back from it alive and unscathed. We’re Hashira…we’ve always known we might have to make the ultimate sacrifice—it’s just part of our job and our duty. That’s all I was saying…” Her answer was calm, nonchalant, and sensical—somehow respectful to the gravity of sacrifice but dismissive of her original comment—such were Kocho’s skills of deflection. Giyu blinked, and his brow furrowed as his insides coiled.

“Kocho…” he began. “You look tired…”

“Well, you don’t look so great yourself,” she bristled as she finished bandaging his shoulder.

“Maybe you should rest,” he suggested earning an indignant glare.

“Maybe I would have time to rest if a certain airheaded water pillar didn’t keep getting himself beaten up.” She flashed him a teasing smile, but Giyu could tell she had stiffened.  

With a guilty sigh, he downcast his eyes. “I’m sorry…”

“You should be,” she bantered before returning to her bandaging with, Giyu knew, no intention of continuing this conversation. He watched as her hands trembled as she wrapped his wound and noticed the dark rings under her eyes, the gauntness of her face. He couldn’t help but think that if he had looked like that, Kocho would be scolding him, ushering him into a hospital bed, and insisting ‘you need to take care of yourself.’ Something panged in his chest. Kocho was the one who had always told him to take care of himself, but who was there to tell her the same thing? And would she even listen to them if they did?   

“Are you sick?” he asked surprising himself by his boldness in pressing the issue, and, he supposed, Kocho as well as her hands stopped moving for just a moment before she pointedly tilted her head.

“No, and how is that any of your business?” Giyu supposed she had a point. He wondered if he should just leave the subject alone, but the knots in his stomach made him feel queasy. He wasn’t always the best at picking up on Kocho’s deflections—wanting to take her at her word—but this time…

“Your face is pale, and your eyes are red…like you haven’t been sleeping…”

“Oh, you’re one to talk about sleeping, insomniac…” she teased, but he could see the tension in her shoulders.

“Something is wrong…” he observed or perhaps admitted aloud as his heart beat faster.

“You’re so rude, Tomioka-san,” Kocho scolded with her empty, teasing smile but her voice hitched as she stood up from her seat and turned to leave with a shaky huff. “You know, this is exactly why no one likes—” Kocho stopped. She stared at Giyu’s hand which had suddenly wrapped around her wrist.

“What…what are you?” she spluttered as her gaunt cheeks flushed pink, and Giyu swallowed hard as he felt her pulse pounding against his palm. He hadn’t meant to do that—had only meant to stop her before she left and buried his concerns somewhere on the other side of the great abyss between them, with all of the other words they left unsaid.

Kocho huffed and jerked her arm away from him, but he asked, shocked by his own boldness, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” her words tumbled rapidly as she grew visibly huffy and glared directly at him. “I told you I’m fine. Just forget it!”

“Kocho—”  

“I said drop it, Giyu!”

Giyu’s mouth fell a bit slack in spite of himself as Kocho’s eyes widened in realization of what she had said. She had never called him that—not once in the many years that they had known each other. A blush crossed over her cheeks but whether it was from embarrassment or frustration, Giyu didn’t know.

She glared at him at him almost threateningly. “Please,” she gritted through her teeth. Her stormy eyes were irate and intimidating, but there was something else, something almost distraught, almost desperate. Giyu’s insides twisted. He almost wondered if he should try to stumble through an apology but couldn’t seem to find the words as he shifted under the weight of her gaze.

Seemingly shaking it off, Kocho bristled and stiffened before she gathered her medical supplies and said curtly, “All your wounds are taken care of. You can go now.” She stared at the ground and wouldn’t look at him, and when she sighed, her voice was calm almost quiet, different than the teasing banter with which she would’ve usually said the following words, “If it makes you feel better, I’ll try to get some extra sleep tonight. Okay? Happy?”

Giyu blinked at her. He didn’t know what to say, but he somehow managed a brisk nod. Kocho nodded in return, and they stumbled their way through awkward, curt goodbyes. However, when she turned to leave, something gnawed and twisted in the pit of Giyu’s stomach, a truly horrible feeling—the same one he had had when Tsutako had hidden him urging him to stay quiet or Makomo had waved goodbye before leaving for Mount Fujikasane or Sabito had run off ahead of him at Final Selection—an impending sense of dread that he was never going to see her again.

“Kocho…” he said the desperation creeping into his voice. She must’ve heard it too because she turned around to look back at him with surprise on her face.

For years later, Giyu would come back to this moment—agonizing over every detail, wondering if he had just pushed a little harder, if he had just probed a little more, asked a little more forcefully, been a little bit braver—if he had just had the courage to cross that great divide between them, between the things they shared and the things they couldn’t say, would things have been different?

But as it was, Giyu stopped on the precipice of that chasm—unable to ask the questions he so desperately wanted to ask, to say the words he so desperately wanted to say—so he said the only thing that he could, desperately hoping that the meaning would somehow reach her.   

“Take care of yourself.”

[blackjackkent]

The usual three prompts :)

Karlach - Sunflower

Jaheira - Sweet Pea

Isobel - Dandelion

(Flower prompts meme)

Finally responding to this! I ended up picking both the Karlach and Jaheira ones and combining them into one fic, and also making them both about friendship stuff even though I think the prompt definitely intended romantic. And then it grew legs and became an AO3 one-shot instead of a drabble fill. More bang for your buck. XD Really hope you like!

Sunflower - drunken rambling about their adoration Sweet Pea - a tender moment

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We Who Have Faced Gods

Pairing: Karlach & Jaheira, Tav & Jaheira, Karlach/Tav Characters: Karlach, Jaheira, OC Male Tav Rating: G Warnings: Drinking Descriptors: Fluff, humor, drunk silliness, cross-generational friendship, mentorship. Chapter Word Count: 3.0k Chapter Setting: On the road to Baldur's Gate, between Act 2 and Act 3.

Summary: A brief interlude of rest for three heroes on the road to Baldur's Gate, in between one battle and the next.

read on ao3 | send me fic requests!

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“I can't fuckin’ believe it,” Karlach slurs happily. 

Hector grins. “So you've said - a few times now.” 

He gently pries the bottle of ale out of her hand and takes a sip from it himself before setting it aside next to the tree they’re sitting against. Another bottle, already empty, is nestled there in the grass, damp with condensation in the crisp evening air.

The camp’s much-needed celebration at finally escaping the Shadow-Cursed Lands has also turned out to be an excuse to clear their supply packs of the unreasonable quantity of alcohol they’ve accumulated. Karlach has been doing her part in the drainage effort. Hector himself hasn’t had too much; he is, however, very much enjoying listening to her increasingly exuberant ramblings as the night has gone on and the bottles have slowly trended towards empty.

He stretches, draping his arms loosely around her waist as she settles more comfortably into his lap. “But go on. Tell me again.”

