#may also do one for kurofai

[keithisbae1]

SyaoSaku + Tropes

[psychewritesbs]

What are your thoughts on Gojo's dynamic with Nanami and Utahime?

It seems that Gege listed some hints that Gojo may like them romantically but alas this was according to shippers themselves and it's unclear whether the official material was meant to interpreted that way or if it was just a funny thing thrown around. Regardless i just wanna add my cents here, the show really keeps denying that Gojo will ever be romantically interested in any of these characters asides from possibly Geto but at the same time it acknowledges that fans like various relationships so it feeds them these irrelevant crumbs. That's why i ask for your opinion on their dynamic, if you're comfortable answering this ofc!

HOLA ANON!

Listen... not only is my blog psychology-focused, there's a reason I have not really made any shippy posts about jjk. I've gone to town gushing about seisub, soma, kurofai and asucaga before. But those ships exist in old fandoms where there is a prevalent agreement and support about and for the ship.

jjk tho... the topic of shipping in jjk is a dangerous landmine regardless of who you ship for many different reasons.

That said, apologies if this wasn't your intention, but the way you worded your ask made it smell like bait from about three miles away, and I have been debating about what I want to say to you ever since I received it. Moots told me to just drop it but I found that I didn't want to drop it precisely because it feels like bait.

So basically, because 3 our of 4 moots I have shown your ask to agree that this is bait, I am going to respond in kind and will give you the least satisfying answer ever under the cut.

You have been warned...

jk anon, sorry for the click bait...

It's not that I'm going to give you a dissatisfying answer, it's that I don't want to participate in shipping wars 🤷‍♀️ and I feel like I am being dragged into one with this ask.

The truth is, I'm too old for shipping wars and avoid them like the plague to the best of my ability and for my own mental sanity... And one of the things that really gets under my skin is gatekeeping in shipping, which admittedly means I am probably being a hypocrite about it. Gotta work on that.

At this stage in my life tho, I am more interested in being able to both celebrate what I love instead of focusing on what I don't like, or on holding two contradictory truths at once rather than to take sides and claim one side is right and the other side is wrong.

To that point, lately I've heard a lot of people say it's not ok to be neutral. To that I say that polarized thinking is a sign of lack of experience and an unwillingness to be open to another point of view. I say this from experience, not because I'm judging anyone.

Been there, done that.

Like I was an idiot back in the day for thinking I couldn't like both Maya Sakamoto and Utada Hikaru. Like... what a clown 🤡 to think I HAD TO PICK ONE and could only like one of them lmao.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming you love stsg because of the way you frame the ask around how Geto seems to be the one person whom Gege hints at being the most likely that Gojo would be "romantically interested in".

On the other hand, you also tell me that shipping Gojo with other characters is based on what looks to you like irrelevant breadcrumbs.

Now, before I keep going, what follows is my personal opinion, and I do not claim to own the objective truth about this topic.

In fact, I am very aware that there is no right answer to your ask, and that whatever I answer can stir unnecessary shit up because, not only is this topic sensitive because that's the state of shipping in jjk fandom, but the ask itself feels like its baiting me to give an answer someone knows they aren't going to like.

Very machiuvelical of you anon 😏 I see you!

So either I'm paranoid af, or you're not very good at pretending you are genuinely confused because "it's unclear whether the official material was meant to be interpreted that way or if it was just a funny thing thrown around".

Come the fuck on... 😂

First, you sent an ask to someone who understands mind games; and second, it's perfectly ok to say you don't like the other two ships.

But again, I have also said things in a way that was misinterpreted by others, so... benefit of the doubt here.

Thing is, if you love stsg, no one can take that away from you. Trust me, no one needs anyone's opinion to love ANY ship.

So, let's start with the hard stuff up front.

I ship stsg

I don't care if they are or aren't canon.

If others want to have this conversation and pull panels to back up why they think they are canon etc etc, good. This is not a conversation I care to have any longer because I realized I don't need Gege, or anyone for that matter, to tell me it's ok to ship a pairing--more on this later.

