#do i still love guren and stuff

[gurenismywaifu]

Is Guren a narcissist?

Lately I dislike Kagami's portrayal of Guren as much as the next person and tbh there's absolutely no way you can make me think he's an innocent victim or a tragic hero we should root for (though I still do root for him cause he's just pathetic and gay I love him). However, the amount of times i've seen both the hispanic and english fandom call him a narcissist is kinda surprising 👀 Now the question is...

So since I'm petty and I like analysing useless stuff, let's take a look at Guren's behavior and at what makes a narcissist to try to give a more elaborate answer. I'll give as a disclaimer that I don't intend to attack anyone or force anyone to like Guren with this post, I'm just a psychology student currently investigating personality disorders and I thought this take would be fun to share.

Also, english is not my main language so do feel free to point out if you see I make any mistake so I can correct it, please ;u;

So for starts, if we're talking about the reasons for why people use to call him a narcissist I believe that pointing out his behavior towards Yuu is a very fair argument, especially his behavior towards Yuu at the beginning of the manga. Guren expresses himself with superiority, these airs and graces and apparent laziness and lack of thoughtfulness. However I believe that if you know how the story in the light novels go and even more if you've read them, you'll realize that all this "I'm your saviour, your god, you owe me your life, blah, blah, blah" crap that Guren tells to Yuu is a way of imposing authority and exerting some kind of control over him.

Guren needed to exert this control and authority as a way to protect himself, his subordinates and his investigations from the JIDA higher-ups, but also to keep Yuu at bay, not only because he was a part of Guren's experiments but also because Yuu used to be a very asocial and volatile kid when Guren took him under his wing. Having an angry kid acting impulsively at his leisure all around the JIDA was not convenient for Guren or for anyone, honestly.

And yes, I'm not gonna deny that Guren is kind of a jerk, but that has more to do with his personality and his sense of humor than with being a narcissist. He's sarcastic, super hard-headed, quite blunt and may come off as conceited, but he's actually extremely aware of all of his mistakes and shortcomings. He recognizes that he is not the smartest or the strongest out there, he knows how powerless he is in the grand scheme of things and most importantly, he recognizes his mistakes and is absolutely willing to take his share of the blame for it.

Sure, he knows that he is a strong individual but that's because he's worked towards the objective of "being strong" his entire life, he's cultivated perseverance and done sacrifices in order to achieve that strength, and while he does like to show off sometimes, recognizing one's merits and being aware of your capacities is hardly the same as having delusions of grandeur. Plus, his motivations are very much oriented to help others, protect others; and although Guren used to have a very strong sense of self-preservation, after the catastrophe he decides to let go of it if it means that it will help him to achieve those goals of keeping his loved ones safe. He starts doing what he 'has' to do rather than whe he wants to do.

After Nagoya's Arc, the shameless and overbearing side of Guren's behavior gets toned down. He becomes more serious, he doesn't play and makes jokes as often and he also stops trying to impose himself to Yuu in the same way as before. There's no need of that superiority facade anymore after all the things that came to light and now that the JIDA poses less of a threat and that Yuu has become less of a subordinate and more of a collaborator, exerting the same authority as before is just not necessary.

And now that we're referring to Yuu, we also gotta point out that a narcissist lacks empathy and doesn't go out of his way to try to help or benefit other people, but Guren does feel affection towards Yuu. When Yuu came to him as a child full of rage, resentment, guilt and lust for revenge, Guren genuinely empathized with him, he took care of Yuu, tried to teach him what he knew and he pushed him to build a support network with his classmates when he didn't really had to do all that. He could've simply taken advantage of Yuu's grief and solitude to control everything about him and force him to collaborate, but he didn't. Even when doing that would've been the best and most practical option for Guren's purposes, he still decided against isolating Yuu. Plus a narcissist wouldn't be capable of the affection and compassion that Guren feels for Yuu. And it is also made clear that Guren does not enjoy using Yuu or hurting him, but Shinya and his squad are Guren's priority, putting his options in a balance, he knows that he has no choice but to keep using Yuu to make his plan work. And it IS selfish and cruel and abusive, we're not going to deny that, but arguing that he doesn't care about Yuu or anyone else but himself is a pretty reductionist (and tbh also incorrect) statement.

Now, let's take a look at Shinya's opinion about Guren, taking into account that Shinya is probably the person who knows Guren the best out of all of the Catastrophe at 16 cast and probably all of OnS.

First of all we have this scene during the Nagoya Arc in which Shinya shows concern about Guren cause he knows that Guren suffers when people die and that he's not good at handling that.

Guren cares about his subordinates, he is saddened by the death of his soldiers and during this arc, he even makes the rather emotional choice of going straight into a trap in order to save other soldiers that Crowley is holding as hostages, even when Mito and Shinya warn him that they shouldn't do it cause it is clearly a trap.

I know there's a lot of material that I'm not covering, but for the sake of not making this post longer than it already is, let's go ahead and just check some of the behavioural criteria that a person has to meet to be diagnosed/classified as a Narcissist; of course, taking into consideration that meeting one or two criteria isn't enough cause it is very likely that everyone will present some of these criteria some times throughout our lives. For a person to be considered a narcissist they must meet various criteria which manifest constantly in various different contexts of their life for most of the time. Some of the criteria include:

•A grandiose sense of self-importance, being it fantasies or behaviors and the expectation to be recognized as superior without real reasons.

In Guren's case, he's not really the type that brags about his deeds or that goes about life expecting people to praise him, specially when there's no reason. The only times one could say that he sort of acts this way is in his interactions with Yuu in the early chapters.

•A narcissist is very often preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.

Although Guren, does desire power and recognition, he is aware of all he's lacking and beats himself up because of all these things that he knows he isn't good enough to achieve. We can also notice that ultimately, his desire for power originates from his desire to keep his loved ones safe.

•A narcissist believes that they are “special” and unique and they only want to associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).

In Guren's case, he knows that he kinda sucks. A lot of the people around him belong to a higher status, have a higher military position or are better than him in one way or the other. What Guren does is working towards his betterment. He doesn't believe he's special, in the novels, he even seems to be a bit ashamed about the subordinates in the Ichinose manor thinking that he is a prodigy. We also have that although it is obvious that Guren regards his squad as the most important people to him, and is willing to commit atrocities and become very self-sacrificial for them it is not because 'they are the best' or because they have a high status that Guren's ego can feed on, but just because he loves them.

•A narcissist has an excessive need for admiration

Guren is indeed an admired character, however he doesn't "need" to be admired. Even before the apocalypse, the motive behind his goal was not to be admired but bring respect and dignity to his beaten up clan. He's had plenty of chances to show off, but he just doesn't really needs to be admired for that.

•A narcissist exploits their interpersonal relationships for their own benefit.

This point is a bit tricky cause Guren is undeniably using Yuu and he had the same intentions with Kimizuki and Yoichi to achieve his goals. However, besides from knowing that Guren would not be doing this if there was another way, when we take a look at the rest of his interpersonal relationships, specially with his squad, being exploitative of their relationship for his own benefit is just not there.

Some other criteria include an excessive sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, constant envy and the belief that others are envious of them, and haughty behaviors, all of which we already tackled before.

So, taking everything in consideration, we come to the conclusion that although Guren has displayed some narcissistic attitudes, overall he does not fit the profile, therefore, Guren is not a narcissist.

This of course doesn't mean that we have to condone all the bad things he's done, but rather may help us gain a bit more insight into Guren's character. Exploring his relationship's dynamics, and other mental health conditions which's profiles he may fit would be fun as well. He is indeed a very flawed character, and maybe that's what makes him interesting.

And that's it, if you read the whole thing, thank you for sticking till the end :) If you enjoyed this do let me know and in the future maybe we can tackle some other ons characters and their issues from a clinical perspective, I would also love to know your opinion on this if you have one or for you to point out any contradictions, mistakes or important things I may have missed to make this post better. Thanks for reading ♡. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #guren ichinose #ons #gureshin #shinya hiiragi #catastrophe at 16 #yuichiro hyakuya #narcisstic personality disorder #character analysis #ichinose guren #catastrophe at sixteen #sote #guren's squad

[helenaheissner]

Love During Robot Fighting Time: Chapter 14

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

Don't forget you can read three chapters ahead on this story, twenty chapters ahead on "A Dream of Summer Rain", and two chapters ahead on "Magical Girl Exorcist Squad", by becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack or my Patreon!

***

Zeke

12 months earlier

I squatted in the Pits, putting the finishing touches on our minibot, Gurren, in preparation for our fight with Team Bottle Rocket in twenty minutes. I was so zoned in on getting all the screws extra tight that I almost missed my phone blaring out a Kendrick Lamar song. I groaned when I saw the caller ID. “Hi, Mom,” I said, attempting to keep the stress and frustration out of my voice. It was better to get whatever ‘conversation’ this was out of the way now- if I tried to put it off and ignore her, she’d just be even more cantankerous about it when we actually got around to it. 

“Hellllo, Ezeekielll,” she slurred, her words blending together at the borders of the syllables. Oh, good. “How are you this evening?”

“Uh, a little busy to be honest, Mom,” I said. 

“Busy? Busy with what? It’s not like you have a job.”

I breathed in a sharp sigh through my nose. “I do have a job, Mom. It’s just seasonal.”

“Those obnoxious shows you go on don’t count as a-”

“Mom, was there a specific reason you called?” I asked, focusing on keeping the screws tight. “Like I said, I’m a little busy.”

“Too busy to talk to your dear ol’ mum,” she said, her accent starting to slip out. She’d been training herself not to have one ever since she’d moved to the States back when she was a teenager, but sometimes it still flared up. Usually when she’d indulged in one too many Screwdrivers. “That’s a problem, you know- you’ll never get a girlfriend if you hate your own mother.”

“I don’t hate you, Mom,” I said monotone. 

“Love the exact phrasing there, Ezekiel. Very gentlemanly.”

