This post is going to be a bit Spoiler-y if you haven’t play Red Ridding Hood’s route.
TW: “Pew-Pew” Drills, VA scandal, Teen related struggles
Out of all the LI’s in TaishoXAlice, Red Riding Hood’s home situation in his route was very relatable to me. Even though I relate to how Woolfe feels on an Emotional level and I was betrayed by my Ex-Friend to where I put her on the list of people that cause me to have trust issue. But the earlier part of Red’s route unlocked a memory back when I was in Middle School.
Just like Red I came from a Single Parent home, my Mom would give me a reminder that if anyone knocks on our door to never open it. I was that type of Tween that did what they’re obliged too, at lease 90% of the time, I would call myself a Responsible Tween but not a Goody-Two shoes or a Tattle Teller who will be telling Adults every thing somebody not doing or what their suppose too.
But I was also that type of Tween that never question on things regardless if I obliged to it or not. My Mom never told me “why” I shouldn’t open the door for anyone who knocks on our Door when she was not at home, which I feel my Middle School age self would be more Self-aware on the reason. My Tween self knew until my Mom gets home from work don’t open the door for anyone and to call her if anyone rings the door bell.
One day I herd the door bell ring, I called My Mom to tell her that someone was ringing our Door bell and as I had her on the phone while going to see who was at the Door, I was in joy to find out that it was one of my Little Cousins. I happily said my Cousin’s name and as I unlocked the Door, my Mom freaked out and scream on the phone to lock the door back.
Which I panicky did and I can only image my little cousin at that moment was probity very confuse of why I happily open the door and then in less then 3 seconds just close the door on them.
(I wonder to myself if I ever bring this up would they burst out laughing over it or still feel confuse by it. We don’t hang out a lot like we use to but we still have a strong bond even if we rarely to never talk due because of how Life is so busy.)
My Mom was going off on me on the phone of what she warn me about opening the door and though my Little Cousin could be set up with some Stranger and took us hostage.
(I’m owning up being a broken record saying this but, the dark side of living in America.)
A lot of things my Mom told me to do in my Tweens to even in my Teen years gradually went from being that Teen who 90% of the time obliged to doing things I was told without asking any Questions. To now anything I was Obliged to do I start in a direct matter question on it like Otoya in Uta no Prince-Sama Repeat love ask Satome why their has to be a Love banned rule. I guess I could give my School Peers credit for that Growth.
The moment I start to completely understand why my Mom was outrage of me opening the door as well as other situations where if I share to you some of them or similar stories you guys would think my Mom or my Family members or Family-Friends are Over-protective of not just me but even with my younger Female Cousins and Female Family Friends. Was when I enter my Older Teen years and back when I was going to Anime Conventions having some…
well…
Creepy encounters that got me to feel thankful to not be in situations that got me to be like one of the Victims that came forward because a certain VA that rhymes with “Nic” done inappropriate things to them and two other Female VAs.
Which when I heard the stories of what “Nic” had done to them, I was just at complete shock but at the same time said
Person’s name warn me about “Nic”…. 🫢😨
The Attendees I hung around at that time that I look at them like an Older Sibling that you feel protect by had warn be about “Nic” and I need to stay away from him. Sadly I didn’t listen to their advise because my Naive yet curious self wanted to know more about “Nic”. And around the hype of Risembool rangers vs Miniskirt Army, my Outcast/Misfit Teen-self was obsessed to be part of that. Even being part of the Dinners that would be held there.
(Or any type of belonging since I struggle making any new friends in Ex and the High School I transfused and Graduated from that my Middle School peers weren’t enrolled in. If I told you all the After school clubs I try to join and even join the Volley Ball team just to find some way to make at lease one friend you will ether be shock or felt I just wasn’t meant to be friends with anyone in that School and especially the High School I transfused out of.)
Thankfully “Nic” never done anything to me and this made me felt I was really protect in my Con era days. Even things started to happen that prevented me to be a full fledge member of Risembool rangers and that probity was my blessing in disguise.
I hope my Elder Siblings at the Local cons I use to go to who watch out for me and happily in a genuine matter let me tag along with them are doing good now and days.
The reason why I mainly stop going to local Cons is mainly because of College, College has took so much energy out of me that I don’t even have time to make Cosplays anymore. How can I work on a Cosplay outfit from scratch while I’m working on a trying to make a Sculpture using tooth picks in my 3D design class and making Color swatches using Oil pain on a Canvus sketchbook that’s meant to be use on Paint related medium.
(If you want to hear stories about my College years. I’m free to share but I can’t disclose which Art School I was enrolled in.)
The second main reason is dealing with the Creeps and the over all vibe at the Local Cons that I use to go to became Cold and Reserved environment.