“I’m serious. I can’t believe it,” she says earnestly. Her whole face scrunches up with concentration as she tries to focus her eyes on him. “Jaheira. In our camp. That's her tent right over there!” She points unsteadily in a vague direction. “D'you know how many stories I heard about her as a kid? SO many, Hec. Like…” A pause. “So many.”

He chuckles. “Yeah?” He kisses the tip of her nose, then her lips. “I’d love to hear them.”

“She’s so cool. She can turn into a panther,” Karlach says dreamily. “I saw her do it at Last Light. An’ she cut up those winged horrors like they were nothing .”

“A very impressive show,” he agrees, nodding. 

She considers for a moment, her eyebrows knitting. “Bet I’d make a good panther.”

“I'm sure you would.” Picking up one of her hands, he interlaces their fingers, kissing each of her knuckles in turn. “You've already got the claws for it.”

“I should get Jaheira t’ teach me,” Karlach decides. Her gaze drifts out of focus again. “And then we could be panthers together and slash everyone up. And then you'd run up and punch them too. POW POW.” She thumps her fist lightly into the pit of his stomach. “Like that.”

He slumps dramatically against the tree trunk, clutching at his abdomen. “You got me. A wicked strike indeed.”

“Hrrrrrmm.” She clicks her tongue dismissively and gives her head an exaggerated shake. “C’mon now, Soldier. You fought that weird Myrkul bone motherfucker,” she points out. “You can take a gut hit from me, I bet.”

“No doubt,” he agrees. His eyes narrow teasingly. “Only you've seemed rather fond of some parts down there, and I'd hate for you to damage them accidentally.”

“Oh, shit, you're right.” She bursts into a fit of giggles and slumps against his shoulder. “Gotta be careful.” She kisses his neck, under his jaw, up to his ear, and nips gently at his earlobe. This elicits a soft, involuntary noise of eager satisfaction from him, and she snickers, pleased at the reaction. “Better?” 

“Much.” He runs the tips of his fingers down the back of her neck and feels her shiver pleasantly in return. “I love seeing you so happy, you know.”

This seems to give her some pause. “Happy. Yeah.” She fidgets her fingertips at his jaw, pushing against the grain of his beard with an air of deep absorption.

There's silence for a moment, filled with the noise of the living forest around them - so different from the desolation of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Damp leaves rustle against each other in the slow, warm breeze. Somewhere above them, a hawk screeches a hunting call. 

 “We're gonna kill Gortash, right?” Karlach asks abruptly. 

His lips purse tightly and his smile fades. He remembers the mop-headed bastard in the long coat, standing alongside Ketheric and the Bhaalist in that pit of horrors beneath Moonrise. He remembers the rage in Karlach’s face and how it echoed in his own heart. “Yes,” he answers. “We will.”

She presses her face into his neck. “An’ Jaheira's gonna help us. An’ I can kiss a hot monk any time I want, an’ he promised me nothing bad is ever gonna happen, ever again.”

He blinks, then chuckles, the grim mood easing again. “All true things.”

“Then yeah.” Her voice is muffled and increasingly drowsy, but he can hear the smile in it. “I'm happy.”

He digs his fingers gently into the small of her back to pull her tighter against him. “Good. I am too.” 

It isn’t a lie - he is happy, here at this moment, blanketed in her warmth. But uncertainty lurks very close at hand. They have a plan, a goal - a purpose that will save thousands of lives if they can hold to it. But their enemy is horrifying beyond comprehension, and everyone, even to the daughter of Selune herself, has trusted him to be equal to it.

What if he’s not?

He’s jarred from his thoughts by the soft thump of a footstep, and he looks up to see Jaheira rounding one of the nearby tents. The High Harper also has a bottle of wine in one hand, but her steps are steady and her bearing straight. Only her eyes - softened from their usual sharp glint and peering languorously into the middle distance - betray any sign of inebriation. 

She comes to a halt just shy of tripping over Hector's outstretched legs. Her eyes take a moment to refocus, and she tips her head to one side as she takes in the scene.

“Good evening, Carlisle,” she says with exaggerated gravity, inclining her head at him. 

He tries to straighten up respectfully, although the effect is somewhat marred by Karlach’s weight holding him pinned against the tree trunk. “Good evening, High Harper.” 

Karlach stirs in his arms. “Oh, fuck. Is that Jaheira?” she mumbles, still muffled against him. 

He grins, ruffling her hair gently with his fingers. “Seems so,” he answers.

“Shit.” She makes an uncoordinated (and unsuccessful) effort to lift her head. “Don' tell her I'm drunk…”

Jaheira’s eyes narrow with sudden humor and she crouches at Hector's side. With a deft jerk, she lodges the butt end of the bottle she’s carrying into the dirt next to the others. “Do not worry, Karlach,” she says gravely. “Your secret is quite safe.”

“Good,” Karlach mumbles sleepily. “I want her t’ think I'm cool…” She squirms and grinds her face more firmly into Hector's neck. “And teach me about… panthers…”

Jaheira quirks one eyebrow up and her lips twitch. “I believe she vastly overestimates the number of ‘cool’ people I have traveled with,” she says to Hector, her tone deeply dry. 

Hector grins cautiously. He does not quite have Karlach’s level of hero worship, but it still feels mildly unreal to be sitting here talking with one of the heroes of the Bhaalspawn Crisis, a woman he read of in countless historical texts in the monastery’s library. In person, Jaheira has proved to be remarkably down-to-earth, despite all the lofty tales that speak of her, but Hector’s instinct for deference towards her is hard to shake. “Well, we’re all very pleased you’ve chosen to travel with us,” he tells her earnestly. “And honored.”

“Bah, the honor is mine, Saer Carlisle.” She grins crookedly and raises one shoulder in a half-shrug. “It is an exclusive club, we who have faced down a god and survived. It is so rare that we get new members. I should be thanking you for the company.”

He relaxes a little with a laugh. “I never imagined facing anything like this,” he admits.

Jaheira snorts. She slowly lets herself topple out of her crouched position to sit next to him on the dew-damp ground. “In my experience, a world-ending crisis is not something one plans for. It merely happens, and you are swept along in the rising flood, will you or no.” 

Her eyes flick from his face to Karlach, draped in his arms, and her expression softens slightly. “But you have been equal to it, so far. What we faced in the Shadow-Cursed Lands… not many would have come out of it unscathed.”

Hector drifts his fingertips over Karlach’s back, feeling the slow rise and fall of her chest and the pulses of heat from the infernal engine - and the subtle rough texture of one of the new scars she gained at Moonrise. “Unscathed might be putting it a little strongly,” he murmurs.

“True enough. Let us say… alive,” Jaheira says with a flash of gallows humor. “An accomplishment that should never be taken for granted.” A pause. “I am proud of both of you - of all of you. And proud to face whatever lies ahead at your side.”