The screwdriver, my screwdriver, a literal one, slipped out of my hands. And as I reached down for it, I noticed my breathing- sharp, fast, all inhale and holding my breath, only exhaling when I absolutely needed to. “Thank you, Mother, I try.”

“Don’t you get sarcastic with me, young man- that’s hardly a trait that will do you any favors with the ladies either.”

I reached for the screwdriver on the ground, but my hand trembled when I tried to grip it. It slipped out of my grasp and hit the floor once again. “Look, Mom, my match starts in a few minutes, I really need to finish these repairs on Dai Guren-”

“Oh God, I forgot you gave that stupid thing a name. How asinine.”

Cold, soggy shame dripped off of me, and I let myself inhale and exhale through my mouth. 

And of course she kept going: “And that’s another thing- why is it just you doing this? Don’t you have teammates for this nonsense? They don’t appreciate you. If they did, they wouldn’t force you to do all the work-”

“They don’t force me to do all the work, Mom!” I snapped. “And I’m doing these repairs because I’m good at them. They had to go handle other stuff for the match. It’s not actually that complicated, but you refuse to understand!”

A few moments of deafening silence poured out from the other end of the line. “This is clearly not going to be a productive conversation. I think I’m done with you for the evening. I’ll call you back when you’re in a more reasonable headspace.”

“Mom-”

She ended the call before I could get another word out. 

It wasn’t quiet in the pits- people were using saws to carve up metal, flames were welding parts together, drills were digging into machinery. All the high-pitched screeches coalesced into a singular plaintive wail. 

A tear fell off my chin and shattered on the ground. I tore off my work gloves and wiped my eyes, hoping nobody would see me. I wasn’t much of a crier. No reason to ruin that reputation now, when I had other things to focus on. The bot was ready for the fight, and that was what I had to focus on, not the hollow pit in my chest rapidly filling with anger and resentment and freaking exhaustion-

“Hey, what’s wrong?” 

My fingers parted across my visage. I hadn’t even realized my face was buried in my hands. I looked through the gaps to find Calloway there, standing across the narrow middle walkway that ran down the white room. He was standing there in jeans and a black hoodie drawn up over his head, but he pulled it back and shaked out his shaggy brown hair. His eyes always looked… Harsh, angry, aggressive. But not now, not at this moment. Now they looked… Softer. Concerned. And… Genuine, in their concern. I’d gotten pretty good at spotting the difference between genuine concern and artificial; having parents like mine forces you to learn as fast as possible. But right now, here, he… 

“I… Just a difficult phone call with my mom,” I said, pulling my hands away from my face entirely, directing my gaze at the floor. 

Calloway stepped forward and gave me a hug. I flinched- the guy really had no sense of personal space, but honestly… I needed it, then, so I hugged him back. “Thanks.”

“Of course.”

I mumbled, “I guess I just…”

“What?” Calloway asked.

“It’s nothing, it’s…”

“What?” Calloway said, pulling out of the hug and looking me directly in the face, furrowing his brow. 

“I’m… Just surprised that you care,” I said. 

He gulped and took a step backward, along with a slight bite to his lower lip that ended as soon as it began. “I, uh… Yeah, yeah that’s fair.”

“I didn’t mean-”

“No, you did,” he said, turning his head so he didn’t have to look me in the eyes anymore. “It’s fine. Really, it is. I just… I really must come off like I’m a lot, all the time, huh?”

“I… What do you want me to say here, dude?” I said, taking a step towards him. 

He took another step back. “Just the truth. Just… How you really feel.”

I drew in another deep breath. “Yes. You… You do.”

He gulped again. “That… That explains a buncha stuff. I kinda figured people knew I… But I guess they wouldn’t. Fair enough.”

“Look, Calloway-”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said with a playful wave of his hand, plastering a bogus smile onto his face. “Just means I sell the heel routine well. That’s not a bad thing. And this isn’t really about me- I was asking you what’s wrong. Um… Do you… Do you wanna talk about it?”

My phone alarm hollered inside my pants’ pocket. Ten minutes till the fight. They’d be starting the introductory monologues soon. “I dunno if I have time right now, but… I appreciate it. I really, sincerely do. Maybe… Maybe next time?”

“Next time I catch you crying, tough guy?” he said, the smile edging just a little closer to genuine. 

I forced out a little chuckle. “Yeah, I guess so. For now… Can I just get another hug?”

He nodded rapidly. “Of course.”

Then he went in for it and wrapped his arms around my back. And it felt… Good. Supportive. Strong, but not aggressive.

Maybe there was more to Keith Calloway than I thought.

***

NOW

I sprayed some breath spray into my mouth while I paced up and down the hallway of my apartment, my hands wringing together as I tried to keep my mind clear and focused. 

I liked Kate. That much was hard to deny. She was bright and funny and passionate, just radiated warmth and empathy, and I felt like I could let my guard down around her in a way I couldn’t around other people. Including Faith.

But I liked Faith. I had for a while now. She was chill and focused and creative, a freaking dancing ray of light that always brightened up my day, who I desperately wanted to protect and take care of. 

And they were both incredibly pretty. 

Dammit. Dammit dammit dammit what is wrong with me? Just like my jackass of a father, can’t keep it in my pants, can’t be happy with what I have, like a real man is supposed to. 

But that didn’t matter. I was going on a date with Katie tonight. I was moving on from Faith, because that was the right thing to do, because she didn’t like me back, because she didn’t swing that way and just wasn’t physically attracted to me. And Kate… She made it really easy to want to move on, and she seemed to really want to be with me, for some unfathomable reason. Holding her in my arms made me feel like the strongest person in the world; the way she’d just slid up to me and put herself there like it was the most natural fit possible… It felt really good. I felt really good around her. 

My phone buzzed, and I saw from the caller ID that it was my mom. 

My finger loomed over the ‘accept call’ button for a solid minute before the phone simply stopped ringing altogether. Then it immediately started ringing again, because my mom was physically incapable of taking no for an answer. 

A spark of anger caught in my chest, burning my insides and sending proverbial smoke out of my ears. Goddammit, I was twenty-three years old, financially self-sufficient, and living in my own place. She did NOT get to keep pulling this crap. She hadn’t reached out to me in months and now, when I had something legitimately important to do, she decided it was the perfect time to interrupt. Couldn’t even be bothered to text first, asking if now was a good time. 

I thought about a year ago, and the mess I’d become when my mom called before that match, and Kate, back before I’d known she was Kate, before she’d known she was Kate, before she and I could even call ourselves friends, let alone whatever we were now, had held me and comforted me. Didn’t have to be asked, just offered and did her best to make good on that offer. That was when it had started to dawn on me that underneath it all, she really was a kind person with a big heart. 

It was also when it really started to dawn on me that my mom was an absolute bitch. Maybe she wasn’t as unbearable as my dad, but it would be a truly Herculean feat to be anywhere near as unpleasant as that selfish asshole. 

I hit ‘ignore.’ 

I breathed out, slowly and carefully, leaning against the wall. I was emphatically not going to cry right now, because I didn’t want Kate to feel like she had to take care of me tonight. I wanted to take care of her, to show her that yes, she really was the cute, sweet, wonderful girl she was trying to be. 

The tumblers of our lock shifted as the front door opened. Faith stepped through, a sad smile on her face. “Heyo,” she said. “Your hot date is downstairs waiting for you. Show her a good time tonight, yeah?”

“Of course,” I nodded, double checking my pockets to make sure I had my phone and wallet. Good to go. “You gonna be okay by yourself tonight?”

She gave an errant wave of her hand and said, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I can get caught up on my soaps.”

“You watch soap operas?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, old ones from the 1960s, mostly,” she said. “They’re really funny when you’re stoned.”

“Fair enough,” I said. I gave her a quick hug, which she happily accepted. “Don’t wait up for me!”

“Will do!” she said as I made my way out the door. 

I headed down the stairs and out front, where Kate’s pickup truck sat in the thin driveway that led into the parking garage below my building. I did a double-take when I saw her, leaning against the front of her truck. She wore a red dress that covered her chest wholesale, but beneath, what looked like boobs protruded from the dress in question. Falsies, presumably- Faith must have loaned her old ones out. Still, it couldn’t be denied that they looked real good on Kate, bringing the whole look together. Her dress had a slit going up the side, showing off her long, smooth legs well up her thick thighs. Bright red lipstick was painted across her mouth, and my whole body was screaming at me to cup her face in my hands and shove my tongue down her throat. So, of course, in my infinite intelligence and articulation, all I managed to choke out was, “Whoa.”

She smiled the kind of smile you want to protect with every fiber of your being. “Like what you see?” Her voice was high and breathy, each syllable enunciated slowly and carefully. She’d only been out for a few days and she’d already come so far. It was astonishing. It was… She was… 

“Absolutely beautiful,” I said, unable to blink. 

Her jaw dropped, and she stared at me.

Then a car pulled up behind her and honked at us- I recognized one of my neighbors behind the wheel, an older, heavyset woman named Nina. 

“C’mon, let’s get going,” Kate said. She gestured me into the truck and then we pulled out of the driveway. “So, where are we going?” she asked. 

“Uh, Indian place on Lincoln Boulevard. It’s over by my old college,” I said, trying not to stare at her too much and venture into the dubious territory of ‘creepy weirdo.’

“Sounds good, I love Indian food,” she smiled again. 

Kiss her, you idiot, my brain hollered. Wait, no, she’s driving. Bad idea. But kiss her before the end of the night! “How’d the appointment go?”

“Fantastic! I’ll be able to start hormones hopefully by the end of the week!”

“That’s fantastic!” I said. “How’d the other one go?”

She spat out a petulant sigh. “Less good. My sponsor is…”

“Is?”

