#kohaku answers

[kohakuhime]

I was reading your fics about the bikers and had a question. Do you really think Rafael was abused by his relatives?

(I'm going to assume the relatives Raphael ends up with after coming back from the island, because Raphael speaks of his immediate family with nothing but love, care, and respect most of the time. If this isn't the case, let me know.)

Honestly? I wouldn't say it's to the degree of The Bad YGO Dads (looking at the Kaiba/Wheeler/Ishtar patriarchs), but I also don't think for one second that Raphael had a healthy dynamic with his living relatives. Canonically, Raphael even says as much in the subbed episode 156 (the basis for most of this post):

"My relatives stole my father's inheritance and used me for publicity stunts." There's a good deal of disgust conveyed in that one sentence.

"Publicity stunts" could mean anything, but we also know the media doesn't have any sense of boundaries; even back then, if this is set in the eighties and nineties, there's not a lot of boundaries that are enforced. Forced interviews and photoshoots could very well be something Raphael had to deal with, given that he's still a child when he comes back from the island. He's got no real say if his guardians decide he needs to do interviews or make public appearances.

Look at the magazine compared to the actual island Raphael ended up on. That is not the same island. The magazine shows sandy hills. Raphael's island is a mix of rock and sand. That tells me there's a very strong chance Raphael's relatives/the public media did a photoshoot with Raphael in the clothing he's wearing on the island when he got back.

It's not just this one magazine.

There's multiple magazines with multiple interviews, and not one has a picture he's smiling in (although honestly? Who would, given the circumstances?). And it's interesting that "only despair awaited me" is what he says about this, and that the subtitle is placed over these magazines. It pans to the cemetery in the next shot, true, but there's something to be said that this line and this imagery are linked.

Now, let's look at Raphael himself.

(On a completely unrelated note, I find it hilarious that Raphael asks the Pharaoh, "Have you ever lived alone for three years, not talking or dealing with anyone?", knowing full well that the spirit of the Puzzle has been in said Puzzle for three thousand years).

Raphael canonically states that as a child on the island he doesn't talk to anyone, or socialize, unless it's with his cards; he almost goes insane from being so alone, and the only thing that helps him is the cards.

That alone confirms that a younger Raphael is going to require speech therapy, along with grief counseling and therapy to help process the trauma he's lived through. He was a child stranded on an island as the only survivor. He's returning to a world that's moved on without him, to a place he's not been in for three years, having to face something he's not had time or proper preparation to deal with. He's going to need time to process what happened to him, time to heal, therapy to help him adjust and cope. His relatives are now his legal guardians and have a responsibility to protect him.

And they do none of that. Instead, they immediately throw him into the spotlight. Remember that first magazine?

Who do you think agreed to that photo being taken? I can guarantee Raphael certainly didn't.

This next part is conjecture, granted, so take it with a pinch of salt because Raphael never talks about anything that happened to him aside from what's stated in canon. But this is where I get angry on his behalf because I can't help but think about the what-ifs.

Think of the questions that come up in interviews. We know there's talk show hosts who have zero self control or empathy and can ask or put their guests through some truly cruel things (deliberately not naming anyone). Imagine a shell-shocked teenager who's only barely used to speaking to people (and possibly has forgotten how to talk) having to answer those questions. Questions or situations in which he's forced to relive the trauma, where he has to answer questions he genuinely can't and yet is expected to. Having to meet with families who are hoping for closure about their lost loved ones, and yet he can't because he doesn't know. How is he supposed to answer those? How can he tell these families he has nothing to say? That's a hopeless situation that a child has been forced into.

Now, as Raphael gets older, that's going to change because of course he's going to get the help he needs. Sooner or later someone is going to raise the question about his welfare to his relatives, so they have to accommodate for that. They can't physically hurt him as a result. But...

"Raphael, it's just one interview. We feed you and put a roof over your head. After all we've done for you, surely you can do that?"

"We took you in, son. You have to pay us back somehow, right? Well, just appear this time on television and we'll call it even."

"If you don't do this photoshoot, we're kicking you out."

"If you don't like it, then leave. But where are you going to go? Who's going to take you in? We're your only family left."

A family's love, blood or chosen, is supposed to be unconditional. His relatives could have easily turned it conditional. It's no wonder Raphael clings as tightly as he does to his Guardians, and to Alister and Valon to a certain degree - they're people and beings who've shown him that unconditional care that he lost.

Raphael says that he's in despair over the world he's come back to. If this is what waited for him when he got back? I can't blame him for wanting to go back to the island.

TLDR: Raphael never confirms he's been emotionally abused, gaslit, or otherwise harmed by his relatives - but he sure as hell doesn't deny it, either.