If you do, then, yeah, that's relatable and very understandable.

I also don't care if the jjk powerscaling bros can't accept that Gege has baked ambiguity into the dynamic, and that the cursed cat has recommended bl manga TWICE--thus hinting at the idea that Gege enjoys reading bl.

AND I also respect that there are those who truly see them only as friends. That's their business, you know? Why does their opinion matter if I ship them?

But, when I put on the rose-colored fujo glasses, I see it.

It's undeniable.

stsg is the jjk version of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle's kurofai.

But to be frank... I disagree with the idea that any evidence pointing at gjhm are "irrelevant breadcrumbs" that "shippers are throwing around".

Are they breadcrumbs? Yes. There isn't a whole lot of canonical evidence. But I also don't often hear gjhm shippers say things like "they're so canon" although I could be wrong.

So, are people throwing breadcrumbs around to be funny? This frankly makes it sound like you think very lowly of how some people choose to interpret certain panels.

Even if I give you the benefit of the doubt, this kinda sounds like you see yourself as better than... ?? because to you, its "unclear" how people can interpret the text as there being any ambiguity about the dynamic.

No it isn't 😂. It's clear as day. Come ooooooon.

Its ok to not like that Gege hinted at it AND it also doesn't make stsg any less important.

So are the breadcrumbs truly irrelevant? Only if you have an agenda.

Again, I am sorry if this isn't your intention, but calling them "irrelevant breadcrumbs" makes it sounds like there's an agenda geared at denying something you don't agree with. Which is SUPER relatable.

What I'll say is that, from the "breadcrumbs" Gege gave us about gjhm, I got the sense that, if there was some sort of romantic involvement between Gojo and Utahime that Gege is hinting at in the subtext, it was very bittersweet.

I'm totally not feeling like going and doing any research about this because there are plenty of gjhm shippers who have stated why the "breadcrumbs" make sense to them. AND I also think it's undeniable that there was something between them given the whole song lyrics related to her ct blablabla.

Denying this makes it sound like you're cherry picking what you think is and isn't subtext in the official work based on your shipping preferences.

Also, I don't personally ship gjhm but I have moots who do. As I said, I ship stsg AND I can also respect that others ship gjhm because two opposing ideas can coexist.

Anyways, with ch 236 in mind, in retrospect, what made gjhm undeniably bittersweet, was that Gojo was emotionally stunted in his teen years. This makes Gojo emotionally unavailable to ANYONE because he was stuck longing to be understood the way Geto once understood him, while simultaneously making himself hard to understand.

I think that if Gojo and Utahime were involved behind the scenes, this doesn't mean he didn't miss Geto or stopped loving him. The way I see it, he could very well have loved both. But again, that's my interpretation. It sounds like yours is different.

To me, Utahime isn't some sort of impediment for Gojo to love Geto and viceversa. This isn't a love triangle--Geto isn't even in the picture in their adult years.

That, and, the idea that we can only ever love one person is an unrealistic byproduct of the psychology of romantic love. And yet I can also understand why Gojo felt understood by Geto the most. I mean... Geto is the first person he sees when he dies.

This is so... beautiful.

So if you take the song lyrics hinted at in Uta's ct and put yourself in Utahime's shoes from the perspective of a gjhm shipper, you have a woman who is in a relational dynamic with someone who can't be present for her because he isn't present for himself to begin with.

I know you unironically think it's "a funny irrelevant thing being thrown around", but from how I'm interpreting this, that's not irrelevant or funny to me.

It's human tragedy, and it's sad af for all parties involved. And if you don't agree, you don't agree and that's ok. We can both agree to disagree.

Now, this is how I interpret gjhm based on that ONE specific breadcrumb. Which again, is anything but irrelevant unless your goal is to minimize someone else's perspective. For all I know, a gjhm fan reads this and doesn't agree with me.