“Let’s be charitable and go with ‘pragmatic,’” she said, her voice dropping low. She grunted with frustration and her eyes peeled wide as she heard her own words. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, trying my best to sound reassuring. “I don’t mind if you use your… Other voice.” I managed to stop myself from saying ‘boy voice’ or ‘normal voice.’ Thank God.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “It’s… It’s not that I don’t want you to hear it, it’s that I don’t like hearing it.”

“That’s fair,” I said. 

“But yeah, if I want to keep Gaines as my sponsor, I may or may not have to lean into this whole trans thing as part of my ‘brand.’ Ugh, I hate that word. Gag me.”

“Is that a request?” I smirked. 

She blushed redder than the Red Comet. “What if it is?”

“Then I’d be happy to accommodate.” What the hell, when did I get this bold?! It must have been my dick talking for me. Made sense- I’d spent… Several years not listening to it. How long had it been since I’d last had sex, anyway? Two years? Three? 

Getting ahead of yourself, Underhill. “Do you think you’re gonna stick with Gaines?” I asked. 

“Don’t see what choice I have,” she replied as she turned onto Lincoln and started driving west. “I don’t exactly have the capital to self-fund. How do you and Faith raise money, anyway?”

“Uh, a couple ways. Grant from our old college, a loan from Faith’s parents, and the money she and I raise doing temporary engineering jobs during the off-season. Usually like…, four, five months full time work with one of the aerospace companies in the city, then we spend the rest of the year working on the fun stuff.”

“I should probably look into something like that,” Kate said. “I don’t dislike working for my parents, but I’m never gonna make the kind of money I need to keep going in the ‘bot battle circuit working twenty hours a week at an indie retail outlet.”

“I have some contacts at a few places that I can send your way,” I offered. “Might be able to help you get a foot in the door, do some interviews.”

“That… Would be amazing,” she beamed. “You’d really do that for me?”

“‘Course I would,” I said. I want you to keep smiling that smile. “I just… Want you to be happy.”

“Thanks,” she said. “For… Everything.”

“No problem, Katie,” I said. 

She giggled. God, her laugh was adorable. So, I said that out loud. 

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“You have a cute laugh,” I said simply.

“It’s not cute… I’m not…”

“If you’re about to say you’re not cute, just know that there’s nothing cuter than a cute girl insisting she’s not cute.”

“... Dammit. You’re right.”

 “Gotcha,” I said, snapping my fingers. 

We carried on like that until we got to the restaurant, where, to my astonishment, we were seated immediately. I ordered a lamb vindaloo with a side of garlic naan, and she ordered butter chicken with onion naan. We split an order of vegetable samosas as well, and we were seated by the window looking out into the street. A pair of candles sat between us on our glass table, casting a bit of glow in the darkened dining area. 

“So, you went to that school over there, then?” Kate asked. “LMU?”

“Yeah, all four years.”

“How’d you wind up there?” she asked. 

“Uh, well, I applied to UCLA and didn’t get in,” I said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Which is true of, uh, most of the school, actually.”

“They couldn’t get into UCLA?” Kate chuckled. 

“Or USC. Or Harvey Mudd. Or Cal Poly.”

“Ahhh, gotcha. You said you grew up around here, right?”

“For a given value,” I said. “I was raised in Riverside.”

“Inland Empire, I see,” she said. “That place as horrifying as David Lynch makes it look?”

I chuckled. “Only when it’s on fire.”

“So, like, all Summer?”

“Pfft, basically.” 

“It’s funny, you know, we grew up in the same neck of the woods but never met till we started doing what we do,” Kate said, resting her chin on her hands while her elbows were propped up on the table. “I know that Venice and Riverside aren’t actually that close together-”

“Especially with the traffic in this town making it a longer trek,” I said. 

“Still,” she said. “It’s cool, knowing that someone like you was relatively close this whole time.” 

Her eyes… 

“Zeke?” she asked. “You okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, why?”

“You went quiet and started staring at me,” she said, raising her head, putting her hands flat on the table, concern exuding from her frown. “Did I lay it on too thick?”

I shook my head. “Not at all.” I reached for her hand. “Honestly, I’m worried about doing the same, so why don’t we just be ourselves tonight, and see how that works for us?”

“I’d like that,” she smiled again. That smile… 

The server, a middle-aged Indian man with pot-belly and an impressive beard, brought our samosas and a few different sauces over and set them between us. And with him came, very unexpectedly, some familiar faces. 

“Zeke?” Olivia asked. She was flanked by her new teammates, Tom, a medium-height black man in his late twenties with a shaved head and massive hands, and Winston, a white boy with a wild mane of brown hair who looked like he was still in college. And standing next to them were Team Forest Fire and Team Sparky-Sparky-Boom. Forest Fire was three guys all in their thirties, each of them shredded and rocking full beards. Their captain, Lance Masterson, was a behemoth of a white man with a shaved head and some burn marks on his arms and neck; his teammates were Jake George, a tall black man with long dreads and nose ring, and Evan Hernandez, a shorter Mexican-American man built like a powerlifter. Team Spark-Sparky-Boom, meanwhile, was two people, a husband and wife team called David and Eileen Portman. David was comfortably in his early forties, hair more salt than pepper, clean shaven and thin as a rail; Eileen looked like she was in her late thirties, and was shorter and thicker, with long brown hair beginning to spark with silver. 

A low-pitched groan escaped my throat, and I was surprised at how loud it was, only to look over and see that Kate was making roughly the same mouth-noise. 

“H-h-hey,” I eventually choked out. “How y’all doing?”

“Not bad,” Masterson said. 

“Not bad at all!” Hernandez said, snapping his fingers and pointing at Kate.

She blushed, then looked down at her food. 

“So, this must be Kate,” Olivia said. 

“Um, how do you know about-”

“Faith told me.”

“Faith told you what?” I said, my eyes narrow. 

“Oh, just that you’d finally found a girl for you… Wait a sec. Wait wait wait a second. Calloway? Is that you under all that makeup?”

My eyes bulged with panic, and I saw Kate’s lips trembling and her hands wringing together. Oh, this was bad- she wasn’t ready to come out to everyone at work yet, she’d said as much to me in the car ride. She’d been planning to come out in two weeks when she had her next fight, with the same kind of surprise announcement that Faith had been afforded. 

And now… Now she was having to come out to her work rivals by accident. For the third time in two weeks.

Goddammit.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice dropping low. Then, in her higher, breathier voice, she said, “Yes. It’s me. My preferred name is Kate, pronouns are she/her.”

Olivia’s eyebrows shot up. 

“Oh, so you’re a trans too?” Mrs. Portman said. 

I died inside a little bit. 

“I, uh, yeah. I’m a trans woman,” Kate said.

“Wow, two of you in the tournament this year, huh? What are the odds?” Mrs. Portman said. “And this isn’t a publicity stunt?”  

“Dear, hush, that’s rude,” Mr. Portman said, playfully swatting his wife on the arm, blissfully unaware of the psychic damage he and his wife had just inflicted on Kate. 

“No,” Kate said, eyes dropping low, fingers drumming nervously on the table. Oooohhhh dear. “I’m just… I’m a woman.”

“Hey, listen, it’s nice to see you all, but Kate and I were just trying to have a nice, quiet dinner,” I said. “Alone. As in just the two of us-”

“That’s fine, broseph,” Masterson said, “We can all take that big table outside, leave you two to your date.”

“I’d appreciate that a lot,” I nodded, putting a metric ton of emphasis behind each syllable. 

“As would I,” Kate said. Practically squeaked. Must… Protect… At all costs. 

“No problem, brosephine,” Masterson said. “You look great, bee-tea-dubs.”

They all cleared out and headed for the massive rectangular longtable outside… Except Olivia, who remained standing exactly where she was in front of us with her brow creased and her hands on her hips and her jaw slack. 

“Uh, Olivia, you coming with?” Tom asked while standing in the doorway, with an ‘aw shit here we go again’ expression on his face.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Olivia said. 

Tom sighed and let the door close as he stepped outside. You tried, Tom. You tried. 

“Can, uh, I help you with something?” I said, trying not to get too distressed by Kate’s thousand-yard stare. Given that she’d only a few days prior called out and challenged Olivia in front of a screaming crowd while on camera and then immediately proceeded to have a massive panic attack… I didn’t like what this was almost certainly doing to her brain. 

“I just… When Faith said you’d found someone, this wasn’t what I expected,” Olivia said. “Does she… She knows who Kate really is, right?”

“Yeah, she does,” I said, creasing my own brow, “Why do you ask?”

“I just… I really just… Calloway? Seriously?! Calloway?!” Olivia said. “Of all freaking people, you choose Calloway over Faith?!”

“I’m sitting right here, you know,” Kate said. 

“R-right. Sorry, I… You look nice,” Olivia said. 

“Thanks,” Kate said. “Just, uh, quick question: why do you care?”

“Because I care about Faith,” Olivia said. 

“Right, sure you do,” Kate said. “You care so much about the girl you brutally dumped in the most vulnerable moment of her life. Right. Definitely. Absolutely.”

“Also, why would Faith care?” I said, attempting to navigate the conversation away from Kate’s (admittedly accurate) criticism of Olivia. “She and Kate have patched things up- they’re friends now.”

“Really?” Olivia said. 

“Yes, really,” Kate said. “She and I hung out literally all day today. She helped me pick out this dress, helped me with my voice. She and I are fine. And she’s fine with this.”

“Oh, honey,” Olivia said. “You don’t… Really believe that. Do you?”

Kate blinked, and her eyes went low again. 

“What does that mean?” I asked. 

“It means-”

“Don’t,” Kate said, slamming her hand against the table. 

Olivia took a step back. “Right. Sorry. It’s… Look, Zeke, I know you and I were never super close, but I gotta ask- is Faith really completely on board with all this?”

“Yes! Why wouldn’t she be?” Did someone slip me a crazy-pill? What the hell was going on?!

“I just… Can’t believe you would choose Ke… Kate over Faith,” Olivia said. 

