#zazora

(Chapter 83 Side Story)

It lines up with this analysis of the trio's respective intellectual strengths well, with Norman just knowing all the technical aspects of swimming and Emma just winging it and learning as she goes, potentially pushing or pulling Norman along with the speed she's seen going. Ray probably read something about it so he could swim after them if pressed.

Shoutout to @stray-tori for this edit of that strip from her reading of volume 10 (because NE would pull that shit to get Ray in the water fslkdj)

As a side note, I wish we had a confirmed scaling between the human and demon worlds since we're never shown that the kids need to traverse any large bodies of water in the search for Cuvitidala and the Seven Walls they would either need to swim or acquire a boat (playing into the demon world is underwater theory), but presumably none of the Grace Field kids ever had the opportunity to learn how to swim before they left for the demon world. The three other premium farms might of had a pool if they were set up like schools or towns to provide another venue for physical activity though.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 3)

Regarding sports, I've seen multiple instances of Emma being into volleyball in part because of her similarities to Hinata from Haikyuu!, so if I had to pick a team sport I'd probably go with that, but I don't have any in-depth headcanons for it. I love @7w7thais' high school AU featuring this though!

I also adore this comic by winter_calm about REN's morning routine where Emma goes for a run after giving the boys a good morning kiss, and then she picks up groceries for Ray to make breakfast for the three of them. Incredibly canon to me. 🖤🧡🤍

I could see RE going on longer runs together, ranging from similar casual grocery runs or something more competitive, with Emma winning more often than not (and despite knowing her nearly all his life, Ray still wonders how someone so tiny can have enough energy for all three of them).

Norman…I think you could argue anywhere from him doing the bare minimum to stay healthy (it takes so much time and there's so many other things he could be doing! RE have to drag him to go running with them, and even then he ducks out early) to him eventually being a big cardio guy and looking akin to this ancient meme while doing it:

(Chapter 121)

But I just can't see him ever being big into weight lifting lol. I always default to Ray and Emma maintaining more muscle than him.

(Chapter 4 Bonus Sketch)

But general outdoorsy activities? He'd love to play tag with the younger kids. (Pre-finding Emma I've very fond of a scene I mentioned in this ask playing out, of Norman getting winded either from a general illness or him still dealing with Lambda sickness, reassuring everyone that he's fine and encouraging them to go off and play while he rests a bit, eventually the group whittling down to just him and Ray sitting under the shade of a tree, space left for a third. Watching their family indulge in such mirth without fear of a future cut short, they know even with the lows that have come before and could come again, when they find Emma, they'll be able to genuinely tell her they've been well.) Same for Emma and Ray. Frisbee golf, sunbathing or swimming at the beach, hiking, they're up for a lot of activities if it involves their friends and family.

They've also taken their siblings mini-golfing, but they've gone with just the three of them, too. It usually ends up with Norman and Ray taking forever to take a shot to irritate the other two (with the other two knowing he's already calculated the exact trajectory he needs for a hole in one or a birdie, and it's mini-golf, my ass you need to wait for the wind to change or whatever), which leads to Emma taking forever to take a shot in retaliation (she's more prone to being adventurous with her swings, which has resulted in breaking something at least once on a course, but she's not a slouch either) before they're all lowkey being judged by the group (or two) following them to move on already.

And picnics! They love going out on a walk to a favorite spot with a basket or two prepared by Ray, or planning an afternoon somewhere they've never been before to enjoy some new scenery and local cuisine (though Emma and Norman always insist Ray's is their favorite). It doesn't always turn out as planned between being rained out or sudden allergy attacks, but even then they're still able to enjoy themselves.

(There's nothing quite like catching the other two in conversation, wind gently carding through their hair, framing their faces so beautifully, as fondness seeps into each word and each natural pause, heart brimming with love both at the sight of their partners in their own unique dynamic and within their trio as a whole, each moment etched into their new forever.)

Sometimes the picnics lead into stargazing if they're out far enough. Emma loves pulling Norman and Ray close whenever she takes note of the North Star, because like she concluded when they were children, it's just like them.

(TPN Light Novel 4: Films of Memories - “The Guiding Star”)

Like many others, I think she's drawn in by Emma's confidence and exuberance. She's a no frills, no bullshit kind of person, so while Emma does strive for the ideal that's seemingly out of reach and can entertain theatrics, she's carries herself with such conviction and earnestness that Ayshe can't help but respect it and eventually find it endearing.

Similarly, Emma appreciates Ayshe's honesty and how thoughtful she is. She's definitely not a talker in comparison, but Emma doesn't mind in the least that her love language is acts of service and physical touch. - Ayshe is more reserved with physical touch and prefers to do it in private, but if Emma tacklehugs her in public she isn't one to refuse, even if her reciprocation is more subdued. - One of the most poignant moments of this is them mutually caressing their scars (Emma brushing back Ayshe's bangs, Ayshe brushing back Emma's braid) - Ayshe is also very sensitive to scents, which frequently leads to her being the big spoon so she can nuzzle Emma's hair.