#kohaku answers #ygo #raphael #rafael #long post #sorry this got longer than i thought it would #ygo s4 #ygo dm s4 #waking the dragons

[just-fortuit-things]

8

otp question meme

(anon I have no idea how long this has sat in the inbox because it never notified me, and I am so so sorry)

8. Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

Their go-to for each other is sweetheart. Ellie started using it first, but Raphael’s the one who uses it the most. It’s generic, true, but there’s something genuinely warm and soft in the way Raphael says it that no one else can duplicate, and no one can mistake it being meant for anyone other than Ellie.

bonus points if Raphael says it in French, because it’s guaranteed to fluster the heck out of Ellie xD

#kohaku answers #anon friend #aaaaaa i am so sorry again friend

[inkstaindusk]

*knock knock* es laying on the floor

Kohaku nearly trips when he enters the practice room and stumbles over Rinne’s prone body on the floor. He stares down at him for a second, stunned, before looking back up. Himeru is here, casual as can be, but Niki is nowhere to be seen. He looks back down at Rinne, who didn’t even twitch at his arrival, though he seems to be awake, if breathing shallowly.

“Rinne-han?” Kohaku says, lightly nudging him with his toe. No response. He glances at Himeru. “What’s up with him?”

Himeru looks up from his phone with an amused smile. “Shiina kissed him,” he says airily. “Then Amagi broke. He’s been like this for the past ten minutes.”

“Seriously?” That’s pathetic. “Where’s Niki-han then?”

“He went to get food, since our practice has been delayed. He said he’ll get up soon though.”

Kohaku nudges Rinne with his toes again, a bit rougher. “Hey, get up. We can’t practice without our center, idiot.” Rinne still doesn’t move. “Are you kidding me? It was just a kiss.” Rinne mumbles something into the floor. “What?”

He lifts his head, squinting up at him, and repeats weakly, “Kissing should be reserved for marriage.”

Kohaku stares at him. In the corner of his eye, he sees Himeru’s shoulders start shaking. “You’re kidding me.” Rinne plops his head back down with a groan. “Oh my god.”

Rinne and Niki are together. Everyone knows they are together. They share an apartment that they use more than the dorms, Rinne declares his love for Niki on a daily basis, and the only reason they’re not actually married is because, as Niki always says, it’s currently illegal for two men to get married in Japan.

“Have you never kissed Niki-han before?” Kohaku asks, genuinely confused.

The door opens and Niki walks in, arms full of bags. “He has,” Niki speaks through the bread in his mouth. He sets down the bags and takes out the bread. “He gets like this every time,” he explains with a put-upon sigh, then kneels down to poke at Rinne's shoulder. “Oiii, Rinne. If we’re not going to practice anymore, I’m just gonna head back alone.”

Kohaku hates them, but especially Rinne. He really does. “Not even Hiiro was like this the first time Aira kissed him,” he mutters as he drags his feet closer to where Himeru is.

Rinne jerks his head up. “Aira-chan did what?”

Ah, shit.

#rinne probably: you gotta give me some WARNING (<- guy who's been dating niki for a few years now) #enstars #ensemble stars #amagi rinne #shiina niki #oukawa kohaku #himeru #crazy:b #rinniki #anya tries to write #drabbles #enstars lb #asks #anon asks #prompt answers

[neolxzr]

enstars ships to draw you say.....

slides kohiiai across the table

GET SCENE'D

#cryn answers #orioncore #internetslice #ensemble stars #enstars #kohiiai #hiiro amagi #aira shiratori #kohaku oukawa #hiiai #kohaai #hiikoha #quin sketches #orion tag #toast tag #HI MY FRINEDS #ignore that i asked for requests like weeks ago #i hope you enjoy them <3 #i was tempted to do two kohiiai pieces one for each rq cuz i have another idea for them but i kinda want to make that one a full nicer piec #so i will save that for later #anyways. that is all love u bye awaw

[neptunesailing]

pspsps could u maybe draw tetokoha watching sentais together maaaybe..

!! tetora is entirely focused on the screen

#nep draws things #enstars #ensemble stars #tetora nagumo #kohaku oukawa #nep does requests #nep answers #inbox: anon #hope i did them justice!!! :] #its gonna be a bit slow for the rest of the reqs! school is already kicking my ass ITS ONLY MONDAY. AGH

[raelyn-dreams]

So I was looking through Rei's appellations and:

This is so fucking sad???

SHU CALLED HIM HIS FRIEND. HE'S STILL ONE OF NATSUME'S BELOVED NII-SAN'S. THEY LOVED HIM SO MUCH, THEY STILL LOVE HIM UNCONDITIONALLY.

Even when Kanata would've drowned himself if not for Chiaki grabbing him, even when Shu was being barely kept alive by a desperate Mika, even when Wataru smiled and tried to reassure them as he calmly walked to his execution, even when Natsume could only cry from the shadows - none of them ever resented him for it.

