ohmyarceus | tl;dr relationship meme!

Just Sion here!

So. Now that we're six-months post canon update and all the upheaval that brought, Sion on Ryner?

Well aside from the obvious bffs/would do anything for him/most important person in the world/etc, Sion's... really kind of enjoying his time with Ryner. He suspects it won't last, but right now he'll take what he can get. And really, they get along well. Much as it might seem otherwise at times with the snarking and teasing and so on. As you know, Sion's not nearly as well-adjusted emotionally as he fakes being, and that kind of childish behavior is how he relates to someone, and the fact that Ryner tolerates it (and does it back, because let's face it he has similar issues) makes it that much easier for Sion to relate to and connect with him. Sion can be HIMSELF around Ryner and Ryner accepts it, and that means a lot more than probably either of them realizes.

And of course, there's also everything Ryner's done for Sion. What with the knocking some sense into him when Sion thought he was beyond forgiveness, and letting Sion talk out his thoughts about Johto versus Roland and the choice he feels he might someday have to make ~~even if we haven't threaded all that out yet shh~~. Ryner's been there for him in a way that no one else has and Sion's come to rely on him a lot. And trust him enough to start to truly open up to him on matters that are important to him.

Granted, it's not perfect, and there's still things Sion keeps to himself because he feels guilty about burdening Ryner with what he sees as more petty or unimportant matters, but there's definitely been progress, and Sion can't really imagine being without Ryner again. Which.... may or may not be entirely emotionally healthy but one step at a time okay.

Reverse?

Also aside from the obvious bffs, Sion is one of Ryner's most important people, etc...

Ultimately, the best way to put it is, Ryner has no idea what the hell is going on or what he's doing, but he's trying and hoping he doesn't screw up too much, anyway.

Sion is his best friend. Sion is the one who gave his life meaning when he thought there was none to be had. Sion knew about his eyes and never treated him as a monster because of them. Yeah he drives Ryner up the wall pretty much daily, but that's fine (and Ryner does it back in return). He wouldn't trade him for the world, and he's really happy to be able to live with him.

(Now if only Ferris would come back, but that's neither here nor there.)

Ever since the canon update happened, Ryner's been made painfully aware that yeah, Johto is probably temporary. One of these days, the whims of whatever brought everyone here will send them home, and then it'll be back to the war. Back to being separated by countries and an army that wants Ryner dead because vague hand gestures stuff happened the war. Back to the mess, and hoo boy is it a mess, and I could probably write a different essay on Route!Ryner's opinions of said mess, but that's a tangent...

And even if the whims don't happen and they're given an actual choice... staying here isn't as clear-cut a choice as one might think. Because he cares about Sion's happiness more than his own, and Sion would never be happy if he could never go back to Roland, and what good is Johto if Sion isn't happy here, but also what good is Johto if he stays alone, but also also he can't just leave Rose and the rest... (Oh look, another potential essay.)

The other thing that happened with the canon update is that Ryner has been made painfully, painfully aware that Sion's been hiding a lot of pain from him. A lot of pain, a lot of guilt, a lot of dreadful responsibility, a lot of mess... And while he's not mad at him for that rainy night (honestly, he's always expected something like that to happen, though not quite like that...), he's mad at himself for not noticing that something was wrong sooner. For not listening to Germer and Zohra when they warned him that Roland wasn't as good as it looked on the surface, and for not seeing that Sion was in so much pain and had so much going on.

He's trying to make up for it. He doesn't know how, because every time he tries to figure something out about the mess 500 more questions pop up, but he's trying. He's trying to not be as much of a lazy bum anymore. Most of his complaints these days are to keep up a sense of normalcy - he'd claim it's for the Pokemon if asked, but it's really for the two of them, because if that part of their relationship doesn't change, then maybe the bigger changes can be eased into slowly.

And really, he's trying to be there for Sion. ...Even if not physically for the last couple months. He's not pushing, but he's trying to make it as easy as possible for Sion to tell him things if he wants to. He doesn't want to lose Sion again, and he wants to do things right this time.

He knows he's probably screwing it up big time, but. He's trying.

(...and this is probably incoherent but.)

Just Manaka here!

Walter Sullivan only! ~~At the moment...~~

Hello hello, fellow blonde demi-god who is learning about emotions!

WALTER.

Walter has been a really interesting experience for Manaka! So much of her life has been influenced by her sense of isolation from others, and Walter is the first person she's met whose own experiences both mirror and contrast with hers the way they do. Even without knowing...all of the details, she's fascinated by him—and, more notably, regards him with genuine feelings of friendly affection.

That being said, Manaka struggles with empathy. She realizes some of his experiences are things he doesn't want to share, but she wants to know everything. She still thinks that if she gets close enough to him, he'll open up to her... As a result, even if the way she behaves toward him is entirely genuine, there's still an element of her trying to worm her way into his good graces. She doesn't really know how friendship works, so she thinks of it a bit like a game with a score she needs to keep track of, haha.

Also, she really does want to share her own experiences with him! Not as a bargaining chip, but because she's never...had someone she could do that with before? There are things she thinks he could understand that no one else can. Add that to her wanting to know how deep their similarities go, and... Yeah.

On a lighter note... Despite the way she pries at him, she actually finds his reticent nature charming. I think I've described the impression he gives her as "ephemeral" before. She thinks it suits him — even here, he seems like a ghost. :)

:3c

Your turn! Spill the beans.

who's this loser?? just anders

Hey Anders ~~Enjoy this kitty face E:3~~

ANDERS

Utterly confuses Walter. He's not all that familiar with people being sassy without it being used as a means to insult him, so he doesn't know how to respond to it. He simply hasn't meant anyone like Anders who's even tried to get to know him, so his mannerisms, the names he gives to his pokemon - it's all extremely alien to him. This isn't adding in that he still doesn't know what to make of people reaching out to talk to him!