Despite being a no-bullshit kind of person on most matters, I can't imagine a scenario where Ayshe is the first one to verbally express her feelings even if she's the first one to consciously recognize them, so Emma would have to be the one to get them officially together with her Type A personality. Even after countless nights stargazing, trekking through the woods, finding themselves curled up on the couch together with the dogs, and just being in general proximity to each other, Ayshe still finds herself caught off guard and blushing when Emma asks her out. Emma thinks it's cute. <3

Speaking of the dogs, Emma the spiritual golden retriever absolutely adores them!! She loves rolling around with them, cuddling with them, taking them for walks, etc.

Ayshe didn't really get to know Emma prior to losing her memory, and Emma secretly takes comfort in that. They both have the baseline of what they hear from other people, and Ayshe has the few days they spent together in November 2047 for a bit more context, but there's a greater degree of separation between the Emma who lived in the demon world and the Emma of the present for both of them that Emma subconsciously gravitates toward when she's in a guilt/shame spiral during the first few years after their reunion.

There would be an axe-throwing/knife-throwing/darts date at some point. Emma would be boisterous in her boasts of prowess while Ayshe would match her in pointed, confident smirks. Despite both being competitive about it, neither really minds losing since the prize is a kiss (and then some).

(Chart I made to explain to a friend group my personal enjoyment of the series by arc because it's one of the silly things we do with each other, while avoiding some spoilers by removing the names of the last few arcs. I'd rank Cuvitidala and the human world arc a bit higher now and Return to Grace Field arc lower, but the rest is still largely the same.)

Borrowing these tags again from @whamss on this poll regarding the ending:

#nothing serious that happens to any ‘good’ character lasts if they’re younger than 20 lol #again its been a hot ass minute but TPN was at its best when Shirai knew how to raise stakes and make them feel actually serious

With the specification of "good character under twenty whose name the reader is aware of before they die" since during the bunker raid and Andrew's subsequent pursuit, there are six innocent children who are murdered.

(Chapter 111)

Fred's, Malcom's, and Mary's deaths are particularly brutal in that rather than shooting them from a distance, Andrew chose to relish bludgeoning them to death with the butt of his rifle until their faces were unrecognizable.

However, none of them have any significant moments in the narrative prior to dying, and their names aren't revealed until this extra in chapter 119. I distinctly remember feeling Shirai was trying to have his cake and eat it too, running with this to say "see, death is still a real possibility for these kids!" The effect is muted though when I don't know who they are besides "background character whose design I vaguely recognize from earlier chapters" and all ten members of the Goldy Pond Resistance survived their gun battle with the demon nobles.

Reading all of this in chapter 85 and then seeing Paula and Sandy alive in chapter 96 was so jarring and kind of a "lol okay I guess" moment for me on my first read. It's not actively wishing for the death or brutalization of children who are already victims of the farm system but wanting to see lasting consequences that have weight to them and seeing how characters cope. Sandy loses an eye, but much like Emma losing her ear, we never see him note his long-term struggles with that loss, such as having a larger blind spot, the anxiety and anger that would understandably result in, or even minor annoyances that when stacked together weigh on him. (Compare to Lucas who, while still a very capable character, does reflect on how the loss of his arm impedes him.)

And then after a timeskip that sacrifices some potential character interactions, Andrew arrives at the bunker. Compared to Grace Field, I didn't feel a lot of attachment to the location because of how little time and action is spent within it (thinking of this post regarding "home bases" in works. Grace Field feels very lived in as the only home our characters know while we also discover new things about it, allowing us to piece together the mystery alongside the cast, whereas we only learn about the bunkers intricate tunnel system during the raid, with no major events happening within its walls after the initial meeting with Yuugo).

So the majority of the characters who die in this portion of the story I have zero investment in since they're meant to be fodder, and their current home base feels underexplored. Add to that my initial fears about Goldy Pond transitioning the series to be more action-oriented and falling into typical Shounen Jump fare predisposing me against him with all his special ops gear and training, and you end up with a prime vector for my ire lol.

It doesn't entirely negate the impact of Lucas and Yuugo's sacrifice, but it does mute it for me, even with the symbolism you can draw from him being a lower-ranking member of the elite whose entire identity hinges upon the exploitation and subjugation of those beneath him, his entitlement and indignity at having that threatened, and the chaos and indifference of the universe at his death in the jaws of a random wild demon as opposed to one of the kids killing him (it goes against Shirai wanting them to maintain their innocence/goodness but I'll be real with you I would have been down for Ray or someone else shooting him).