Karlach’s head has become heavier on his shoulder and her breathing, against his ear, has settled into a steady rhythm, but at these words, she looks up suddenly. Her eyes are at half-mast and her nose rubs against Hector’s throat. 

“Soldier?” she mumbles.

“Yes, love?”

“Jaheira just say she’s proud of us?”

Hector smiles and presses a kiss against her hairline. “She did.”

She gives him a bleary smile. “I think I’m dreaming,” she murmurs. “But it’s a nice dream, so don’t wake me up, m’kay?”

He rubs his fingers gently at the base of her neck. “You have my word.”

She makes an inarticulate, happy sound and buries her face back into his chest. 

Jaheira chuckles. “Perhaps I am not so sorry as I thought that the bards have made so much of me,” she says lightly. “One could get used to such adoration.” She draws a long inhale through her nose, savoring the scent of the forest around them, and then exhales it in a heavy sigh. “You should get some rest, cub,” she adds gently. “We’ve a long walk in the morning, and many more to follow.”

Hector lifts an eyebrow at her. “I could say the same of you.”

She laughs. It's a sharp, almost barking sound - a trifle bitter, but not without humor. “It has been many, many years since I last slept a full night, Carlisle. I think tonight will be no different. But there may yet be hope for you.”

He shrugs - carefully, trying not to jostle Karlach's head. “Perhaps. But…” He smiles sheepishly. “I need to bring this one along with me, and I don’t think she’s much in the mood to move at present.”

“Mm. I will help you move her, then. You have both earned a better bed than the cold forest ground.” Jaheira glances at the two bottles sitting side by side against the tree trunk, and snorts softly. “She has told me something of her story. I suppose a decade in the Hells must lend one a certain tolerance for the weak drinks of the material plane. All the same, I have seen stronger warriors than her felled by the combination of Balor ale and fireswill. I am impressed that she is still conscious.”

He frowns. “It’s a special occasion,” he says with a shrug. “We all needed to let loose a little, I think.”

She grins. “Oh, do not mistake me - I am not judging. Besides, practically the whole camp is passed out. I was surprised to find anyone else awake at all. Well, besides Dame Aylin,” she corrects herself with a low laugh, glancing over her shoulder. “She keeps a vigil in the moonlight and was quite uninterested in the revelry. Perhaps the daughter of a goddess sees little point in the meager wine that mortals brew.”

Involuntarily, Hector looks up, following Jaheira's gaze to see if he can spot the aasimar in prayer. But wherever it is that Aylin is apparently keeping vigil is out of his sight, masked by the tents or the trees or the gentle, moonlit darkness. “I still can't believe it,” he murmurs, slowly starting to squirm out from beneath Karlach's weight. “My Lady's daughter, here in flesh. She laid a hand on my shoulder and said she would follow me.” He pauses and then smiles ruefully. “It's the only thing that could possibly be more astonishing than you saying the same thing.”

Jaheira looks at him curiously for a moment. Then she catches Karlach by the shoulder and helps to lift her up so that Hector can wriggle sideways onto his knees. “For so many years, you have had faith in Selune,” she points out. “And yet you are surprised to receive it in return, in the hour of crisis?” 

Hector grunts and pushes himself to his feet, hooking Karlach's arm over his shoulder. Between them, they lift her onto her feet; she's definitely almost asleep now and mumbles inarticulately at the motion.

“I don't deserve it,” he says quietly, more to himself than to Jaheira. 

Jaheira smiles faintly, bracing herself to help hold up Karlach's considerable weight. “A thing worth knowing, Carlisle, if you are on a path of which songs will be sung,” she answers, “is that you no longer get to choose what you deserve. Least of all the faith that is put in you.”

Hector doesn't answer directly at first. “Come on, love,” he tells Karlach gently. “Let's get back to the tent.”

“Tired…” Karlach mumbles. 

“I know. I’ve got you…” He drapes one hand around her waist to keep her upright, and they take a few awkward steps forward. On Karlach's other side, Jaheira moves easily, adjusting to the rhythm of their movement to help support her. 

They're almost to Karlach's tent before Hector finally speaks again, and it’s so low Jaheira probably has to strain to hear it. “I don’t want to let you down,” he mutters. “Any of you.”

To his surprise, Jaheira laughs softly. “Hector,” she says, “you still have the bone dust of the god of death on your fists. What right would I have to feel you have failed me?”

He crouches at the flap of the tent, lowering Karlach carefully. “Myrkul was one thing,” he says. “But there is so much that lies ahead. We face an elder brain. And those two other Chosen, the Bhaalist and Gortash…”

Karlach squirms suddenly, her eyes opening halfway. The sudden movement overbalances Hector and he falls sideways, hitting the ground next to the bedroll with a grunt, Karlach half on top of him. “I’ll kill ‘im,” she growls unsteadily, struggling to right herself, one hand planted in the middle of Hector’s chest. “Gortash… that fuckin’...”

“Shhhhh…” Jaheira leans forward and presses her palm gently to Karlach’s shoulder. “Not now. Rest. You are no use to anyone if you do not sleep.” 

Karlach blinks blearily, and then lets the pressure of Jaheira’s hand guide her backwards, until she sprawls out onto the bedroll, her head lolling into the pillow. Her gaze drifts out of focus, and then her eyes fall closed. “‘Kay,” she whispers, the burst of energy fading as quickly as it came. “G’night…”

To Hector’s intense surprise, Jaheira doesn’t draw back immediately. Instead, she settles her weight down on her knees next to the bedroll and simply looks at Karlach in silence for a little while. Then she reaches out and brushes a stray bit of hair off the younger woman’s forehead, with a gentleness Hector has never seen from her before.

“Rest, Karlach,” she murmurs. “There will be many battles to fight in the morning… but none of them call you tonight. Rest and breathe nature's clean air. Let it bring you peace while there is peace to be had.”

Hector listens in silence. It is hard to imagine Jaheira singing a lullaby, and yet there is something of that cadence in her words - and something like a prayer, too, gentle and meditative. As she looks at Karlach's half-sleeping form, her thoughts seem for a moment to be far away. Something of the brittle, sardonic mask has slipped, just for a moment, and he can see age and weariness and regret through the cracks. 

The remaining tension in Karlach's body fades and she sags, her head slumping against Jaheira’s fingers. “Where's Hector?” she mumbles, just barely audible. 

Jaheira smiles. “He is here. I do not think he would leave your side if I tried to drag him away.” She turns, rests a hand gently on Hector's arm for a moment, then draws back and out of the tent, looking back at him sitting in the opened flap. 

“I will not tell you, Carlisle, that all will be well,” she says quietly. “Nor do I think you would believe me if I did. But it is well for tonight. And tomorrow… we will meet what comes. I am not mistaken in you, nor is Aylin; of that you may be certain.”