For the record, I'm not saying you should change your mind about gjhm if you don't like the ship because you think Utahime truly hates Gojo's guts or that it's misogynistic to pair her with a man but perfectly ok to ship her with Shoko because somehow that makes it ok for her to be in a romantic relationship with someone else, or whatever reasons you might have.

I'm saying that you can love stsg AND simultaneously understand and respect that someone else would have a different opinion, even if you don't personally agree with it.

As for Nanami and Gojo... I mean... 🤷‍♀️

I guess if I put the fujo glasses on I can sort of see it. But again, why should anyone care about whether I agree with them or not? Like... when did I become the authority on shipping? 🤷‍♀️

I don't want that responsibility.

But, the most important thing I want to get across here, is that shipping is highly personal because there is a certain degree of self-insertion happening when we "ship".

So if you, or anyone for that matter, loves stsg, it's because you can see something about the dynamic reflected back at you that rings true to you.

You might say, "it's not that deep, I just see the official text and like what I saw." Which is also fair. But if it wasn't that deep, this ask wouldn't be something I was answering right now.

So, that's why to me, for MY answer to YOUR ask with the way it feels like bait, it's irrelevant whether the ships are canon or not. All that matters is that you, as a participant in this piece of media, can relate to the dynamic. And this is not to minimize whether "the official material is meant to be interpreted one way or another".

But again, cherry picking what we want to be subtext based on an agenda is a biased take.

All I am saying is that shipping is highly personal.

Again, if you don't like the "boy picks on girl" dynamic that gjhm has, it's because it's not for you. I have read what others have to say about not liking it and, honestly, good on y'all. Makes sense.

And if someone explains to me why gjhm makes sense to them, I am no one to tell them they are wrong to self-insert into this dynamic and explore what its potential means to them.

So, anon, I would much rather hear about why you love stsg.

If you want to talk to people who want to focus on hating gjhm or gojonana, or discussing why it's "funny irrelevant breadcrumbs thrown around", for whatever reasons you might have, I simply am not the right person.

All of this said, any further comments seeking to minimize any ship shall be ignored because I am not interested in contributing to shipping wars.

Enjoy stsg. It's a beautiful ship!

Thanks for stopping by, and sharing that bit of stsg love you did share with me. Again, sorry if I misinterpreted your intention, and if I didn't... idk.

All the love.

[farenmaddox]

KuroFai Olympics Journal #2

Day 2 (29th August, 2023).

For the second day of my KuroFai Olympics journaling experience, I’ll continue with “The Lovers.” Today I’m gonna look at some explanations & imagery for the card from the tarot deck, and then I’ll be giving some love & appreciation to the artist who did the artwork for this one.

Looking at just a basic image search, I see so many version of the card where the lovers are skeletons, or gay, and all kinds of fun concepts. But the kind of “official” imagery seems to be a figure of royalty blessing a cupid-struck couple. Then there’s the Rider-Waite tarot, where there’s an angel looking down upon Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Without validating the religion in particular, I do think there’s something kind of cool about this maybe-accidental implication that the ‘first’ story in the Bible is also a love story.

Looking at the Wikipedia entry for the card (I’m using Wikipedia since there are a staggering number of choices for tarot card explanations and I wanted something easy): “In some traditions, the Lovers represent relationships and choices. Its appearance in a spread indicates some decision about an existing relationship, a temptation of the heart, or a choice of potential partners.”

Okay, with all that in mind, time to check out @arisprite's artwork, entitled “Sweet Lips on My Lips.” They’ve posted it here on Tumblr, and also at AO3.

Please do take this opportunity to reblog their art post (linked just there) to give them some love and so more fans can see and enjoy it.

You may have guessed it, but my next journal entry will be finishing up “The Lovers” with the Team Fate fic. Stay tuned for tomorrow!

Hey friend. Are you confused about what this post means? Check out my original announcement of what/why I have an Olympics journal here.