With their last convo, he's most likely going to pick up that Anders has a past. The problem is, even if they have a shared experience of being imprisoned/tormented, he doesn't know how to talk about it. He knows how to relate however and will sympathise, even if he doesn't know what to say or how to reach out. The best example I can give is his conversation with Tim, after he saw Tim's scar from Jack. He simply doesn't realise how horrifying these things are but he recognises how much it hurts from his own background.

Plus there's the contrast of Anders having an idea of what 'fun' is. Walter doesn't. In that sense they're as opposite as cheese and chalk!

TL;DR - Why do you talk to me, you're kinda weird but that's okay...?

Hey. Hey Manaka.

S'up.

HELLO WALTER

anders can tell you're very confused. on a number of levels. he just chooses to ignore it.

walter definitely strikes him as sheltered; how exactly, he doesn't quite know, but he absolutely recognizes it, having been "raised" very secluded and and grown up with people who never had the desire or opportunity to broaden their horizons like he did.

it's actually pretty sad to see someone who's [presumably] from a more technologically advanced time but is still more caged, at least psychologically? anders likes shooting the shit with walter just to give him someone to talk to. he'll never have the opportunity to grow if no one gives it to him!

and if he's honest, he loves seeing walter's reactions to his antics. he's laughing with you, not at you, walter, he swears.

and even if walter seems detached, anders has noted the way he talks to and treats his pokemon. he can tell there's something of a kind soul in there, even if it's difficult to bring out. he relates to that, too. maybe he can have a hand in bringing that inner goodness to light. he definitely appreciated the people who helped him find his.

tl;dr: he wants to see walter open up and appreciate the world a little more.

MANAKA

Oh boy, Manaka's...a complicated thing. Much like Wrath, he would've avoided them at all costs but they followed him persistantly, to the point where he's not adverse to their company, despite the guilt he feels from having killed two young children in his world. He knows that he shouldn't be left with any young person in a way, which kind of unsettles him that these teens/pre-teens seem to insist on following him. Maybe it's some kind of punishment for what he did...?

Regardless, Manaka in turn intrigues him and raises his suspicions. She's not the first person to try and pry him for information about the Order and he doesn't understand people well enough to be able to tell if her interest is about wanting to know him or wanting to know about the Order itself, with him simply being a means to that information. It makes him somewhat wary of her, along with his own issues with the fairer sex. He's not really aware of just how similar they are yet; he knows they were both dead, both bear the symbols of angels, but he knows her faith is very different ot his so it's likely her 'rituals' and such are not linked to his at all.

But he doesn't know why she hangs around him or gifted him Psyche if it was just about the Order. And it's not all they talk about either. He's...somewhat used to her being around now and would be a little lost if she suddenly vanished, but at the same time he'd try and convince himself she was no different to anyone else he's known and keep the sting he'd feel buried with the rest of his rages and griefs.

TL;DR: He kind of sees some links between them, but is still too nervous and unsure to really...commit? Solidify? - their friendship.

sup sup

More seriously... Manaka is attached to Jack, but let's be honest. A lot of that attachment comes from the fact that she knows she can manipulate him. If they're close and Jack succeeds at the whole "take over Team Rocket" thing, that benefits her. And if they're close and Manaka decides she has a goal of her own, so long as that goal doesn't conflict with Jack's... Well, that benefits her, too. Obviously, she can squeeze things she wants out of him, seeing as he's literally going to buy her a pony.

That being said, for as self-serving as that sentiment is, there is a lot of loyalty bound up in it, too. For better or for worse, she has cast her lot in with him. It'd take something huge to change that. It helps that he's given her more purpose than she otherwise would have had, too—she has Team Rocket and all the cute little monsters running around, of course, but without something more concrete to focus on, she would have just drifted around aimlessly.

Plus, like I mentioned in my tl;dr about Walter, she's never had anyone she could talk to about a lot of her experiences; Jack has said he'll listen to anything she has to say, and even if the connection is a little more distant, she does relate to his feelings of being set apart for whatever reason. She really does believe he's one of the few people born with the capability to be "special."

ALSO, I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE ON PLURK, BUT... She is honestly so bad for him, because ultimately all she'll do is enable him?? Like, if he wants to do something stupid, she'll fuss at him over it... But it's all performative in the end, because when push comes to shove, she'll just let him do whatever he wants and then pick up after him. Manaka really doesn't understand how to do relationships of any kind, so she just performs them by rote.

Walter... How cute :3c

If he ever does soften up toward her... She'll be so pleased, cries.

Awww... with a bit more time and when he finally goes traveling Anders will get to see all that AND MORE.

~~Such as 'I've never seen nor really heard much about a 'beach', what do you do there'~~

They haven't talked much but any impressions?

my God just...I love that their friendship isn't just snap boom BFFS. There's shades to who they are on both sides that prevent that but there's still something genuine in their companionship that isn't inherently unhealthy. Like they're definitely learning from each other and I'm so looking forward to their CR developing /lies on the floor

I MEAN... Manaka has decided that they are Friends, but that's not really the same thing, is it.

IT'S TRUE THOUGH with their histories, they both have a lot of stumbling around and feeling things out to do before they get the hang of the whole friendship thing. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it works out for them, ahhh.

It will either be super heartwarming and lovely or it'll fall apart. EITHER WAY I'm so in for this ride.

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, WALTER, anders has been lusting after beaches for many years but never actually visited one for funsies even tho he wants to. they can discover sand castles together

tl;dr relationship meme!

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