He feels a sudden tight lump in his throat, and for a moment he can't quite speak. “Thank you,” he finally murmurs. 

“And take care of each other,” she adds gruffly, jerking her head to indicate Karlach. “The road is hard, but to travel with someone you love is a gift. Treasure it.”

“I do,” he answers, following her gaze back to the woman he loves. Karlach is certainly asleep now, facedown on the bedroll. Her shoulders rise and fall in a steady rhythm, lacking the tension and twitching energy of her waking hours. “Every moment.”

She nods slowly, and for a moment seems to look through him, back towards some memory long out of her grasp. “Then you are doing all I can ask of you,” she says softly. 

Suddenly the moment breaks. Her head snaps back and her gaze hoods over with wry humor again. “Now, ye gods, lie down and rest yourself as well, boy. We are free of the shadows at last; I can breathe again and I mean to enjoy it. It would be a poor ending to my night to have to knock you out.” She laughs sharply and gives him a gentle nudge with her boot to push him fully back inside the tent. Then, without waiting for a response, she turns and walks away, disappearing like a shadow back towards the warm dark of the forest.

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[riostwsty]

>> "Patching things up" << [ series preview ]

Summary: As careful as some of these boys may be, everyone gets hurt once in a while. And you just so happened to be around at the time to offer some help.

Key words: Scenarios, romantic, fluff-angst, third person narrator, pining cause I am the king of writing pining, almost friends to lovers?, gender neutral reader, g/n, reader not implied Yuu/MC

Characters: Ace x reader

CWs: minor injuries; mention of fighting; although I did my reseach, I'm no doctor so don't rely on me for first aid info! Why would you trust a fanfiction for that you silly!!

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[A/N: I intend to write this as a series for each character, the rest of heartslabyul is currently on the works, but I liked Ace's part so much I couldn't help but post earlier! I love writing for him. So take this as grand entrance / preview for the series]

— "Ace Trappola, what in the world hapenned to your face?—

—"[name], I know I'm super handsome and all, but no need to get all worked up about it, hahaha!"—

—"No Ace. Your eye. You got a black eye."—

He stopped his fairly convincing fake laughter with a sharp inhale and a less convincing averted gaze. He didn't want to tell them the whole story, lest he'd risk trouble by getting the information reach his superiors, or even worse, getting the friend in question to be worried sick- not that they weren't already.

Silence was his best bet. And so he proceeded. Making the student in front of him deepen their impatient glare further as the seconds passed. —"I'm serious. If you got in trouble you need to tell me."— Before Ace could make one of his sly remarks back, his friend gasped in sudden realization —"OH, so THAT'S why you've been avoiding me the last few days! 'packed with work' you said! bullshit!"—

—"Ha... I suppose I did say that. Not that It wasn't true! But the reason for this wound is actually..."— Ace stuttered for a brief moment, the person in front of him crossed their arms and tapped one finger in antecipation. Chances of getting his lie through were slim, specially when nervously making it up on the spot.

—"I- I went face first into a doorhandle?"—

—"Sounds more like a question than an answer."—

A long sigh escaped his lips as he passed by their side, walking out of the courtyard to take the corridor that led to the mirror chamber.

—"Do me a favor and don't worry about it, 'kay? This time, I promise it's a harmless business of my own. Just another accident."—

They opened their mouth to speak but soon enough shut it before they could muster a word. For Ace, that tone was uncharacteristically serious.

For just two days they haven't seen each other, but it felt like the longest amount of time that gathered so much left unsaid. For two whole days the usual light chattering during lunch was dead silent. For two whole days the accompanied walking back to the dorms was lonely. For two days, Ace didn't have anyone to pass his funny notes to during boring class periods, because he made sure he'd miss the common lessons they shared for the day, promising the professors to replace the missed contents during the following weekend. Ace's precious weekends he always got to fully spend with his absolute favorite person (No hard feelings, Deuce). He took the avoidance mission as seriously as a Trappola could.

They followed the red haired boy silently behind. Whatever the reason he chose to hide that bruised face, it was no use now that they got that uncovered, right? [name] could throw the commonly used "you know you can tell me anything" or "I'd never judge if you got yourself in a sticky situation", but they'd sound like a broken record. The duo got in weekly trouble more than one could count on their fingers, so naturally, honesty and being able to rely on each other were big pillars for their friendship. If Ace wasn't in the mood to opening up, that was fine, but they could not fully turn their back to the problem at hand.

—"Can I at least get that treated for you?"—

===

—"For the hundreth time [name]. No, I don't have a headache. Yes, I can see perfectly from both eyes thank-you-very-much. And quit checking my temperature, I'm not your child!"— He lightly smacked their hand away from his forehead —"Where are you getting this questionaire from? I'm not gonna die from this."—

—"No, you're not going to die, but it's been some time, so you should have gotten that checked as soon as you 'went face first into a doorhandle'" — They gestured quotation marks with their fingers in the air

Ace scoffed as he pressed the ice pack on the injury, leaning his head back on the pillow. He gazed up the familiar ceiling of his current comapany's bedroom. —"Pfft- I didn't smack my face in a doorhandle, that would be stupid"—

—"Oh so you did lie that first time?"—

They got no response. The troublemaker could still get himself out of this. Maybe pretending to fall asleep, or jumping through the window, but he was tired. Too long without seeing each other, and now that he found himself on their arms again, he didn't want to leave.

He took a deep breath and got together all the courage he could find that moment. It wasn't much, but enough to blurt out a quick truth: —"Got into a fight."—

—"Are you fine with telling me why?"— They asked with not anger in their voice, nor annoyance, but care.

—"You."— He said —"They were talking shit about you so I punched them in the face"—

His friend widened their eyes at the information, and upon noticing it, he added quickly —"I knew you'd hate that I did something careless for your sake, but I promise it's the second and last time I throw fists on impulse."—

Ace concluded in a way to attempt to put an end to the conversation, but in a few moments he got a single response: —"Yeah. Don't do that."—

He let his eyes flutter shut, exhaling softly as if the weight of carrying that lie had been lifted.

—"But you know, next time-"— They continued —"call me up so I can deal with the bullies myself, yeah?"—

—"You're going to punch them in the face?"—

—"We're going to punch them in the face together"— They smiled —"....Just kidding, let's not tell Crowley about any of this"—

The boy laughed at the answer, the kind of laugh he only shared with the one and only he held so dearly in his heart. He could laugh away as many problems and pains as he wanted, but the truth- the real truth he swore was never to be admitted out loud.

The problem wasn't the black eye. The problem was that in the moment he got it, he realized how the love he bared for that friend had passed beyond solely platonic.