[kurofai-olympics]

KuroFai Olympics 2021 - Sun Vs Moon - FAQ

What are the KuroFai Olympics?

The KuroFai Olympics (or as I usually end up typing, Olympfics) are a friendly team-based writing competition between two teams writing opposing themes of fiction, based around the same set of subthemes or prompts.

This year, it is Team Sun and Team Moon.

Each team will have the same number of competitors, and each competitor will square off against the other team’s competitor using the same prompt, with both posting their fics on the same day as determined by the posting schedule.

Where are the Olympics held?

The home of the Olympics is the KuroFai Dreamwidth community. You can also keep up to date with us on Discord, Twitter and Tumblr. We also have a collection on AO3 and you contact the mods via kurofai.olympics@gmail.com.

Roles within the Olympics

Moderators: a small dedicated group tasked with planning, coordinating and overall, doing what they can to make this year another success.

Writers: wordsmiths ready and willing to write a story where the main focus is about KuroFai, will be either fluffy or angsty, and fits into the subtheme.

Artists: folks with a passion for the visual arts. While each year, we are blessed with an Artist willing to create a header for the year's Olympics (this year, we thank ValdrickV), for the tenth anniversary, there is an additional role for Artists. To create art based around the prompts. This can be done based on one's interpretation of the prompt or in coordination with a Writer.

Betas: A second pair of eyes for a Writer, offering insight, advice and or a grammar check in exchange for an early reading of the story.

Pinchhitters: Brave and generous folks willing to take on the role of Writer should the need arise.

Read and Reviewers: Lovers of KuroFai who participate by reading the posted stories and then afterwards, leaving a Review for the author. Let's face it, Kudos is wonderful, but a review leaves a greater impact.

Scorers: by popular demand, rather than leave a Review with a score, Scorer fill out a brief survey where they score the fic. A form of online presence will be required - no going entirely anonymous allowed.

What are Pinch-hitters?

A stand-by writer, in case someone who signs up with a team has to step down for any reason (life obligations, sick, believe they won't finish on time, etc.) so they will step up to write for the prompt left vacant. If a competitor feels they need to step down, please let a Mod know as soon as possible, and the Mods will then ask a pinch-hitter to take over their prompt. Should you be unreachable for two days after a scheduled check in, a pinch hitter will be called upon to take over.

To give a Pinch-Hitter the most time to write, their posting day will be moved to the last posting day. Should two need to step down, the first Pinch Hitter and their competitor will get the day before the last and the newest Pinch Hitter and their competitor will have the last posting day

Posting Dates?

The posting schedule for the Olympics starts on the 8th of August. Each of our sub themes will be assigned a posting date with the first fics being posted on the 9th of August.

The schedule is prone to change but the mods will ensure that all writers know what date they will post on. If a Pinchitter is called upon their prompt will always move to the end of the schedule.

Time zone for posting?

We are currently considering what Timezone to use. This will be updated once it has been decided.

That said, time zones are an illusion we gave ourselves, so as long as you post within an hour or two of midnight on the day of your posting, you won’t be docked points. If you post after the next competitors’ have started posting for their prompt, however, that late penalty card comes into play.

Checkins?

All writers and artists will be required to checkin with the mods three times during the creating period. These checkins are just to see how you are going and to figure out if the posting dates need to be altered. While participants can reach out to the Mods at any time if issues arise the checkins are just a formalisation of this process.

Can I write a joint fic?

All fics entered in the Olympics must be new, original works written for the appropriate prompt by a single participant. You may ask your teammates/friends/family to help you out with coming up with an idea and you can ask anyone even Mods to beta your fic once it's written, but you have to write it.

Can I reuse an older piece of work?

No, you can't take a draft fic you had prepared earlier and jazz it up for the prompt. (We may not have proof but this is where your honor comes in. Write something new for your honor.)

Fic outlines are acceptable and allowed so long as you have not begun writing fic for it before you receive your prompt.