“It’s not a choice,” I said, grabbing Kate’s hand and squeezing it tightly, a fire lighting inside my head. “I like Kate. She’s a beautiful woman, inside and out.”

“Phrasing,” Kate said in a thirsty whisper, eyebrows raised. 

“Babe, not now,” I said. 

“Babe?” she said with a bright smile.

“Babe? Wow,” Olivia said. “This is… A lot to accept, tbh.”

“And why, exactly, do you get a say?” I said. 

“I-”

“That was a rhetorical question,” I said. “You don’t. At all.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll back off,” Olivia said, holding up her hands, palms flat. “I just… Can’t help but think you’re making a mistake. You and Faith would be cute together, that’s all I’m saying.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I growled. 

“You would be,” Kate whispered. 

“What?” I said. Seriously, WHAT?!

“Backing away now,” Olivia said. “I’m sorry for saying anything- you’re right, it’s really none of my business. But, uh, Calloway? I still remember what you said last Friday. I’ll see you in the battle box.”

And with that, she walked away. My head spun with confusion and anger at the implications of what she said, the insinuations, the freaking hubris. And on top of it all, Kate looked ready to cry again. 

Our waiter finally came over with our food on a tray and set it down, but looked at us with a worried expression. “Would you two like this to go, by any chance?”

“Yes, please,” Kate and I said simultaneously. 

We waited till the food was put in takeaway boxes, and we made a hasty departure. I was pretty sure I heard Mrs. Portman shouting something at us as we walked out the front door, but I wasn’t sure what. “Where should we take all this?” Kate asked. 

“I have one idea, if you’re up for it,” I said, with a grin I hoped would be the first step to salvaging this evening. 

We headed for Dockweiler Beach, only a few miles from the restaurant, basically deserted in the waning hours of the evening before it was closed to the public. Waves lapped against the sand in a steady, drawling rhythm, and the rich, relaxing scent of seawater filled the air. We sat on a blanket Kate kept in her truck, eating our food while watching the tide crashing into the shore and the setting sun casting an orange-gold glow over everything. Kate had tied her hair back while we ate, but loose strands kept blowing about from the seabreeze and colliding with her face.

I reached over and brushed a strand back, and she smiled at me. “Thank you.”

“Of course. I’m, uh, sorry about what happened.”

“Don’t be, it isn’t your fault,” she said. “Honestly, you handled it really well. Way better than I would have in your position.”

“And what position is that?”

“The guy’s. You’re… You’re a really good guy, Zeke Underhill,” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. 

I laughed in spite of myself. “That’s nice of you to say. I… I’m not really used to hearing it,” I admitted, slumping my shoulders. 

“I find that hard to believe. You’re such a gentleman.”

“I… The thing is,” I started. Oh boy, I was about to admit this to her. This was big. I rarely talked about this. Not even with Faith. “... My parents… Are not the types to give out praise often, and a lot of it had to do with them thinking I wasn’t living up to their expectations of what a man was supposed to be. My Mom… Well, she’s English, she’s got all these old-fashioned, old-world ideas about men and women. She sent me to my room when I cried at a movie once when I was seven. My dad wasn’t much better- kind of a rough and tumble man’s man type. When I didn’t make my high school’s basketball team in ninth grade, he reamed me out for half an hour straight. Never mind the fact that I was short and fat back then. Which they both reminded me of constantly.”

“Jesus Christ, I’m so sorry,” Kate said, putting down her food and placing her hand on my shoulder. I gave it a squeeze. She continued, “My parents have always been so chill and supportive. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to… To grow up with that instead of what I had.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Honestly, I’m mostly over it at this point. I moved out for college when I was eighteen and never looked back. The only thing that really still gets to me is how hypocritical they were about everything. My dad… He’s a total pig, cheats on my mom constantly, and Mom just drinks to forget it every time the proof is thrown in her face. They’re both so full of shit, but I still… I still have this fear sometimes, that they’re right, that I’m not good enough, that there’s something I’m doing wrong, that…”

“That?”

“... That I’ll be a cheater like my dad, constantly balancing multiple girls, stringing along someone I’m supposed to be committed to. I think… I think that’s what bugged me about what Olivia was insinuating, like I was somehow being disloyal to Faith. Which is ridiculous, because… I… And she doesn’t even… And I’m not-”

“Not what?” Kate said, wrapping her arms around me. 

“I’m not with her. I probably won’t ever be with her,” I said.

“... You really like her, don’t you?”

“... I’m not sure you want me to answer that question, Katie.”

“You already have,” she said. “It’s kinda obvious.”

“I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t-”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Kate said, nuzzling my shoulder. “You’re allowed to like more than one person at the same time. And you’ve liked her for a while, I’m not surprised I’m…”

“You’re what?”

“... Second prize.”

 “You’re not,” I said, turning around and putting my hands on her cheeks. “Listen to me, Kate Calloway. I recognize we’ve only just started really getting to know each other, but in that time, you’ve shown yourself to be… Amazing. Caring. Funny and thoughtful. Beautiful. I… I don’t know if I deserve you, but I’d like… To keep seeing you like this. To get to know you better, and to hold your hand while you go on this journey.”

Tears streamed out her eyes, and she bit her lower lip before saying, “Would you… Would you still say that if Faith liked you back?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I scoffed. “Faith is gay.”

“...”

I blinked. “Faith is gay, right?”

“I…,” Kate stammered, pulling out of my hands. “I’ve said too much.”

I blinked one long, sustained blink as the gears turned in my head. Faith… Wasn’t gay? And she… It… This made it seem like… 

Like she… 

No. 

Just, just… No.

There was a beautiful girl who I liked in front of me, and I wasn’t gonna let her slip away. “You’re fine. And even if she did, it wouldn’t matter.”

“You… You really mean that?”

“She’s not here with me right now, on this beach, sharing this meal, this evening,” I said. “Life moves forward, not back. If Faith really liked me, she should have said something. You, though, you said something. You made the first move, and… God, I’ve had to do that myself so many times, only for it to fall apart. Do you have any idea how good it makes me feel, that you like me enough to be the one to push things forward? How special that makes me feel? Because it’s amazing… You make me feel… Amazing, Kate.”

She looked at me with those big blue eyes, shining in the multicolored light of dusk as the sun set over the horizon, her red lips spread wide, hope and astonishment and joy radiating out of every inch of her. She gulped, and then she grabbed my lapel and said, “I’m gonna push things forward again now. Is that okay?” 

I didn’t answer. I just went for it, pressing her lips against mine, melting into her as we made out on the beach while the sun finished setting. My heart was alight with ecstasy, my lust burning at maximum temperature. I didn’t know for sure if I liked her more than I liked Faith. I just knew that in that moment, there was nobody I’d rather be with, nobody I’d rather be kissing, nobody I’d rather be getting to know.

For just one moment, everything was crystal clear. 

“You really had to ask?” I said as I pressed my forehead against hers, reveling in her aftertaste.

She smiled. Oh, Lord, that smile. “I just had to make sure.”

We carried on like that for a while longer, her hands touching mine, my lips touching hers, our bodies interlocking.

#original fiction #serial fiction #trans woman #trans protagonist #web novel #wlw #bisexual #polycule #polyamory #love triangle #enemies to friends to lovers #first date #romcom #romance

[lostsoulaltair]

Mikaela Shindo. At the end, what is he?

Given that the last chapter ended up with revelations, answers of some stuff, this is an analysis I'll be sharing with you.

If you don't like it, that's okay; just be respectful, that's all.

P.S: This is held within a neutral view

Before I start...I'd like to give an insight of what has been happening as of late thanks to the release of Ch. 129

Given the huge revelation, mayhaps you've heard that Mika might be a split soul of the angel Mikaela, or that perhaps he might have lost relevance with that, etc.

I think, this is mostly related to what we can state as "expectations". Mika for sure has a role, but that itself has been fulfilled ever since he unlocked Yuu's memories from the past.

It is not an easy fit itself, but now, how does this relate to the main topic of the post?

That's because I'd like to discuss what Mika as a character is.

He is not the angel Mikaela given that the soul of said angel has been residing within Yuu given that what took place between Yuu's (ancestor, past self) made something akin to a contract or a deal

Of course, this does not mean that Yuu has 0 identity or that he does not have a will. This means that even if he keep stored the soul of the angel Mikaela and there are traits displayed from the angel's personality; this does not mean he ceases to be who he is.

And the reason why I can state is because of this:

-The Homunculus bond with the Angel Mikaela

This homunculus was once running with the angel Mikaela in ancient times; it was capable of seeing the truth,along the fact that it was cursed with a name, a sign of love.

Ultimately, due to this attachment the Homunculus developed, the Homunculus did end up guarding the memories that belonged to the angel Mikaela along all that took place in the past. Which also answers as to why it appeared in front of Mikaela back in chapter 106.

But now, the eternal question. Why was Mika displayed as a human? Shouldn't he had appeared with more angelic traits?

Let's answers this that mayhaps might turn bitter for some.

Mikaela Hyakuya/Shindo was a normal boy. He does not have involvement itself with the past of Shikama and Yuu's. And this is heavily proved how in all the backstory we got, Mikaela confirmed Yuu's denial, all that they saw were Yuu's memories all along, not his.

And Yuu ultimately remembered everything. But then, this leaves a huge question.

What is Mika at the end?

Mika does have plot relevance even if he is not the Angel Mikaela.

One of the things the chapter answered, was the purpose of the existance of the Angel Mikaela:

Along this, they gave away the purpose of the Sinful Keys but that'll take place in another post

The Angel Mikaela's purpose given that there's enough of "God's light" is to bring back the death. And the reason why Mikaela Hyakuya was used to the point he turned to a demon, was not because he was the real son of Shikama given that Shikama, Guren and everyone else considered that regard; no it was mainly because of the positive results Mikaela gave holding the Seraph and Mikaela trait, it was because of that, he was the perfect candidate, to bring forward the "light" needed to bring onwards the resurrection.

