(for shoko & kento & other characters you want to answer)
[ CHIRON ] what does your muse do to cope ? are their coping mechanisms healthy, or do they lean into bad habits to get through tough times ?
from: meme. / @cderiva
featuring: shoko, kento, + yuta.
shoko ... it's interesting because when shoko is coping, it doesn't look like she's doing much different. she already has bad habits, like smoking, not eating very healthily, working herself to the bone. she's literally sleep, eat, smoke, work. so, when she's going through it or at her breaking point, she keeps her head down and keeps working. sticks to those routines to an even more destructive degree. she stays longer at work, sleeps in her office. so, the thing is; she's not coping. or, believes that distracting herself just enough, keeping her mind busy will help her cope. but, at some point of course, your mind will be idle. if she works hard enough, she can hopefully get exhausted enough to sleep, but what if that still doesn't work?
so, i'd say one of the only other things she might do that would stick out, but she doesn't tell anyone about is that she goes somewhere near the water. it could be a river, stream, or the sea. anywhere by water and she'll sit there and ruminate. it's comforting to be near the water. i headcanon that her family would take trips to the beach when she was a kid. that might be something that she still holds onto today and why it comforts her.
i also thinks she uses sex as a coping mechanism. i won't get into heavy detail. i don't think that it's her go-to, but she has used it in the past and will likely do it again. because of this though, she has an interesting and somewhat complicated relationship with sex. it's enjoyable and can absolutely be an expression of love. but, she's linked it as well to how she copes when she just wants her mind to be blank in a way that isn't the same way alcohol can affect her, that it ... becomes all wrapped up in that.
kento ... he's a little ashamed of the fact he does use alcohol to numb what he feels. he discovered at some point that it's pretty effective on the numbing factor, something that can take the edge off. what's more is he has a pretty high tolerance. but, there's shame in the fact that he does drink to cope because it feels childish or wrong. there's guilt in there. he needs to sort it out, he can't rely on something so destructive. but, at the same time, does he care that he's destroying himself? it's a war in his mind and he's tired of fighting.
i would say that in terms of anything healthy, he already goes to the grocery store for normal errands. but, the amount of time he spends in there speaks to his state of mind. he goes to the extra big grocery stores so he can spend more time dissociating, lmao. but it is calming to him. he engages in cooking dished that require more skill and a longer process, it clears his mind. gives him a healthy challenge. he has his music blasting for sure. but, in his earbuds because he's considerate of his neighbors.
yuta ... he has felt powerless for most of his life. so, he trains a lot as is to be strong regardless of rika. but, in moments of downheartedness or he feels he's failed, he trains even harder. he also does a lot of meditation, managing the anxiety and panic he usually feels that gets even worse in these moments. he does make an effort to deal with things healthily; being more mindful of what he eats, exercise regimen, etc.