[madara-fate]

Do you know what queer subtext is? Is when the creator DOESN’T know he created a story so gay. Kishimoto didn’t intend on people shipping Naruto and Sasuke romantically, but it doesn’t help that he started off the story with a kiss gag and instead of leaving it at that, he had Sasuke end up picturing said kiss as one of the reasons why he saved Naruto from Haku, when naruto asks him why he’d do that. All that stuff is classic tropes from romance so it’s not fartetched to see it as some kind of gay subtext even tho it most definitely wasn’t Kishi’s intent. There’s also the fact that it’s supposed to be a friendship between them, but their rivalry kinda shuts it down, and probably why the likes of Shikamaru & Gaara are more often considered to be narutos best friends over Sasuke. You could see them as brothers too, but the fact that Sasuke has Itachi also tones down that angle. There’s even a time when he gets told naruto see shin as a brother and he’s like “the only brother i have, i want to kill” 💀 the disparity between labels as a concept vs their reality is what leaves a lot of room for other interpretations, one of them being powered by what is seen as gay subtext because it doesn’t entirely tick the sibling nor friend boxes.

Do you know what queer subtext is? Is when the creator DOESN’T know he created a story so gay.

That's not what queer subtext is. It is the presence of homosexual or non-heterosexual themes, which Naruto and Sasuke's relationship doesn't have. Especially not when they reacted so negatively to that accidental kiss that so many people love to desperately cling to. Kishimoto didn't unintentionally create a gay story Anon.

he had Sasuke end up picturing said kiss as one of the reasons why he saved Naruto from Haku

That's not what happened. Sasuke didn't use that memory as incentive to save Naruto, unless you're gonna tell me that he also used the memories of him insulting Naruto as incentive to save him, because that's the logic you're using, which also makes no sense. He remembered it because it was a recent and memorable incident (for all the wrong reasons) with Naruto who he had grown to value as a comrade. He wasn't remembering it because he found it to be a pleasurable experience, and there's nothing queer about remembering an accidental kiss that made you want to kill yourself - In fact, that is a very heterosexual reaction to have when accidentally touching lips with someone of the same sex. So if anything, it should kill any queer vibes, but these people are simply beyond reason.

There’s also the fact that it’s supposed to be a friendship between them, but their rivalry kinda shuts it down, and probably why the likes of Shikamaru & Gaara are more often considered to be narutos best friends over Sasuke. You could see them as brothers too, but the fact that Sasuke has Itachi also tones down that angle

A rivalry doesn't shut down a friendship. One of the best examples of this was following Sasuke's late arrival during the Chuunin Exam finals. You could clearly see the nature of their "vitriolic best friends" relationship - They were friends, they wanted each other to do well, they engaged in light hearted banter, and yet they still wanted to fight each other, because they were rivals who respected each other's ability. That rivalry doesn't take away from their friendship.

No one thinks they are actual brothers, so I never understand why people bring up Itachi to counter this point, as if people are saying that Naruto and Sasuke are literal blood brothers. That was never the point of the comparison in the first place.

the disparity between labels as a concept vs their reality is what leaves a lot of room for other interpretations

So what exactly is "their reality" according to you?

And no, there's no room for interpretation. Authorial intent dictates how the narrative is supposed to be perceived and understood. If Kishi didn't want Naruto and Sasuke to be romantic, then they're not romantic, end of story. I mean, I could just as easily "interpret" Sasori as being an Uzumaki due to his red hair, but Kishi clearly didn't intend on that being the case, so Sasori is not an Uzumaki, and there is no room for interpretation on that.

one of them being powered by what is seen as gay subtext because it doesn’t entirely tick the sibling nor friend boxes.

So let me get this straight - you think that (in your opinion) their relationship doesn't entirely tick the sibling box (sure they're not actual siblings, but the fact that their relationship has repeatedly been portrayed as akin to siblings because that is literally the story of them being reincarnated from actual blood siblings shouldn't be ignored), or friend box (despite them both on numerous occasions describing each other as a friend). And so because of that, are you implying you think their relationship ticks the lovers box?

[jungkookfanfictionhappy]

A Guide to Fanfiction Tropes and Genres:

🟪I made this cuz honestly, why not lol. For people who are beginners to the fanfiction universe. For anyone who wants to get a glimpse of what this world is like and the common themes used in this "off-the-wall piece of literature". Could be for research purposes or for curiosity, or maybe you want to start writing stuff but not sure what things you might use. No matter who is reading this, I hope this guide helps you.

--I also made this for myself, as a lil handbook to look at while categorizing the fanfics i collect in my blog.

🟦There are genres/topes/themes which you won't be seeing much or any at all particularly in my blog; but I wanted to add them to the lists anyways because they are widely used in fanfiction. I tried to include the main, most common things used in fanfics. Because in reality, the possibilities in a fanfic are endless.

--Many of these are self explanatory so I didn't add extra info to most of them.

This may be used by other fandoms as well. Since this is a Jungkook based account, he is used for some of the examples. You can replace him with anyone you wish to write/read about.

🟥I added most things myself from the knowledge accumulated through my years of experience in fanfiction consumption. For the things I thought I might have missed, I used multiple websites and a reddit post as a referance, which I will credit their links at the very end.

🟫Shoutout to chatgpt for alphabetizing my lists in the end. It would take me ages to edit this

🟩 If you think there is anything I missed, feel free to contact me, I can always edit this post to add new things.

PS: I chose to omit much of the specificities of explicit content (such as specific kinks). I tried to keep things a bit chill. Most likely the authors will include the details of the explicit events in their explanation section. You will know what they are when you see them.

Genres:

Action

Adventure

Apocalypse/Post-Apocalypse

Comedy/Humor/Parody/Satire

Coming Of Age

Contemporary

Crime

Cyberpunk/Steampunk

Drama

Dystopian/Utopia

Fairy Tale

Family

Fantasy/High Fantasy/Low Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Isekai

Friendship

Gothic

Historical Fiction/Alternate History/Period Piece

Horror/Slasher

Kid Fic =fanfic that features children in some way. This could vary from the characters having a kid together to someone’s younger sibling/cousin/niece etc.

Mystery/Murder Mystery

Missing Scene/Gap Filler : a fic that is written as a continuation or with additional events added to a canon scene in a show OR a video of the characters of a fandom (e.g. a specific RUN BTS episode where in the end they all go out and get coffee or some behind the scenes stuff the author creates) idk if i explained this well

Paranormal

Philosophical

Poetry

Romance

Sci-Fi/Science Fiction/Space Opera

Slice Of Life

Spiritual

Supernatural

Surreal

Suspense

Songfic: stories which include song lyrics, which may be interposed between sections of the story, or given to a character who sings them.