Length of fic?

There's no minimum or maximum length of entries; if you can tell a story in a thousand words, more power to you, and if it takes you fifty thousand, that's great too. However, a word count of between five thousand to twenty thousand for the length of your fic is generally recommended.

Can I share my work before posting day?

You can share up to 10% of your work as a teaser on various social medias before your posting date. You can of course share your work with your Beta and Team Mates before hand if you like.

Do I have to post my fic on Dreamwidth?

The fic, not necessarily. But you will need to make an entry post on Dreamwidth. That is, a post where you either post under a cut or provide a link to the location where your fic is posted. A template for fic entry posts will be provided closer to the posting date.

How do I post on Dreamwidth?

You will need a Dreamwidth account to post your entry and be a member of the KuroFai Dreamwidth Community. Copy and paste the template provided into a new Dreamwidth post making sure you choose HTML and not Rich text for editing. Also remeber to chose KuroFai community as it is easy to accidentally post it to your own Dreamwidth. Example of last years template post https://kurofai.dreamwidth.org/131379.html

Do I have to submit my fic to the AO3 collection?

While we would love for you to put your fic in the KuroFai Olympics 2020 collection it is not a requirement of the competition. This year collection is 2021_KuroFai_Olympics

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2021_KuroFai_Olympics

What if I can’t write competitively?

There is nothing to prevent you from writing a fic of your own to match the theme or a prompt you really like. We simply ask that you don’t post it during the Week (give or take) that the Teams will be posting theirs.

How can Artists get involved?

This year artist can sign up to do Art for the various prompts. The lovely Valdrick has created our banner art this year. Once prompts have been assigned to the artist there are no restrictions beyond relating to the prompt and KuroFai. Any size, any medium, any colour what ever takes your fancy.

How are fics scored?

By popular demand, this year rather than leave a Review with a score, the reader will be asked to fill out a brief survey which will be linked to at the end of the fic. A form of online presence will be required - no going entirely anonymous allowed for scoring.

Rules for scoring a fic?

Mods will not be allowed to leave a score but can still read and leave a review.

All Writers will be allowed to leave a Score EXCEPT on their fic and the corresponding fic from the other team.

Betas, Artists and others who aided in the Olympics and are not Writers or Mods are free to Score any fic.

People from across the fandom are free to Score any fic but will be required to leave a form of contact in the scoring survey.

The Scorecard

With 1 being the very worst and 10 being the very best, how well do you think this story did?

1. How well did this fic fit the prompt?

2. How well written was the fic?

3. How much did you enjoy the fic?

And please answer Yes/No

4. Was this fic tagged properly?

Questions 1-3 will have a maximum of 30 points available (and when you divide that by 3, you could get a solid 10 Pointer)

Regarding 4, if the Yes outweigh the No, then +2 Points. If the No outweigh the Yes than -2 Points.

Penalty Card

If the Penalty Card had to come in for Late and or Unfinished, then those Points will be taken out when we do the scoring.

No Story Posted: While this has happened due to unfortunate circumstance, it does result in a total loss of points. A zero for that story.

Late but Complete Fic: 1 Point Docked.

Incomplete Story Posted: 1-2 Points docked from that story.

Not Tagged Properly: 2 Points.

Not Tagged Properly?

Because of the sensitivity of subjects, all of these subjects MUST be clearly warned about should they appear in your story. At the bottom of the story under the cut is not clearly warned about.

Non-Con, Sexual violence, Dub-con, Underage, Sexual Kinks, Omega verse, Graphic Violence, Self Harm, Suicide or Suicidal thoughts.

Things like Language, Drug Use, Implied (sensitive subject), etc. are not required but are welcome to make the story that much more reader-friendly.

While not mandatory, stories featuring material from the events after Acid Tokyo, AU or Canon based, have a new tag available to them. It’s called NSFN (Not Safe for Nick/Newbies) and will make this even more reader-friendly.