That is Mikaela's real purpose; the reason why Shikama at first sought to capture Mikaela's soul is because as ironic as it might seem, Shikama's anger, grudge towards God and the punishment he received, literally made him incapable to see the soul of his own son. He literally dismissed the possibility that the soul of his son was still present, he ignored it to the point Mikaela's soul resided within Yuu instead of Mika's body.

What do you think?

#owari no seraph #owari no seraph analysis #seraph of the end #owari no answers #angel michaela #mikaela hyakuya #mikaela shindo #yuichiro hyakuya #shikama doji #sika madu

[mxhirus]

Sorry for being in your asks so much, but do you think Guren sees himself in Yuu?

Ik that narratively, GureMahi and MikaYuu are parallels, but I wonder if Guren realizes that.

Do you think he looks at Yuu and is reminded of who he used to be?

Another 16 year old, still a teenager but forced to grow up too fast? A kid who wants nothing more than to save the one he loves, but doing so would kill everyone else, including his friends and family? Do you think he’s desperately trying to keep Yuu from repeating his mistakes?

Sorry for the unprompted meta/dumbass questions, but I needed to Gurenpost somewhere

Hi! And it's no biggie

I think that... he sees Yuu in himself. Obviously, he's blinded by love and will foolishly do anything. (As Guren once did for Mahiru, and still is doing in my good and honest opinion). Yuu had his attitude at first, cold and uncaring; nonchalant. However, he made friends which caused him to warm up. See that connection? But their ultimate goal related to their love interest. (Mahiru, Mika.).

Guren as we know is kind of using Yuu as his tool to being free from the guilt of reviving his team because he is too "selfish" (since, its a human desire), and having killed Mahiru. (I find that he believes this and blames himself because it was his sword that impaled her chest, despite it being a suicide so Guren could reap the correct amount of blood to perform the ritual.)

I think Guren is self aware and aware of how similar he is to Yuu, after all he raised him. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. This applies to Mika and Mahiru, who are siblings by vampiric law (sired by Krul Tepes). Mahiru sacrificed everything for love. Mika sacrificed everything for love. All Mahiru wanted was to be with Guren. All Mika wants is to be with Yuu.

So, basically MikaYuu real GureMahi real, Guren sees himself in Yuu but I don't think he's going out of his way to stop Yuu from some stuff. It's more like escapism.

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #ichinose guren #guren ichinose #yuichiro hyakuya #hyakuya yuuichirou #hiiragi mahiru #mahiru hiragi #mikaela hyakuya #hyakuya mikaela #guremahi #mikayuu

[schneereggen]

Day 2 of GureShin Week - It’s Shinya’s birthday today! Happy Birthday 🎉🥳

So let’s take the occasion and have a deeper look into Shinya’s character.

I already did an analysis for Mahiru because of an anon ask. It was really interesting to think more about why she does what she does and how she became the person she's now.

So I wanted to do this also for Shinya. I did a lot of reflection about his character when I was writing my fanfiction "Why we cannot stop loving". As he was the point of view character I really wanted to dive deeper into his motives and why he’s feeling how he feels. Also I explored some situations I really wanted to see Shinya reacting to it. Like what Guren has been hiding from him.

But there’s also a lot of stuff that didn’t fit into the story which I had been thinking about as well. So I am now trying to write it down and explain where this might be coming from.

But maybe a short disclaimer beforehand because I know Shinya is a very well loved character: 

I base my analysis on what I feel would complete the narrative. There could be a lot of other interpretations about him. So this is just one version.

And it turned out a lot longer than expected. So apologies for that.

Drawing by Yo Asami, artist of Catastroph at Sixteen Manga

Analysis of Shinya's Character

Let's go back to...

Shinya’s childhood (Prologue book 3)

To know why a character is like they are, it’s always interesting to look into their childhood. In Shinya’s case, he first grew up with his parents. I expect him to have had a rather good childhood . It was said that he was already part of a Hiragi kindergarten when he was five but without the competition. Shinya was talented, was really good in school and had a lot of other talents. He was fast, good at magic. A lot better than the other kids. So he was probably praised by his parents, by other adults and he was used to surpass others, because he is very skilled. And no person is not infected by praise at an early age. Shinya probably got used to be able to do everything. He might even have been a lot more arrogant than now because he knew he could do all the stuff and was doing really great and he also got the confirmation that this was good and achievable. He was told that he was special and there was no instance that could have made him reflect about it. So when I think about Shinya being arrogant, I think more of the Shinya we see when he's desperate. Like the ice cold look he gave Guren when he was disappointed in him for not fulfilling his expectations. But more about it later. In general, I feel like Shinya wasn't always just nice and sweet. Or rather didn't use it socially that often back then because he didn't need to.

But then the Hiragi noticed his talent and took him in. First, this must have been a huge lost because he was taken from the parents he loved and that loved him. Maybe this also made him think they don't love him anymore because he never heard about them ever again. Knowing the way he later can very well hide his emotions, I can imagine that he also back then hid his sadness. He maybe cried a lot, maybe in secret at night later. Even thought it is said that he didn't have the time anymore when he was in Tokyo. And the reason for that might be the fact, that it was "an honour" to be selected by the Hiragi.

Because of the social status the Hiragi have, Shinya was probably also kind of proud. Everyone must have told him how well he was doing that he was given the honor to get with the Hiragi. In some way this must have pushed Shinya's ego though I still think on the inside he was hurt that he was given away. Nevertheless Shinya seemd to be a person that adapts very well to situations. So I can imagine him also managing well to fit in the new situation and surrounding. He maybe cried at night, but at day he was the same talented guy that impressed others. He probably made already some friends among the other contestens very quickly.

But we know he wasn't the only smart and talented guy. Even though he might got along well with others, this was also one of the first moments, Shinya had a real competition. The contest might has motivated him in the beginning to push himself even further. He always won in the past, so he was now in a surrounding where he had to win. And he must have done well.

But the competition always also meant that other children got killed. For being bad at school, and later in direct fights. So the challenge developed quickly into a hard, bloody reality. And he must have lost a lot of friends. Imagine just meeting a person one day and the next they will be gone and worst they have been killed by some other guys you know.

So slowly Shinya stopped making friends for real, because he knew in the end he would lose them again. He started to protect himself emotionally by not building bonds anymore with other people and focusing on himself. So a loss won't hurt that much anymore. Also he must have stopped showing his true emotions in general. Emotions can be a weakness in fights and in order to be strong, he might also have started to surpress his emotions. This way he became apathetic inside. Not showing emotion, not feeling anything, not forming bonds and friendships with people. All in order to win and most importantly survive.

It is said that Shinya started smiling permanently at that time to relive the stress. Also Shinya must have tried to cope with him surpressing his own emotions. Smile was his mechanism. Also it helped him socialice with people so he would not be pulled into trouble. Also it is said that it confused his enemies in battle. And I can imagine that Shinya started to use it as a weapon. To fool others to be able to win again them when they didn't expect it from such a seemingly nice guy that always smiles.

So Shinya's only goal was now to survive. And the price for that was the hand of Mahiru. He used all his energy for that one goal. He only lived for that goal. Only to then realize when he was suddenly selected as the winner of the tournament, that she doesn't even want him.

All the time and effort he put into it, shattered in just a second when Mahiru told him, she's already in love with someone else. Even though Shinya survived, he lost because his apparent goal was already out of reach. It's the first massive lost he experienced in his life. His ego must have been totally shatterd, realizing that it was all for seemingly nothing. A guy named Guren was already ahead of him.

And this was a new challange for Shinya. Despite having fallen deep by realizing he lost his goal and seemingly wasn't able to win Mahiru over whatever he did, he slowly started to shift his goal to Guren. He had what Shinya wanted. He was his opponent. Mahiru had told him mutiple times that Guren was a lot stronger and more special than him.

So Shinya wanted to meet Guren, desperately. That was Shinya's goal at that moment. Meeting him and finding out what was so special about him. Why Mahiru was talking so highly about him and what had made her fall in love with him.

And they met. In High School

Beginning of the High School Years (Book 1-4)

Shinya knew Guren was coming to their school. To find out what was so special about Guren, he wanted to challenge him. Find out if he's strong, if he's better in magic, if he was smarter, what so ever.

To approach him, Shinya used the techniques he learned from his childhood. Smiling and be nice to people, so you get what you want. He kind of treid to fake a friendshop between them. Just that it didn't work on Guren.

Guren hid his power from him. And even though Shinya pushed him, tried to beat him up, Guren just let it happen. And Shinya was really pissed that none of his usually techniques worked on Guren. He smiled, tried to get Guren's attention, but he just ignored him.

This led to that scene where Shinya protect Guren but starts being cold towards him. Shinya is disappointed in Guren. The person Mahiru spoke so highly about all those years, was nothing but weak. He seemingly wasn't strong, talented or anything. And Shinya still lost against him. And to make it even worth, if he was strong, he didn't even use his powers for something relevant. Another goal of Shinya was shattered.

But things change, when Shinya sees Guren fight at the tournament in school. He sees that Guren knows a lot more magic than he says. And Shinya's interest is back. He proceeds trying to befriend him and as we know, he succeeds.

Shinya starts getting to know Guren and he realizes that what makes Guren different is that he is still trying to achieve his goal. In book 4 there's one scene from Shinya POV where he thinks about why Mahiru chose Guren in which he realized that Guren is passionate about his goal. He is fighting for it. Shinya gave up fighting and winning when he realized he couldn't win Mahiru over. And Shinya thinks about how stupid Guren is to give up his humanity to save others. Though thereby he realizes himself that he always just killed for himself. He killed for the sake of surviving. Never did he invest any energy for others. And though Shinya thinks what Guren is doing is massively supid, he kind of admires him for this. And at the same time, it makes him want to help Guren as well. Even though he would risk his life, he wants to save Guren from the mess he got himself into. He wants to get Guren back.