Thriller/Psychological Thriller

Tragedy

Travel

Urban

Western

Worldbuilding

Genre (Fandom): Based On Tone

Angst/Light Angst :  ”often used in fandom to characterize things which are intended to provoke the feeling of unrest and uncertainty in readers. It generally signifies that the story will be primarily dramatic in nature, rather than comedic or light-hearted, and that characters may suffer mental or physical anguish during the course of the story. ” -fanlore.org

Awkwardness

Case Fic =focus on solving a given mystery or case

Character Development

Crack Fic = “fanworks with a fundamentally ludicrous premise, or otherwise including a plethora of unbelievable, incredible, or just plain silly elements - that is, implying the author/artist must have been on drugs to produce something so bonkers” -fanlore.org

Crossover/Fusion = where multiple fandoms are combined in a way

Curtainfic (Domestic Tranquility, Such As The Characters In A Romantic Pairing "Shopping For Curtains" (Literally Or Figuratively) And Building A Home Together.)

Cute

Dark Fic

DILF/MILF

Domestic

Fix Fic/Fix-It/Deconstruction

Fluff/Tooth-Rotting Fluff

Hurt/Comfort = A character who has been hurt, physically or emotionally, is comforted by another character.

Light-Hearted

Mature

Melancholy

Porn, PWP, Porn Without Plot

Secret Identity

Shipping

Sickfic, Illness, Sick Character

Single Parents

Slow Burn/Slow Romance

Smut

Soft

Sweet

Tension

Character Types:

Aged Up:  a character in a fanwork who's been set to an age notably older than they are (or appear) in the original media.

Aged Down

Alien

Androids, Robots

Angel

Animal Transformation

Anti-Hero

Boss/Employee/Secretary

Canon: the author is trying to stick as close to the canon character as possible.

CEO

Cop

Criminals

Demon

Demigod

Doctor

Dragons

Fairy

Fan!Reader

Gamer

Greek Life/ Frat Boy/ Sorority girl

Gardener

God (Mythical)

Hybrid

Idol!Jk

Idol!Reader

Jock

LGBTQ/LGBTQ Character/LGBTQ Themes

Mafia

Merpeople

Morally Grey/Ambiguous Characters

Mythical Beings & Creatures

Nerd

Noona

Non-Idol

Nurse

Orphans/Orphanage

Out Of Character/OOC

Prince/Princess/King/Queen/Emperor/Empress

Rich Girl/Guy

Shapeshifting

Spies

Stalker

Stripper

Tsundere

Undercover

Unreliable Narrator

Vampire

Villain

Virgin

Werewolf

Witches, Witchcraft

Yandere

Zombies

AU/Alternate Universe:

Afterlife

Aliens AU

Band Of Misfits

Bounty Hunters

College AU

Crime AU

Coffee Shop AU

Destiny/Fate

Dreams/Dreamscape

Dystopian AU

Future AU

Ghosts

Harry Potter AU

Heroes AU

Highschool AU

Historical AU

Hitman AU

Immortality

Magic AU

Marvel/DC AU

Medieval

Medical, Hospital, Doctors AU

Military

Monsters

Mythology

Omegaverse : A setting where humans have a secondary sex (alpha, beta or omega).

Pirates

Pornstar AU

Royalty AU

School AU

Soulmate AU

Spiderman AU

Spy AU

Time Travel

War

Western AU

Witches AU

Zombies

Relationship To One Another:

Bodyguard

Childhood Friends

Childhood Sweethearts

Dating

Divorced

Dorks In Love

Established Relationship

Exes

Exes To Lovers

Enemies To Lovers

Enemies To Friends To Lovers

Fake Relationship/Fake Dating/Pretend Relationship/Pretend Couple

Forced Marriage

Friends To Lovers, Best Friends To Lovers

Friends With Benefits

Frenemies

Fuck Buddies

Hallmark AU

In Which They Are Exes Thrown Back Together By A Chance Visit To Their Hometown (Usually For A Holiday)

Highschool Sweethearts

Idiots to lovers

Long-Distance Relationship

Long-Term Relationship

Marriage

Mutual Pining

Oblivious Pining

Requited Unrequited

Neighbors

Pen Pals

Platonic Relationships/No Romance

Rivals

Roommates

Secret Relationship

Soulmates

Step-Siblings

Unrequited Love/One-Sided Attraction

Best friend’s sibling

Specific Situations:

Accidental Marriage

Adoption

Aftermath

Amnesia

Arranged Marriage

Babysitting

Betrayal

Blind Date

Bonding

Breakup

Cheating

Confession

Desert Island

Disability Fic

Elevatorfic

Eventual Romance

Falling In Love

Fempreg

First Kiss

First Love

First Time

Flashbacks

Forgiveness

Forbidden Love

Grief/Mourning

Hatesex

Healing

Heartbreak

Heartwarming

Holiday, Vacation

Hospital

Idiots In Love

Imprisonment

Injury

Jealousy

Kink

Love At First Sight

Love Confessions, Drunken Confessions

Love Potion/Love Spell

Love Triangle

Marriage Of Convenience

Marriage Proposal

Mates

Make-up sex

Misunderstandings

Mutual Pining

Next Gen/Next Generation

Nightmares

Parenthood

Pining

Plot Twists

Pregnancy

Protectiveness

Pst Lives

Rags To Riches

Rebels

Recovery

Regret

Reincarnation/Resurrection/Rebirth

Rejection

Religion

Rescue

Reunion

Revenge

Revolution

Roadtrip

Snowed In

There is only one bed, Forced Bed Sharing, Sharing A Bed

Teenagers

Teamwork

Time Travel

Training

Trapped

Weddingfic

Based On Text Style Or Elements

First Person POV, Second person POV

Script format

Y/N (your name)

Facetime, video call

Sexting

Social Media AU:

Twitter (X)

Instagram

Messaging App

Warnings,Possibly triggering things or Dark themes:

Abuse

Alcohol

BDSM

Blood

Bullying

Crime

Curses

Death, Character Death/Major Character Death/Minor Character Death

Depression

Drugs

Fights

Gore

Kidnapping

Mental Health Issues

Self-Harm

Stalkers

Substance Abuse

Suicide

Toxic Relationship

Trauma

Violence

Weapons

Yandere

Length:

Drabble: A very short fic, usually said to be around 100 words. But I’ve read plenty of drabbles with 1K-2K words so 100 is not always the case

One-Shot/Two-Shot/etc

Series/Duology/Trilogy/Saga/etc

Long

Short

Short Story

Pairing:

M/F - F/M - M/M - F/F - F/F/M etc.

[Character] x [Character],

Jungkook X Original Character/OC : usually OCs are characters with disclosed names and physical features withing the story. (e.g. Jessica, blond hair, brown eyes, etc.) However i have seen many fanfics where the author writes “Jungkook x OC” in the explanations but the character throughout the story is in fact written like a self-insert/YN/reader with little to no physical descriptions.