But Rei resents himself, because he couldn't save them, or Ritsu, or Koga, or anyone he cared about.

And that is why he can't let them be that close - it'll only hurt them more when he lets them down again.

#rei does everything now under the guise of being this wise serene grandfather who knows all the answers #a child who did everything to find his brother a cure only for ritsu to resent him for leaving him scared and vulnerable #a child who tried so hard to lead them and could only react in horror when shu and kanata were executed #a child who so desperately tried to shield natsume from the worst and later realized how much more he hurt watching his nii-san's suffer #a child who watched wataru accept that they couldn't be saved and watched as the least gleam of hope fell in front of his eyes #But he was a child. He was 17 years old. #shu and wataru and kanata were too #they were the age of tori tetora midori shinobu hiiro hinata yuta tomoya hajime mitsuru tsukasa and sora and they were being executed #natsume was aira and kohaku's age. and instead of squealing over idols and engaging in harmless mischief he was fighting to survive #fucking hell they make me so emotional #ensemble stars #enstars #five eccentrics #five oddballs #enstars relationships #enstars appellations #rei sakuma #kanata shinkai #wataru hibiki #natsume sakasaki #shu itsuki

[hooid]

Kohaku just told me he wanted to be in your inbox so here he is!!!

AWWWWWW KOHAKU YOU'RE THE BEST I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

#hoid answers #kohaku the best #blaire you're the best 💙

[beastofmoss]

🤝

🤝

#hes my son #qinn answers #kohaku oukawa

[silvercrane14]

and why are you awake. holds your fave in my hands

Sweating emoji. If it makes you feel better iw was avkut to go ti sleep?

#i had rehearsal and got home a t. 11:40ish #n then i had to shower #n then i had to. do ns t ars ... <ashamed look away #crane answers #spicy 🌶 #i want kohaku im sorru :(

[dazzelmethat]

Some inuyasha doodles that i decided to mess around with screentones on. I like to expand on Rin’s mistrust of humans in headcannons. How she can black and white simplify ‘yokai are cruel out of necessity and humans are cruel out of desire,’ and if other characters actually correct her on that.

#inuyasha #sesshomaru #jaken #sess and jaken would not correct her and kohaku would be having his own moral problems to fret about and would avoid answering #i very much believe in a 'kagome won't let me kill the daimyo' sort of rin.. #i think sweetness as a trauma response instead of sweetness as pure kindness is interesting in her #when she was a mute orphan she def would not even approach a dying human #my art #not that i think she'd be the best fighter.. but she would be reckless ... #drawing jaken is fun hehehe #now that the storm has mostly subsided i will return to drawing the occasional inu fanart

[kohakuhime]

I don’t know who else to come to with this, I’m sorry. But how do you think Alister adapted to suddenly having Middle Kid Syndrome? He’s definitely older than Valon, but younger than Raphael.

No worries!!

I don’t think he’s got Middle Child Syndrome, per se; Alister’s the eldest child of his own family, and he’s been independent for so long that he’s more than earned the respect of those older than him. He’s even-tempered, but he and Valon both equally initiate fights where Raphael has to step in. Alister also is one that *doesn’t* want attention, so he’s fine with being overlooked in that particular hierarchy. That isn’t to say he doesn’t demand respect where it’s due, but it’s not like he’s going to seek the spotlight either.

I will say, though, that it’s definitely a challenge for Alister to adapt to having someone older watching out for him. Looking out for someone younger than him comes out of instinct; having someone do the same for him is foreign, and the last time he had that kind of support was when he was a young child. Honestly, at first he probably listens to Raphael only because Dartz Said So. Hell, he’s probably annoyed that someone is able to boss him around.

As time passes, that definitely shifts. Based on what I see in canon, Raphael’s able to get his younger friends to listen and stay in line (to an extent, as we do see moments his friends act on their own/outright ignore him), and that means he found a way to balance where he’s not ordering Alister as much as collaborating with him. Also based on canon? Alister probably gave Raphael and Valon six kinds of hell while they were trying to figure out said balancing act.

Hopefully this answers the question. If not, definitely let me know! ✨

#kohaku answers #anon friend #raphael #alister #valon

[apollotronica]

I just thought to myself why I like kyouka and I may have just realised these two are way too similar

THIS IS SO REALWHAT THE

#☆ apollo answers #hi cookie #bsd #enstars #kohaku oukawa #kyouka izumi

[inkstaindusk]

96. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be in the corner, having another existential crisis.”

aira because you love to put the little guy in situations

96. “Don’t mind me, I’ll just be in the corner, having another existential crisis.” I DO love putting Aira into situations, thank you. Not sure if this is the best Situation I could have put him in but it’s the one I thought of first. Don't ask what this is idek send me prompts!