Without noticing he had already formed a bond with Guren. The interactions he intially used to get close to Guren now made him actually made him becoming friends with him. And Shinya, who had not felt anything in years, now suddenly had again something he wanted. He wanted to protect Guren, if necessary to kill him himself.

That's why he went to the school and made a plan to attack Guren and keep him in place. He wanted to be the one saving Guren.

In the same events it is said that Shinya wanted to save Mahiru to be finally recognized by her. He was never recognized in the past. He wasn't strong enough. And by challenging her, he might get the recognition he always wanted. But we know how it ends, he never got it. But maybe it wasn't even necessary anymore for him.

Shinya and human bonds (Book 5-7 + Vampire Reign)

After the event in the High School in book 4, Shinya starts developing a deeper friendship with Guren. It seems like he had accepted that he couldn't take back that he started to care for Guren.

The next inside we get into Shinya's character is in book 6 where he saves Guren from Seishiro and they start to have a heart to heart talk about human bonds. Funnily in this dialogue it's now Shinya telling Guren that human bonds are important to have a reason to be strong. Because it was Guren that made Shinya realize that friendship and bonds were important in the first place.

Shinya, a person that had hid his feelings, became cold, never had a goal is now telling Guren, that he shouldn't become that way. And that's remarkable. Because it means that Guren changed Shinya, he changed how he's thinking. Shinya has learned that he doesn't want to be a lone fighter anymore and he doesn't want Guren to become one. He found his goal in supporting Guren and fight alongside with him. Shinya wants to use his power for something he believes in.

Later in book 7 he even tells Mahiru that he chose Guren over power. He knows it's stupid, but it's what give him joy, a reason for contuing, a reason for living.

But Shinya dies believing in Guren. Though he doesn't remember later. He dies knowing that he had good moments in his life in the year in which he had finally made friends for real again. In which he had shared good moments with others and wasn't alone anymore.

Though as Shinya doesn't remember failing on that route. His goal to be with Guren and to protect and follow him doesn't change. When Guren starts losing his own hope and goal in Resurrection Shinya pushes him to follow his goal. To give himself a reason again to continue.

And later, when Guren even betrays them in Vampire Reign, Shinya is the one that desperatly calls for more power to prevent him from leaving. Even though Shinya can still kill without mercy, if it is necessary - he can't leave anyone important to him behind anymore.

So why is Shinya so obssesed with Guren?

I believe the reason why Shinya started to develop a friendship and feelings for with Guren is that Guren was the first one in a long time to see and care about him.

Shinya had been used to be praised as a kid. Then his parents were taken away from him. He stopped making friends. Mahiru never saw him for what he was. And then Guren came along and he cared for him (even though he said he didn't because he's a tsundere).

And Shinya wanted to be seen by Guren. By protecting him, by helping him out, by staying by his side. Shinya wanted Guren's attention because it was someone that was stronger than him that he admired.

But at the same time, Shinya started to also care for Guren. And as we know, Guren also found comfort in having someone who he can blindly trust. That's what made their bond so strong and hopefully still makes it strong.

Just as Shinya is Guren's soft spot, Guren is Shinya's.

Guren changed Shinya and Shinya does not want to lose his trust in him again. He doesn't want to accept that he decieded wrong when he chose Guren. Because he started to undertand what made Guren so attractive.

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #ons #catastrophe at 16 #catastrophe at sixteen #resurrection at 19 #resurrection at nineteen #shinya hiragi #shinya hiiragi #Guren ichinose #gureshinweek2022 #gureshinweek #gureshin week day 2 #character analysis #and this was the compact version #the longer version with more spice and random stuff is my fic #you can't tell me these mfs aren't in love #gureshin #shingure #thank you for coming to my ted talk

[nightmare-the-cat]

This little snapshot brought to you by Insomnia!

What are the boyfriends discussing? Something to do with the team, probably, and how Gen tends to make competitive situations worse due to his lack of social graces-ending in fights between the Knights.

Guren is the only responsible one, which is probably why he’s the one in charge, but he has his moments of temperament too

Anyway you have no idea how cathartic it is to make fanart for a show I loved back in the day, especially since I wasn’t that good of an artist back then. Now I actually feel like I can make stuff that I can be proud of for it-and it feels wonderful seeing how far I’ve come

The next couple of days will probably be a Tenkai Knight overhaul-just because I’ve missed this show and wished there was a second season that focused on the characters as teenagers-with Guren trying to balance the conflicts of a very diverse group in terms of personalities as a leader, and everyone dealing with the changes of growing up while also still dealing with an alien civil war.

It probably wouldn’t have been as gay as I’m gonna make it for however long I end up making this stuff, but I’d like to indulge in the potential this show had for a while

Also @kazumahashimoto, saw your sidedcoin fanart the other day, know you are the main reason behind my reignited hyperfixation right now and I thank you for it

#tenkai knights #gen inukai #guren nash #sidedcoinshipping #Guren half the time is like “whose idea was it to put me in charge of anything!?” #yet he somehow ends up being a phenomenal leader anyway #despite how he might want to strange his friends at times from how often they butt heads when bored #when Gen joined the group things did not get easier for him lol

[intheticklecloset]

AHHHH you finished seraph of the end!!! the same anon here👋🏻 Honestly I was so excited for you when you made the poll and it started winning, had my fingers crossed it would win because this anime is so so underrated🥹It starts with a BANG and ends with one too! Did you have favorite moments or episodes besides what you already said? And now that you’ve finished it, do you have top 5 favorite characters👀 if you’d like to share☺️

This reply got a little long so I put it under the cut. No spoilers, though! 😅

AHHH such good questions! Well, aside from what I've mentioned previously:

I really like Yu's character development. He starts out as kind of a jerk (understandably) but ends up being really kind and overprotective, and I love that for him.

I loved Yoichi's character development, too! The absolute sweetest of sweethearts having to fight his demons (quite literally) and grow into a solider but still keeping his optimistic spirit despite it all was just *chef's kiss*

Also I was pleasantly surprised by Shinoa. I wasn't sure about her for the first several episodes but she REALLY grew on me.

Was pumping my fist for Kimuzuki at city hall (if you know you know)!!

Overall though my favorite part(s) of the show was those very rare moments when Yu and Mika were able to be together. MY HEART!!! (I don't ship them AT ALL btw - I just see them as best friends/family.)

As for top five fave characters, I'd have to say:

Yu - he's just SO great; I loved him and was rooting for him the whole time

Mika - we don't get a lot of him but his struggle and his connection to Yu had my heart SOARING

Kimizuki - I just loved this dork so much LOL

Yoichi - sweetheart vibes!! I love that he's an archer too like adfaflhh

Aside from those four I don't know if I can settle on a fifth place? I liked Guren (for a while) and Shinya (wasn't sure at first but I decided I like him), and Shinoa was another one who really grew on me, like I said.

I added Seraph of the End to my watchlist YEARS ago, but there's just so many anime out there and my watching stamina is...not great? So when Hulu started being dumb about some stuff and I decided to cancel it, I cross-referenced the shows I had on my list there with Crunchyroll and learned that Seraph and Durarara were the only two that weren't available on CR. Hence the poll, because they both looked good and I couldn't decide but I knew I wanted to watch one while I had the chance.

I went in to Seraph totally blind, knowing nothing but that there were vampires in it, and OH MY GOD IT WAS AMAZING. I can't believe it took me so long to get to! I'm so glad it won the poll!

Thank you for giving me a chance to fangirl about it - I JUST LOVED IT SO DANG MUCH! 😍😍😍😍

#nym speaks #i honestly feel like i'd ramble about this show FOREVER if y'all let me lol #it was just so good and it has my entire heart right now #the obsession is legit over here

[kohakhearts]

7, 9, 12, and 33 for the fic writers questions!

thank you!! <3

7: any worldbuilding you're particularly proud of?

i mean, the obvious answer is asld. i put blood sweat and tears in that world, lol. but since these questions are technically about fic, i've gotta shout out sinner's serenade. i don't think making mahiru a siren was really my idea, but god it worked so well and going back and reading this fic like...i did some really cool and fun things with the world. it's so obviously removed from canon in a lot of ways, but the nods to canon work really well, and tbh the whole dynamic between guren and shinya and mahiru like...that wouldn't have worked for any other characters, lmao. like the au is just such a love letter to all the things i loved about these characters And It Shows. 16 year old me made some points!!!!

my other answer is mors tua vita mea, because let's be real - hp is RIDDEN with plot holes, and i think i did a really good job of patching those up. will the fic ever see the light of day? idk. unfortunately i don't do a lot of writing for the fandom anymore, and i didn't want to post the first fic until the first three books were finished. but i've wanted to do my own full rewrite since i was like...14, so it'd be a shame if all my hard work on that never got out tbh :') (i think i did some pretty galaxy-brained stuff to explain soul magic and horcruxes...since the small amount of explanation in canon are bad and stupid<3)

9: how do you find new fic to read?

ok i admit, i...mostly don't. i go through periods where i read a LOT, and in those periods i'm usually looking for a very specific kind of content and i will use every ounce of researching knowledge i acquired at the stupid top 30 university i attended to find it. and then i don't read anything for like, six months. i try to keep up with my friends' fics when i can, but i am very busy and a very slow reader (and on top of that, very unaware of the passage of time lmao. so if i've ever promised to read anything...just know i wasn't lying. i just might take a year ot two to get to it. i WISH that were an exaggeration lol)

thinking about it though, when i was younger and not like. a full-time student with a job and groceries to buy and rent to pay and all that shit, i generally found fics via recommendations (if the fandom was big). if the fandom was small, i'd just sift through the entire relationship or character tag until i'd read everything. wish i could go back to that tbh. i was living the life when i wasn't too exhuasted to use more than 5% of my brain at a time for leisure activities like reading fanfiction :')

12: are there any tropes you used to dislike but have grown on you?

i don't know why but this is always such a hard question for me to answer??? i think it's largely because i have an awful memory but also like...i'm pretty much willing to give anything a try, idk. all i can really think of is that i used to categorically refuse to read a/b/o but now sometimes, if it's all there is...i can accept it. but it's still not really one i enjoy.