Jungkook X Reader (Y/N or “_____” )

AFAB- assigned female at birth

Jungkook X gender neutral reader/character

OTHERS:

POV -point of view

POV Alternating, POV Multiple, POV First Person, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, POV Outsider

Completed / Ongoing — a fanfiction series is one of two things, it’s either completed or ongoing

Ending: Happy Ending, Sad Ending, Bittersweet Ending, Ambiguous Ending, etc.

Epilogue :  the final chapter at the end of a story that often serves to reveal the fates of the characters.

🟥Credit:

reddit - very well made, i used this a lot while making this list

fanlore.org

tvtropes.org

wikipedia

-The end

⚠️You may reblog or share the link of my post. But please dont repost this without crediting me.

[stardustizuku]

Woah I absolutely love you analyses on MLB. What do you think of the female friendship in MLB?

This took way longer than originally planned.

Here’s the thing

I don’t think that MLB was that bad in season 1. And arguably, season 2 still has some leg to stand on.

And that carries on to friendships.

You see, we can break down friendships in this type of show into four.

1.- The vague friend group

This is one we see in most stories that DO NOT focus on team dynamics or getting to know a bunch of superheroes. Sakura Card Captor, for example, has the best one of these. They’re not meant to take center stage, but more like provide a sense of unity and calmness around the craziness that’s going on.

And while I cite CardCaptor, Creamy Mami also has it. And Sailor Moon has it in the very first season. Tokyo Mew Mew has two characters that fall here too.

This is where I say most of the characters in MLB fall to. If things had stayed here, I do not see a problem. The lack of depth isn’t a bug but a feature. While we can connect with them, their purpose, narrative wise, is to create fun scenarios and plot outside of the others superheroes.

But as things progressed they tried to make this sort of already bland group of characters into a cohesive united team. And it was never going to happen. Maybe if they had competent writers it could have worked, but it’s still unlikely a competent writer would have tried this.

The way you introduce characters is extremely important in the way that they’re perceived by an audience. If they entered the scene as a Vague Friend Group, it would be so hard for them to change into anything else. This is also why redemption arcs are so hard. It’s forcing your audience to accept a sudden change in the status quo. If that’s what you’re trying to do - it works. But if you’re doing it just to sell more toys…well it falls flat on their face. Not to mention, the classroom is not exactly filled with particularly interesting or cohesive characters. Their attitudes, relationships towards each other and Marinette change drastically from episode to episode. The only noteworthy rships are often time m/f, and the only f/f friendship we have that’s any sort of consistent or interesting is Juleka and Rose…who are dating.

I’m not gonna be the first to shit on a wlw couple specially when it’s probably the most interesting thing in this series - but it’s kinda weird how the only type of decent rship that the writers can do are ROMANTIC ones. Friendship seems like a fucking joke to these people.

Also they’re a LOT. Working with dynamics between characters is super hard, and the less characters you have to juggle with, you’re able to create better and closer relationships with each other. Having such a HUGE classroom be the center of superhero dynamic is plain lunacy. Unless this is the focus, and was intended as such since day 1, there was no way this was gonna work or be a natural transition from the 1:1 chat ladybug dynamic.

They work as a vague group of friends, but utterly fail as anything more. Both because of its size and lack of cohesion, or depth.

2.- The Friend (?)

This one is the civilian friend. The one who supports the heroine but never truly knows the identity of their friend. They’re there to provide support before the rest of the cast comes into the picture.

This is the Molly in Sailor Moon and Hitomi from Madoka.

They’re not really meant to be besties with the MC, even if they are so in name. It’s more of an extension of the aforementioned vague friend group. They mostly provide plot beats with a slightly more personal stake since this is someone the heroine has spent so much more time with.

THIS is where Ayla from Season 1 falls, and why I did not think she was too bad of a friend. She’s here really for providing comforting words when Marinette is down and a fun side story that doesn’t feel too disconnected from the main story.

However. The reason why these two worked was, precisely, because the focus of the show was the LoveSquare and Chat and Ladybug’s dynamic.

Sakura can have a relatively bland side friends (although they’re all fairly entertaining) because the main focus of the story ISNT them. It’s her Card Journey and interpersonal relationships with Tomoyo, Syaoran and Yukito.

Likewise, Molly is allowed to be a not so great friend, because Usagi has other friends.

If you want these characters to be the bulk of your interpersonal rships, you have to adapt them. Kaito St. Tail had only one friend, who actually falls with the Civilian. However, she plays a huge part of her story by being the one to send her on the missions. While her biggest rship was with Astro Jr, Seira provided a huge amount of emotional support and was given enough dramatic weight to be able to earn herself a recognizable spot. In any promo art that features the characters, she appears! Because she’s important!

But what they tried to do was expand upon these characters in a…less than ideal way.

First of all they tried to shift Alya from Friend (?), to Friend (tm)…

3.- The Friend (tm)

A Friend (tm) is the best friend. The gal pal. The one who is always there and even if it’s not outright stated - we know they’re the first one the MC will turn to if something happens.

Think Winx Club and who’s Bloom’s Best friend? Stella. Shugo Chara, who’s Amu’s friend? Either Nadeshiko or Rima (depending the season). They are part of the friend super hero group so the MC Can whole heartedly confide in them. Any problem that arises is one they instantly tell their best friend and they’re the mature one who help them get through.

And Ayla is not this.

Even as she transformed into superhero she did not know Marinette’s identity, so all emotional support she could have provided in that front was essentially flushed down the toilet. If at the very beginning, Ayla had been made aware of it, there wouldn’t have been an issue. After all, it would have cemented her as someone Marinette places a lot of trust into, perhaps even more than Chat, either bcs she was there when he wasn’t or only the fact she knows the “real” her.

Anyways, since that did NOT happen, Ayla failed as a Best Friend (tm), narratively speaking. If they had let it die there, it would have been awkward but not terrible.

But then in season 4 Marinette confesses she’s is Ladybug.

At this point, there’s no real connection with Ayla. Chat is someone who deserves to know her identity more, and someone who’s supported her for far longer in many more forms. It just doesn’t make sense for her to confess.

Except, of course, trying to shoehorn the Best Friend (tm) too late into the series.

This is all entirely from a narrative perspective, and does not begin to touch the fact that Ayla isn’t exactly the /best/ of friends.

Someone who trust Lila rather than her friend she’s known all year, someone who jeopardizes her best friend’s identity over her fucking boyfriend, who in her darkest hours isn’t there for Marinette, and that breeched her friends privacy to satiate her own curiosity over her secrets.

She has no leg to stand on to be the Best Friend (tm).

4.- Rival Friendship

Yeah this was sort of what I talked abt in the big Magical Girl Essay. This is actually, what I would argue, the most important friend character there can be in a magical girl setting. Not only does it serve as playful banter but as a contrast to the main character’s ideals and temper.