Failure to comply with the Must be warned about rule results in a 2 Point loss for that story.

[ohhalefire]

Thanks for the tag, @greyhavenisback - I actually haven't seen this one yet, and you know, anything to yell about my OTPs, really 😂

Here are my top five OTPs:

1. Sterek (Teen Wolf)

Look, they appeal to me on a visceral level, okay? Amazing, brilliant, traumatized bisexuals of opposing types are my whole jam. Ultimate fave.

2. Kurofay (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle/World Chronicle)

Murder husbands regularly giving up body parts for each other/their found family, with a love language made of punching? Sign me up. Literally the original OTP. I will die before I let these two go~

3. Catradora (She-Ra)

The first time I saw this queer AF ship explicitly sailing in the show, in front of my eyes, I may have cried. I just... I love this traumatized gay catgirl and her high-strung magical girlfriend, okay? If you're starved for magical adventure stories where the queer leads actually, you know, are allowed to be queer... watch this.

4. Pynch (Raven Cycle/Dreamer Trilogy)

Can you tell I love angry queer kids? That is all~

A5. Stydia (Teen Wolf)

I know, this is unpopular among Sterek fans. But the only reason I don't scream about them as much is because we actually got my personal PERFECT storyline for them in the show, and like... I don't need any more? It was exactly what I needed to see. (Every time I see "You didn't say it back" / "You didn't have to" and then You Were Never Gone starts to play, I get weepy.) Also, like, they are a boy and a girl... but I definitely ship these two in an explicitly bi way xD

Honourable mention: Merthur (Merlin).

I tag @scribblesandsorcery because I always do~

[sagemoderocklee]

Reiteration ❤️ A (but not GaaLee :p) P T

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

oof. okay so aside from GaaLee:

1) ShikaTema 2) NejiTen 3) Kakagai

i think these are the only like three ships i could say i feel strongly enough about that i’d classify them as OTPs. GaaLee honestly gets its own category anyways. im not really active in any other fandoms, and the only other ship I’ve ever felt as strongly about as i have gaalee was really Harry/Draco and well... ya know. Although if i were still super active in CLAMP fandom KuroFai and DouWata would 100000% be up there. And of course the forever and unbeatable Sakura/Shaoran but specifically CCS SakuShao because I think TRC isn’t quite as good with their romance

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

oh. that’s. okay we’re answering hard questions tonight i see.

something niche for you and me: new member of your MLM/communist/leftist reading group is Very Cute but very new to MLM/etc and needs extra help to understand the complicated history, theories, etc.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything).

oh god. this is really opening a can of worms lmao and also.... i may have to put this under a cut because god i have so fucking many and some of them may need elaboration.

1. Gaara doesn’t ever take up sleeping/napping post Shukaku

this is something that I know a lot of ppl don’t like/want because everyone wants Gaara to be happy and like big same! but i do think that Gaara’s physiology is entirely altered from Shukaku and the lack of sleep. I feel like having it ingrained in him that he couldn’t sleep, knowing the devastation it would cause, plus all the trauma he has--he’d be plagued by nightmares first of all, and no shinobi is gonna wanna take a sleep aid or something to help them sleep more easily because that would just be a huge opening for someone to attack you. but the other thing is i think it would genuinely make him feel sick. like i know that when i get too little sleep i feel sick because my body needs a certain amount. BUT i also know that those days where im too depressed and don’t get out of bed and sleep too much i ALSO feel like shit. Gaara has lived his entire life without sleep--barring specific instances of forced sleep to release Shukaku--and his body has to have adapted to that. fifteen years of not sleeping there’s no way his body would know what to do with that. his body is so used to subsisting (and this is my own like explanation for how Gaara survived pre and post Shukaku) off of massive quantities of food and by funneling his own chakra into his brain to act as rest, healing, etc.  like i think at this point it’s so unconscious that he isn’t even aware he’s doing it anymore--like breathing. His chakra--which is already another physiological system in their bodies--is just taking up the job of the rest portion of his brain.

that all being said, i do still think this will have an overall affect on his lifespan, but not necessarily his physical or mental health in the immediate sense.