The guy isn’t dead, or even unconscious. Hiiro thought it would have been too kind to let the man simply pass out after trying to threaten Aira and Kohaku seemed to agree, so they didn’t go that far. He’s just immobile on the floor. For now. They have yet to decide what to do with him. Hiiro has listened to Aira talk about this sort of thing enough to know that they have to hide the evidence.

The thought of Aira gives him pause in the middle of his discussion with Kohaku. He turns around and frowns in concern as he picks up on Aira’s lack of breathing. “Aira? Are you okay?”

He’s pretty sure the man didn’t get anywhere close enough to touching him, but he could have been wrong. The only reason the man got so close in the first place was because he and Kohaku had left for a minute, a minute which was clearly too long, so maybe—

Aira makes a high-pitched noise and shakes his head emphatically. “No, I’m fine. Don’t mind me, I’ll just be in the corner, having another existential crisis.”

Hiiro blinks. Glances at Kohaku, whose expression goes from confused to horrified.

“Uh, Love-han—” he starts, only to be cut off.

“It’s fine,” Aira says quickly. Hiiro notes, with some uncomfortable dread, that he’s avoiding looking directly at them—their feet, specifically. “I mean, this is better than getting like, mugged or anything, right? Haha…”

Hiiro is aware that city life isn’t like how he’s raised. Some people can keep up with him—Kohaku, for starters, and he’s thankful for that in times like this; someday, he’d like to spar with him—but it’s not a necessity for most. Aira especially doesn’t care for it, which is why Hiiro tries to protect him. But he knows it can be off-putting.

“I’m sorry!” he apologizes, feeling a bit panicked. “Did—did we scare you? We just wanted to protect you, but—”

“It’s not you!” Aira snaps. “I was almost attacked and then you guys got angry and I’ve never seen you two angry before.” Of course not. Hiiro has never been angry at Aira, and he would never want to be angry in front of him. Kohaku is the same. “I’m just… in shock. A-and confused, I guess. I don’t know what’s—what you’re doing, or what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Kohaku shifts a little. In his new position, he’s shielded Aira’s sight from the man behind them. “You’re not supposed to do anything,” he says gently.

“Can we just go home?” Aira asks, still not looking directly at them. He wraps his arms around himself. “To the dorms, I mean. I-I’m cold. And I wanna lay down.”

Hiiro exchanges a glance with Kohaku. He doesn’t want to just leave this guy here, but Aira is more important.

“Okay,” Hiiro agrees. He moves forward to stand at his side. Aira doesn’t flinch away, so he smiles. “Let’s go home.”

Kohaku joins them after a second and Aira, thankfully, relaxes, accepting both of their hands in his.

Well, Hiiro thinks, if he asks, his brother will probably be able to take care of this, so it should be fine. He prefers focusing his energy on Aira anyway.

#line from the aira pov of this that i scrapped: #'They can be scary sometimes but if there's one thing he's certain of #it's that they would never aim those capabilities at him.' #enstars #kohiiai #sort of ish #aira shiratori #hiiro amagi #kohaku oukawa #ensemble stars #enstars lb #amagi hiiro #shiratori aira #oukawa kohaku #anya tries to write #drabbles #asks #anon asks #prompt answers

[eccentricmoonlight]

God you're a delight to speak to I think if I ever spoke for more than 2 minutes about my opinions I'd become insufferable though. Anyways please listen to bye-bye buddy

Aw ur a delight to talk to as well!! I get that so much I have to carve out spaces for me to talk to myself even beyond my blog where a lot of my thoughts end up because I am Annoying after a while. Like I have actual full conversations with Myself about enstars LMAO.

Anyways I listened to bye-bye buddy and it made me sad thanks <3

#I had partially avoided it because thinking about double face disbanding makes me sad wah #but I listened to both the full version and watched the game MV and it’s a very good song!! but not one I will be listening to regularly #stippling remains my favorite df song. sorry. #also kohaku should have kicked mama in the balls <3 #Enstars #(barely) #yori rambles #answers #hi princess

[neptunesailing]

congrats on 200 neppy!!

can I get an uhhhh kohaku por favor

kohaku is so !! to me actually

#nep draws things #ensemble stars #enstars #sketch #kohaku oukawa #nep answers #nep does requests #inbox: orioncore

[neptunite-stars]

DOODLE REQUESTS?!!?

,,could i please request.. a kohaku <3 ?

koha is very sleepytired and airas sleeping int he other room i hope that is ok

#enstars #ensemble stars #request #kohaku oukawa #neptunite's doodles #ask #answered #answered ask #his hair took me forever aslkjfhaksjdhf #here is ur koha now!! #soirry abt the no aira ill try next time!!! askjdfh #eyes have been open too long. must sleep zz #asherasgayagenda