teach me how to feel

-

Okay, that was a relief. Damien still had a lot to learn in the world of anime, and catboys were a topic that he was still getting his head around. Somehow, a teenager who could turn into an animal under a certain requirement was less daunting. He bent down to peer at the screen.

“Ah, that does look familiar! He does look rather angry.”  He had watched cartoons with plenty of angry characters in his childhood, but somehow the tiny pupils made this cat look even angrier than that. “I’d bet he would be quite a nuisance when he’s a cat. What do you say that he would be that cat who would deliberately knock vases to the floor?”

--

“Oh, yeah for sure. He’s kind of a jerk, he would do something like that...” Thinking about such a scene playing out made Yan chuckle a bit.  

“He has this secret soft side for the protagonist and he can actually be really nice and caring and sweet and--” their hands flapped around excitedly. “And even the kids at school who he kinda fights with a lot end up realizing that he’s a sweetie!!”

A yawn escaped before Yan could hold it back. They blushed in embarrassment and giggled. “Ah.. Yeah you were probably right about the staying up late thing,”

"This...this is..."

Yanata gently took the gifts and held them up to look at them better. They were at a loss for words. They examined the labels with an unreadable expression.

They then set the gifts down on the table, they needed both arms for what they were going to do next.

Yanata wrapped their arms around the mayor's neck with a slight hop so they could reach (still careful to try not to topple him over). They buried their face in Damien's shoulder.

-

Top three? That must have been good, then! But as Yan continued explaining why they enjoyed it, Damien noticed the similarities between the anime and Yan’s own experiences; something that was apparent when they caught themselves and apologised.

“No, no, it’s quite alright. I think it’s good to be able to watch something like that, because it shows that despite those fears and worries, there will always be people out there who will be there, no matter how difficult some days might be, or how hurt one is after the trauma. They will care, and they will do what they can to help the other see that it will be okay.”

-

“Ah, you’re right. That’s exactly why I like it!” Yan was a bit to emotionally evasive to directly acknowledge Damien’s intent to comfort, but it was definitely noticed. They essentially took the hint and managed to relax into a slumped, relaxed form. 

“I also think the cat boy is cute. He gets so angry over small things, it’s so cute!! Even if it’s a result of his inferiority issues, he grows into it!” Classic Yanata: short attention span, always trying to talk about bishi boys. 

-

It worked! It was a simple way to reassure Yan that they weren’t in trouble and that Damien had interest in their hobbies… Even if he felt a little out of his depth with it all.

Is this what it felt like to be old and out of touch? Yikes.

“Oh yes! I remember you showed me the art for that!” It had led to a discussion on their own zodiac signs and how Damien would make a very cute ram if he was cursed, according to the teenager. “But hey… Did you enjoy it, at least?”

-

“Yeah! It was really good! It has to be in my top three anime now!” Yanata clapped excitedly. “I’m not sure if it was the intention, but it really shows how much repeated severe trauma can affect someone and their relationships. Like, the reluctance to let one in and the constant doubt that they won’t accept your broken pieces, or the fear that they’ll leave you more broken than you started.”

...

Yanata’s flinch had Damien immediately yank his hand back before he made matters worse. He had done that without thinking! He might not know everything Yanata went through, but he knew enough to consider boundaries. 

“It’s alright. I know all of this is a lot for you right now.” But at the rate the pair were going, it would end up that Yan would still feel guilty about all of this. Damien, thankfully, had an idea that might just work:

“Remind me again which anime it was you were finishing? Was it the one with the blond boy with the metal arm, or was it the one with the - the girl who was living as a villain and had to save herself?” Or was it a different one? There were a lot, now that he thought about it.

-

With Yan’s short attention span, Damien’s method did wonders. Given the opportunity to talk about ANIME? This was an instant remedy.

“It’s actually the one about the family possessed by the Chinese zodiac!”

...staaaare...

"Hi, everyone! I'm new here!"

Yandereiplier, known as Yanata, is more than meets the eye. While they appear to be a ditsy, dim-witted high schooler, they know more than they let on. Be careful if they get attached, who knows what will happen!

Canon-divergent, indie selective Yandereiplier!

byf ₍ᐢ..ᐢ₎ about ₍ᐢ..ᐢ₎ verses

!૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა! -like/rb if interested- !૮₍ • ᴥ • ₎ა!