(I could do a Blog post about how much the Con Scene/Life has change when I was going. But I don’t want to go anymore off subject then I already have.)
As an Older Teen especially even deeper when I was in College I fully understand my Mom’s fear for me and I’m really thankful for My Mom protecting my innocence back in my Tween years. With out going into detail My Mom didn’t want me to be like the Girl in The Book “Speak” and a lot of Critical life lessons that where in the TV show As Told by Ginger.
I feel if My Mom did told me the reasons why I shouldn’t open the Door for anybody and I need to have her on the phone if that ever happen. I think I would develop having Anxiety at a much younger age then I would had in my Older Teens. And when you know more you take notice in how your views on things is much different, back when I go to different Fan Conventions in my State where ever is Anime or Comics I NEVER think of the “What if” scenarios and what to do in those “What if” scenarios. And I understand your thinking
“Well that’s more of the reason why we need to be educate at a Young age about Stranger Danger.”
But at 11 or even at 12 years old, do you need to Anxiety dump a Tween on how they need to watch out for Predators, Traffickers, “Grape-rs”, and Drug-addicts?
I know your firmly saying “Yes” or “Of course No!”
But if you live in some Countries that I won’t name off even being train to do Drills and to my surprised that got me to realized even back when I was in Middle School, my School or at lease my History Teacher un-disclose us in training what to do if an Active Shooter was in the School. Why I said History Teacher was due because we always have some type of School drill around 3rd hour which I had my History class and the Drills will be at random days and at random times but not random where we won’t forget them. We done Fire Drills, Tornado drills, and the “Un-disclosed” drill.
When doing the Un-disclosed drill my History teacher told us he’s going to turn off the lights and order us to hide somewhere in the Classroom that nobody would likely find us. Sadly my Sweet Naive Tween-self though it was some type of Test game that we’ll get rewarded in doing good at this Dark edition game of Hide and Seek.
An Adult will walk into the room and give us the confirmation on how good we hid in the Classroom and sadly we got no physical reward for being the best Hider. After we done what we where told My History teacher went back to talking about what ever American History related thing he would go on about that well obviously get Tested or have to do a Worksheet on.
Your right Reader, my Middle School History Teacher never disclose us of what type of training we just done and it wasn’t the last time of us doing that same training. Honest I can’t blame my History teacher for not un-disclosing it, if I love my Students like they where my beloved Children I wouldn’t trauma dump of why we have to do these “Pew-Pew”/“Bang-Bang” drills. I’m not Mad or Disappointed in my History Teacher for not telling us, I’m actually deeply thankful he never told us.
(Out of all the History teachers I ever had he was one of the kindest and thankfully not the last History Teacher I would have, who had a big heart for all his Students and treated us like we’re his Children. And the funniest thing is I love Historical expecally Historical Fantasy Otome games but American History is my lease favorite subject as a Tween and Teen. When my Teacher blabs about Civil War and other Minor things about American History my head would be in Lala land which I forgive my Tween self for. The only think that took me out of Lala land was my History Teacher talking about British History and Queen Elizabeth.
Which got me to learn in my Teen years that I love World history and the only History that got me to go to Lala land was American History. Even learning about Native American history is more interesting then learning about Civil War, How to become an American Citizen, Though Black and Jewish history is a daunting read despite is important we need to remember so we won’t repeat history, but gosh is painful yet important reminder.)
My History teacher didn’t rob our innocent, even though I had Classmates who’s innocents was already rob in their Tween years or even much younger then that.
I and probity you as well understand why some Kids still got their innocence while others unfortunately or not don’t. Ether because they watch Adult media or because of personal circumstances or force Traumatic life events or the Parent(s) just didn’t put enough effort to protect the Child’s innocents. So as much as I hear people online being mad at Parents for shielding or not shielding their Kid(s) from things they should have or not have shield them, I understand both arguments of why or why not to shield a Child from things. Is similar debate when Parent(s)/Parental Guardian should or should not tell their Child they have this Neurodivergent Condition. Even though telling that Child their on the Spectrum will make them understand their condition and a way how they can over-come that condition then end up being like the guy that rhymes with “Thris-Chan”,
but on the other hand it might not make that Child feel better knowing their different because they want to feel equal like any other kid dose.
Going back to putting the focus on Red Ridding hood he didn’t know why his Mom told him to not go outside to play with Woofie. All we can assume is to protect him from the Dangers in the outside world. Even though Red was an awful friend to Woolfe back then, it was a well deserved set up that Woolfe and Yurika did to Red for what he guilty done.
Thank you so much for reading my LI deep-dive. I hope it wasn’t too triggering of a read. I just felt putting that on my Commentary in the review would be a mouthful of a read.