33: if you write chaptered fics, what’s your ideal chapter length to write? is it different from your ideal chapter length to read?

i am a very long-winded person in general and that definitely tracks into my writing. that being said, when i'm not like...actively trying to make them a certain length, my fic chapters tend to be around 6k-7k. which is not bad imo? that's pretty average i think? but i also firmly believe that things like chapter length are really relevant facets of style. i've written things with chapters all less than 1k words and things with chapters that are 25k words. it all depends on the story! so for that reason, i don't really have an ideal chapter length as a reader. as long as it feels well-paced for that specific story, i'm good with it.

questions for fic writers

#answerd #ask games #sorry for going on and on it also takes more than 5% of my brain to be concise jdfghjfk #thanks so much for asking tho <3

[no-signs-no-lights]

Do you think the memory of chapter 110 is false?

On the one hand it's a silly memory without manipulative weight and on the other hand, supposedly the same day that Yuu went to the orphanage was when the adults died immediately and the vampire invasion started (If we think that the chapter 1 is the true memory), so Yuu wouldn't have had time to create happy memories in the orphanage (Although the memory is also not "Out Of Character" with the characters' personalities, so IF it is indeed a false memory, it would show that the false memories would be like a "what if" of what the characters would do if they had the opportunity to meet and live in other better circumstances<3)...

Honestly, I would like them to show memories of the 4 years that they survived together in the vampire city being hostages, since I get the impression that it more was during that time that Yuu and Mika bonded together, since they were the elders taking care of the little ones.

By the way, he definitely wasn't manipulated into loving Akane or the other kids at the orphanage (Same for Mika), so Mika really taught him to believe and love in the concept of family and unity (And he gives me the reason why). cared for Guren so much was because even if he tried to manipulate him, Guren also moves with the principle of protecting and loving his family).

P.S: Considering that Mika can see their memories and compare them now, it won't take long to figure out which ones are fake and "wash out" Yuu's brain, if necessary (Seriously, we're lucky Mika is an angel<3<3)

I too would like to know what Ashera meant, but I personally have two theories:

What was false was the memory of his parents, of living with them. Thus Yuu believing he was betrayed and hurt by his previous "loving" family would make him prone to clinging to Mika more, as he would be the one who brought hope into his life after such a traumatic event. Since we know from the novels that Yuu's parents suicide happened in the news, that definitely needed to happen, so I think what was manipulated were his previous memories of living with them. Considering Yuu clones are always born with 6 or 8 years old, that would make a lot of sense to me. He needed to think they were his parents so they implanted memories of them as a family. This is also supported by the fact that Yuu couldn't even remember his own last name by the time he was in Sanguinem. To me, that means they only needed to focus on making Yuu's past traumatic event the core of his belief system. Notice how, whenever Yuu goes on a rampage about family he talks about how his parents rejected him. THAT is what makes him so obsessed with family. Considering we know they are not his real parents, and how this fixation on family has helped move the plot forward and have Yuu follow through Guren and The First's plans, I think it's safe to say this is the closest possible case.

The memory of their first encounter changed, now seemingly sweeter than before. This is supported by the fact that their clothes and the setting seems to be different in comparison to previous flashbacks. However, I don't see what the purpose of changing it now would be, since Yuu could remember it as it was on chapter 1 and he was still pretty clingy towards Mika? And also, the change/mix of clothes is not rare in OnS. It's not the most consistent story tbh.

With that said, their encounter itself is not a made up memory because we saw it from Saito's pov and from Mika's as well, so it did happen (unless Saito and Mika's memories were also tampered with), so what exactly got manipulated? Thus my previous two theories.

Also, I hope Mika explores Yuu's memories too! That would help a lot! I wonder what got manipulated. Although there's the theory that Ashera made that up, since lots of the stuff he said were meant to make Yuu give up anyway, and he didn't even realize Yuu was faking it the whole time.

#owari no seraph #yuichiro amane #yuichiro hyakuya #ashera tepes #mikaela hyakuya

[leviiackrman]

Comfort Tag Game;

@risingsh0t @statichvm + @simonxriley tagged me to do this cute tag game about personal comforts, thank you sm my lovelies!!!

Tagging: @arklay @queennymeria @florbelles @indorilnerevarine @missdictatorme @macvewileys @virassan @saintsilver @confidentandgood @d-vx @starsandskies @blackreaches @chuckhansen @duffmckagans @jennystahl @thomrainer @multiverse-of-themind @liurnia + @denerims

COMFORT MOVIE:

There’s quite a few: the SW franchise (1-6 + Rogue One and Obi Wan Kenobi, the other stuff doesn’t exist to me), the Lord of the Rings franchise, HTTYD franchise, Tangled, 10 Things I Hate About You, Scream, Singin’ in the Rain, Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, Kiki’s Delivery Service, the Captain America trilogy, Love Simon, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid trilogy + many many MANY more

COMFORT FOOD:

My homemade macaroni cheese recipe that is a fan favourite, my mums spaghetti bolognese recipe, my fajita pasta recipe, my mums home cooked roast, not really a food but a glass/bottle of milk, my mums sausage casserole recipe and again + more!

COMFORT SONG:

Take on the World by You Me At Six (also know as my all time fave song), More Than Words by Extreme (also know as my mum and dads first dance song), Bad Life by Sigrid and Bring Me the Horizon, If it Means a lot to You by A Day to Remember, Feelings by Lauv, Man! I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain, Obviously by McFly + Guren no Yumiya by Linked Horizon

COMFORT CLOTHING:

My attack on titan scout cape that is also a dressing gown and a hoodie and a blanket all in one, my deku + bakugo T-shirts, my Sam drake T-shirt, my Falmouth university hoodie or the oversized black cardigan my mum gave me that still smells like her with leggings/comfy pyjama trousers or shorts + ALWAYS funky socks!

COMFORT BOOK:

The Hobbit, the My Hero Academia: School Briefs series, Winnie the Witch books, first few Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, the Critical Role comics + any of my art of books!

COMFORT GAME:

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (or the entire series), the reboot Tomb Raider trilogy, The Sims 3/4 + Mario Kart Wii!

#tagged* #about me* #risingsh0t #statichvm #simonxriley #thank you for the tag!! #I can never pick just one answer for these

[preciousangelyu]

@faithfulservantoftheking

Goofy wait patiently for what his friend had to say and seem surprised by yuu words he shake his head over it being stupid "it not to me every memory you remember is important even if it wasn't an happy one just as long you treasure the memories of those you love that what matters"

-Yu seemed to think about that, a bit surprised. No one had put it like that to him before, after all Guren had said his past didn't matter anymore. It was the present, his new family, that did. And yet, he still kept ahold of little memories like that.

-Yu smiled a little, as he ate a bit more of his treat that was given to him. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to share just a little. It wasn't giving away anything really. It was just....

-Yu put the little spoon down, looking at Goofy. "Okay, you wanted to know why I don't normally share things like this right? It's because someone dear to me....did once without thinking, and I always used to joke with him say I ate his portion of food. The last time I saw him for the longest time, he shared his food."

-Yu looked down at his plate. "Maybe I was afraid that if I started doing stuff like that....bonding enough to do something so personal I would loose them, like I lost him. After all it was the nice thing he did really before everything fell apart."

#faithfulservantoftheking #answered #Yu finds it dumb to admit this #after all he is just talking about food

[ichika27]

OnS Chapter 121

It’s been a while. I can’t just put this off for long as it’d get busier with the holidays. Still don’t feel like watching any anime though. :P

Yuu decides they’re going to Mt. Fuji this time cause he wants to and also to hide in the forest. Guren told him the place isn’t good for spells and stuff so it’s probably a good spot to hide away in - at least, that’s what Yuu said at the start but they went and Yuu decided to climb the entire way anyways. It’s a nice memory to have since they’re at a life of death situation right now and there’s a big chance of the latter happening.

At first Mika didn’t agree but after Yuu tells him that it could be nice for their last memories in case of death, he gives in.

Mika did have fun on the way though. They made it to a shrine where Yuu starts praying and when Mika asked which God Yuu is praying to, Yuu said he didn’t know. Mika suggest praying to the ones who hate the 1st Progenitor lol.

*Yuu jumps on top of a Torii Gate and invites Mika to get up there with him*

Mika: This is sacrilegious and we might gets cursed.

Yuu: But we’re already cursed and we’re living in the apocalypse.

Mika: ...oh yeah.

Hahaha. Seriously though, they’re still having fun and are now looking at the view. They’re both happy they went and did this cause it’s been a while since they had fun. Yuu also decided they stay there until dawn so he could see his first sunrise.

Mika said he’d never forget this for the rest of his life and Yuu tells him that they’d win and live so long they’d forget this eventually. Yuu adds that they’d bring everyone back and have more fun afterwards to forget all the bad stuff.

Anyways, the progenitor team is in Shibuya with Ky Luc threatening the humans: they won’t kill the humans if the humans don’t resist.

Kureto!! Shinya!! It’s been a long time. The author hasn’t forgotten about you two! XD

They’re currently being held captive by the progenitors.

The vampires, or specifically the Hyakuya Sect, are planning to deal with Shika Madu, it seems. He’s still nailed to the floor and the researchers are told they’d be dealing with what’s basically a God - if they fuck up, they’re all dead.

For now it seems we’re done with the Yuu-Guren parallels because Yuu and Mika and on the other side, the progenitors are planning to do the same thing at the same time: look through the past to find answers.

---

I don’t know how to feel about things Yuu are doing right now. They’re both simultaneously heartwarming and hopeful but also sad cause it’s like he’s just crossing out stuff from a bucketlist. “We’re gonna do more fun stuff when we win BUT if we die at least we already had some fun!”