I tend to include any character that has a rivalrous rship with the MC, be it the villain or a fellow superhero. They don’t have to be the best of friends or be on super friendly terms, the only condition is that when one is in trouble the other jumps in to help.

Again, Utau from Shugo Chara, Rei from Sailor Moon, Mint from Tokyo Mew Mew, Fate from Lyrical Nanoha, Meimei from Sakura, Rue from Princess Tutu, they’re all good examples.

They bring balance. In some cases the MC already has a vanilla friend who’ll cheer them up by giving sweet advice. The Friendly Rival serves to knock some sense into our MC and give harsh but necessary advice.

This absolutely should have been Chloe, and it’s a role that I do believe is necessary in this show.

The way characters treat Marinette is…weird. In non-Lila episodes, in their eyes, Marinette can never do something wrong. Every decision she makes is the best she could have taken, it’s always correct. Only when Lila comes into the picture is she the one in the wrong to them - but not by the narrative. The narrative is always on her side, even when she’s done stuff wrong. Truly, Lila only serves as emotional torture porn, which is its own Can of worms we’re not touching today.

This is strange because even in Sakura (the most wholesome Can do no wrong MC) has moments where she has to apologize, or is in the wrong. When she fights with Kero, for example, it’s very much portrayed as an unreasoned response from both parties. And while Kero is being portrayed by the narrative as the one blowing it out of proportion, in the end it’s Sakura who makes a compromise by gifting him new “room”.

Marinette does not have this which makes it very annoying that she keeps getting away with things that are creepy or straight up wrong. The narrative is never willing to portray anything she does as anything other than ideal or silly. This is where someone who doesn’t coddle her, but rightfully calls out her actions from a place of love and care SHOULD come into play.

When Usagi doesn’t want to study, Amy happily tells her she’ll help, but Rei is the one telling her angrily that she has to. When Usagi is about to give up, it’s always Rei that yells at her to snap out of it.

Chloe should absolutely be this character. Someone who will tell her she’s wrong, especially in situations or arguments where Chat Noir can’t be the voice of reason - aka who she loves or her secret identity.

The fact that no such character exists is already making the story too saccharine sweet towards her. Even Sakura had Mei Mei, when Syaoran or Kero couldn’t be the ones to tell her to snap out of it (And also, Yue was particularly cold towards her but we’re focusing on girls rn shhh)

But because they ruined Chloe’s character we don’t have this.

And I do believe it has to do with the sexism of Thomas. Unable to picture friendship between girls as anything but unconditional kindness. I’m sorry but I’ve had extremely complex and fun friendship where we are both kinda mean towards each other. In fact, saccharine sweet friendships are the weird ones in my culture. It doesn’t help that the shows tends to portray the world in good or bad, depending on a singular action. You’re either a good girl or a mean girl. Any complexities are thrown out the window (although he’s more than willing to make adult men complex characters with good and bad in them so, yay, sexism!)

They tried briefly with Kagami too…but they fumbled it and it never gave anything. She was a love rival, they were friends, Adrien and her got together, they broke up, Marinette tried to help her and then…I think she joined a cult? I’m not sure I’m not up to date with the series. But it gave us so little of their actual friendship that it almost slipped my mind this was what they were trying to do.

That leads me to the most atrocious example of female friendship.

5.- The Devoted Lesbian

This trope didn’t have a place in Ladybug. None at all.

So, everyone knows the devoted lesbian. It’s the extremely queer coded friend that’s willing to do anything for the MC. Tomoyo from Sakura, Homura from Puella, to a degree Nanoha from Lyrical Nanoha, to a lesser degree Seiya from Sailor Moon Stars.

It serves a purpose to highlight the goodness of a MC, kind and nice to the point people fall in love with them. Sakura is the best example, but the devotion Homura has for Madoka also serves to highlight her status a goddess. In Nanoha, Nanoha’s obsession comes from the belief that Fate is a good person and deserves a better futures. And in Sailor Mook Stars Seiya offers an alternative to the loyal and devoted Usagi who’s still waiting for Mamoru. (I have to say maybe Utena has this too OBVIOUSLY but tbh I haven’t seen it yet so)

This is often a queer story. Even if Sakura and Usagi have heterosexual romances - Sakura isn’t straight and neither is Usagi. The stories play with gender and sexuality, and it’s ultimately about the relationships people have that deviate from the perceived normality.

Yeah, Ladybug has neither.

And they’re trying to introduce Zoe as this. Which is. Weird. Again, she’s supposed to substitute the Rival Friendship Characters, why on Earth is she a devoted Lesbian?

The reason why I call her this, is because inside the narrative she very much is - even if the writers are sooooo bad at writing women that it doesn’t come across as one to the audience.

If we still assume that Ayla is supposed to be the Best Friend (tm), and she still falls for Lila’s tricks - only someone who’s utterly devoted and believes wholeheartedly and unconditionally in Marinette can see through those lies. It’s something as crazy as fighting off Akumatization.

You can either see this as the writers trying to make Zoe the new Best Friend (tm)…but that’s somehow worse. It’s changing dynamics that have been here for close to 5 seasons. And AGAIN because of the weird way the writers see female friendship…I do believe it’s coming off as the devoted lesbian trope rather than the Best Friend (tm). Especially with how what’s little left of the fandom, are all obsessed with shipping Zoe and Marinette. This does not happen with the Best Friend (tm). It almost never does. Because competent writers make it clear that they’re just friends. You don’t ship Madoka with Sayaka or Mami (well you can but it’s not the majority) you ship her with Homura. And you don’t ship (I do but shhh) Usagi with Makoto or Mina, you ship her with Seiya.

Zoe is the Devoted Lesbian right now. The show absolutely does not need her. In fact I would say, it perishes what little hope there was for girl friendships in this series. It again hammers home that the only friends you can have are those who coddle you, adore you, or think you can do no wrong. And anyone who disagrees with you, even a little, is a terrible horrible monster (Lila), has the potential to be one (Kagami) or evil incarnate (Chloe)

I love girl friendships to death, and I’m always down for a good wlw story. But these characters are neither complex enough to have friendships with each other in a way that feels genuine, nor do the authors know how the hell girl friends work. Much less queer ones.

They should have never given center stage to them, not only bcs that wasn’t the focus of CHAT NOIR AND LABYBUG but also bcs they have no idea how to write compelling friendships.

To be honest, if they had been good enough to make this premise work, that’s to say the Chat Ladybug dynamic, there’s a high chance they could have created compelling friendships too.

Like, if they couldn’t pull of a romantic m/f rship with an entire fandom backing them and hyping them up? They could have NEVER pulled off anything. Period. It’s like failing Middle School Maths and trying to solve College level Calculus homework. The problem isn’t the equation, it’s that’s you’re bad it. And even if it were the equation, no one can tell because you filled the goddamn notebook with scribbles.