Mika is just going along with it cause it felt sentimental and he’s kinda pessimistic recently cause who wouldn’t after everything that went down but also hanging on to whatever hope Yuu still has. That’s all they got now. And it’s how Mika’s always been, right? Mika thinking maybe things would get worse but Yuu tells him it’s not and those words is what Mika would hang onto to not just break down.

I love how Mika’s thought of which God to pray to is just “whoever is against the First” lol. Their moment on the Torii Gate was sweet and funny. Yuu just accepting their life is already bad so what’s one more curse and the whole sunrise thing. Also bittersweet how Yuu said that they’d win and live long enough to forget all of the bad stuff that happened to them when you realize the bad stuff is the equivalent of almost 16 years of their lives and that’s their entire lives until now.

Oh!! We see now what the progenitors are doing. And before that, Shinya and Kureto finally make an appearance after all this time! And they’re conscious! I wonder if they’d get more screentime now or if this is just the author thinking that he should at least show that those two are still alive or something lol.

Rigr created the Hyakuya Sect to fight against the 1st Progenitor and it seems it’s going to finally be used directly for that.

Rigr (vampire sired by Shika Madu) is going to look through Shika Madu’s memories to find his weakness. Mika (Shika Madu’s son) is going to go through Yuu’s (Shika Madu’s creation) memories to figure out what to do next. The weird parallel things are back but this time for Yuu and Rigr (sort of) instead of with Guren. Is the story going to focus on them now or are we gonna be back to seeing what Guren’s group is doing?

Speaking of parallels, Yuu+ Mika and the Progenitors are basically doing the same thing at the same time: looking through the past. As we saw from Yuu and Mika doing so while Mika was in his uncontracted demon form, there’s at least some interactivity in it for those doing the viewing which makes me wonder if they’d ever meet while they’re there. Like would they cross paths and realize their plans are almost the same. Maybe this is how their paths would cross and converge? Like if Yuu and Mika can’t join up with Guren and co., they could join with Rigr and the others. Their goals are finding a 3rd option after all.

Imagine: Guren + Shinoa Squad + Progenitors (Ferid, Crowley, and Krul) vs Yuu and Mika + Progenitors (Rigr, Urd, Ky, and Lest). And while they’re technically gonna be rivals, they all hate the 1st!

That said, the Hyakuya Sect (made up of mostly human members) is on Rigr’s side and I guess the JIDA(human soldiers) is on Guren’s side (Maybe? Like I don’t think people know or care about what went down at Nagoya with the Seraph killing the humans and how that was planned).

On the other hand, with Rigr and co. being against the 1st Progenitor, what is their standing on the other vampires who weren’t there when the talk happened several chapters ago? Would they join Rigr’s cause? Cause compared to Guren who has a basement full of people ready to be revived, I don’t know if Rigr has anything he could give the other vampires to be on his side (like he could offer their deaths but Shika Madu’s offer would have that, too).

Hmm... still a mess but that’s what’s making this exciting, right?

I’m excited for the next chapter!

Advance Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #sana_post

[naoreco]

(ONS CHAPTER 114 SPOILERS)

oh my god i was SO tired of all this “we’re family so we’ll support each other no matter what” stuff dare i say i’m incredibly excited to see these guys hopefully actually fight for their first choice families?

like:

yuu is fighting for mika who has also been skeptical of guren all this time and it is only when guren drops this bombshell and mika says that it’s okay to leave him like this to bring akane and the others back that yuu seems to decide on the opposite! happy birthday mika

and he’s not the only one being selfish with this which i think is the BEST part of it all. you know kimizuki would blow everyone in this world up to bring mirai back because she has always been his first priority and he ALSO watched her die after she got made into a test subject in his absence

and yoichi has been perfectly willing to go off course with kimizuki before! like in ch84 where they were prepared to ditch and leave tokyo cause kimizuki didnt trust anyone! cause he lost his sister too and wanted to also get revenge for her death from the start (even if his heart wasnt rly in it at first). like he threatened guren’s life over this twice now 

mitsuba got a vested interest in this two seconds ago congrats for being relevant again! would love if this led to something. (but either way my girl is still a team player so i feel like she’d be the most normal about it and maybe we do need this right now too idk. i miss her)

and while idk where her family quite comes into this: shinoa has already had those parallels with yuu set up where she had actual emotional outbursts after keeping those walls up around her for so long to keep sika madu at bay so without that to worry about (even tho she has no weapon) i’m really excited to see what she’ll do too!!

#owari no seraph #ons chapter 114 spoilers #(irt yoichi and guren; i know he wouldnt have the heart to go batshit on yuu bc he idolizes him so much) #(but wouldnt it be nuts if kagami revisited that. bats my eyes cutely) #'He keeps trying his very hardest to get his family back and to protect his friends. That's amazing!' #- guy pushed to fight yuu for putting his number 1 family first #and i say pushed because guren is NUTS for just making yuu decide on the spot in front of all the coffins whats wrong with him #(said affectionately) #anyways this is my personal vested interest and that is why it's in the tags

[lovely-english-rose]

GUREN AND THE CURRENT ARC OF ONS 🔥🔥

OMGGGGGGG......... i never really cared for him tbh, or got the hype around him. he's a jerk and not even like, a good one 😩 and he treats the main cast as just tools for his goals, i hate that. especially with the latest chapters of how he wouldn't even give yuu 5 minutes to think about a choice, expecting him to make a snap decision and if he chose wrong expected yuu's friends to kill him on the spot- like sir, YOU caused all this to happen out of your own selfishness because you couldn't accept that your friends died, how dare you get mad at yuu for wanting to prioritize his most important person who was still there!!

i've said it before and i'll say it again, i do not care if yuu is being selfish, they all are! the rest all had time, like 8 years in fact, to go through the stages of grief. imo it is ridiculous to have them want to bring the dead back (also for mistu, weird that suddenly her parents are being brought up?? and not like, her dead bf). seriously, would their dead loved ones want to come back to find 1- that they missed several years and some people are now much older? 2- they are living in a post apocalyptic world where survival is incredibly difficult? 3- many of them died in extremely traumatic ways and would then have to live with that trauma. idk about you or anyone else, but no matter how much i missed someone who passed, i would never want to put them through any of that. and i sincerely hope some of shinoa squad sides with yuu, heck make it parallel to when mika fought the whole army to get to yuu and they protected the boys. sure mika may be undead, but he was never truly gone. he was still around for everything that went on, and has been reunited with yuu for quite some time now at this point. plus, they were both manipulated so much to make plot things happen a certain way, they deserve to get a happy ending, they deserve to catch a break here.

with the current arc, i am loving seeing all the puzzle pieces falling into place! esp with the ancient greece stuff! i feel like that sickos meme like yes.... hahaha YES. and i've seen people theorizing yuu may be coming to a corruption arc which 👀 this has been a long time coming. honestly yuu? get his ass, stand up to guren fr. i love seeing things coming back to bite him in the ass gjhdsgdsf also! very nice to see mika finally being prioritized by yuu, and not trying to lump him in with his other friends or talked down on 🥺 and since mika already confessed to yuu, i hope they dont back down from all this set up, go all the way and make them canon 👀

Send Me a 🔥+ a Topic, and I’ll Tell You My Honest Opinion About It

#thanks for the ask! c: #whoof i have SO MANY thoughts about this manga jgfdsjgfds

[mxhirus]

Hi! Do you have any HCs about Mahiru and Aoi's relationship? I love them but the HCs doesn't have to be romantic ofc!

SCREAMING I SEE YOU EVERYWEHREEEE ofc i hav hcs about that btw ily youre so awesome (i am a personal kureaoi shipper but ofc ill include some aoimahi stuff)

when Aoi first joined the Hiiragi House (to serve them), Mahiru found her personality interesting and decided to go annoy her since they were the two "women" of the Hiiragi house as she words it

she noticed Aoi's crush on Kureto and teased her pretty often about it when they were alone.

"Tending to nii-chan's wounds? you must love him very much." "Knock it off, Hiiragi-sama." "Mahiru." "Mahiru..."

Mahiru and Aoi aren't extremely extremely close, but are still friends regardless (She's not that fond of Mahiru since she goes against Kureto and all, and anyone who is against Kureto, she hates/dislikes)

For Kureto's 21st birthday, Mahiru kidnapped Aoi and shoved her into a present box and delivered it to the Hiiragi house with a note

He thought Guren sent it, and was pissed as hell

As a kid, Mahiru had a slight crush on Aoi because of her similar mannerisms to Guren (i.e., being apathetic, overall neutral, easy to embarrass)

So, Mahiru competed against Kureto to see if he felt the way Aoi did for him

Turns out she's right because he had a full on mid life crisis at the ripe age of 6

Mahiru once tricked Aoi into spiking Kureto's food with drugs for the funnies

Aoi got pretty mad over this, and ranted to Shinya (who I HC she is closer to, despite canon interactions)

After Mahiru's betrayal of the Hiiragi household, Aoi drifted away from Mahiru, now understanding she was the enemy

She was sad about Mahiru's "death" (or well, turning into a demon) but wasn't exactly showing it

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #hiiragi mahiru #mahiru hiragi #aoi sangu #sanguu aoi #kureto hiiragi #hiiragi kureto #aoimahi #mahiru x aoi #aoi x mahiru

[lendmeyourpower]

Hi there! Your blog is absolutely amazing and I'm a huge fan of reading your threads with other people as your writing is fucking incredible okay -anon

-((Okay whoever you are, you are too much. I am still surprised that people like my Guren where there are that I can think of two others people can check out.

-As for writing, I do my best tbh. I know I keep saying that I have been off and getting back into the swing of things, but that is not entirely true. I have been hiding on discord until I came back, I just wasn't doing Guren, or Yu.

-But again, let me love you. Stuff like this makes my day. It shows that not only myself, but the people I interact with make people happy that read the threads. So yes, hugs for everyone!!!!))

#ooc #anonymous #answered #anon #I am saving this