2. Kankuro is straight.

this goes for like all the characters i see as straight, and like i hate like putting this in the like “die defending” category, but there’s this sort of.... sense that when you’re LGBT in fandom you’re gonna see every character as gay and you’re sus/someone’s gonna side eye you if you don’t. like i get the whole ‘well obviously everything is straight and cis IRL, and im sick of it’ reasoning behind “everyone is gay/trans” but the thing is.... I wanna see cis and straight people who support their gay/trans friends and family. I don’t need to live in a world where no one is straight and cis. I need to live in a world where people who are straight and cis actually support and love LGBT people. i personally don’t get anything out of the fantasy of no straight cis people because what does that solve? and what does that say about the homophobia and transphobia within the series? It doesn’t solve or say anything. And quite frankly a series like Naruto is inherently homophobic and transphobic (especially trans misogynistic), and i think brushing that aside with an “everyone’s gay/trans” is more insulting than helpful because it’s not addressing the issue. I’m more invested in seeing the characters who aren’t LGBT supporting and loving and working to make the world better for their LGBT friends, family, and community.

like i know not everyone is writing/reading fanfiction or art or what have you in fandom for like realism or whatever, i get the whole escapism of it all, but i approach it this way because for me I just don’t get anything out of pretending that the -isms and -phobias within the series don’t exist.

also straight trans people exist?????

i could go on about this--like some characters are just... not good and i don’t wanna claim that as LGBT because of that--but like i think this is the biggest thing for me at the end of the day: seeing ppl who aren’t LGBT supporting LGBT ppl.

3. Gaara is a polyglot. Also, he’s self-taught in just about everything. He spent most of his youth in the Suna library for obvious reasons, so reading, writing, language, poetry, history, politics, arts, etc he learned there on his own.

4. Shikamaru and Temari live in Suna 6 months out of the year, and Konoha the other 6. Temari does NOT give up her job to be a nagging wife, and Shikamaru is 100% a wife man.

5. Lee is not originally from Konoha or Fire. He doesn’t remember his parents or how he wound up at a Konoha orphanage because trauma. Also his first language isn’t Japanese.

I have more specific HCs about who Lee’s parents are, where he came from, and what happened to his parents, but that’s like spoilers for a fic.

6. Tenten is not an outright orphan. She actually comes from a clan of weapons masters and smiths.

I think it’s fairly common for ppl to assume Tenten is an orphan because we obviously never see her family--granted we just don’t see much of her to begin with--but I personally fell in love with the idea of her having a clan with the focus being weapons. Her parents are still dead, but she lives with her grandmother, who’s renowned for her weapons.

7. Lee has a HUGE amount of chakra. Like obnoxiously huge stores of it that he just doesn’t know how to manipulate--not quite Kisame levels, but definitely a LOT. He gets as far as walking on water and walls, but he absolutely has to be focused to accomplish those feats and prefers just going really fast so he doesn’t fall in/off.

8. Sage mode!Rock Lee.

I have talked about this before(x, x), but you can absolutely pry this from my cold dead hands--actually, you couldn’t. I’d still hold on to this even in death.

9. Lee has like a photographic memory which is why he always writes things down that people tell him.

10. Gaara will be the last Kazekage--whoever comes after him (and i do have a HC for that) will be Kazekage only in the sense that they’re like the figurehead maybe, but ultimately Gaara is working to completely change the shinobi way of life and the Kage system will be dismantled starting with Suna/Gaara.

11. In a modern AU context, Lee is a HUGE fan of Queen and Bruce Lee.

12. Lee definitely grows his hair out later on in life and changes up his attire and becomes his own person.

13. The Kazekage Estate is a generation home--most households in Suna are, and in fact, it’s really fucking weird for someone not to live in a generational home--so Gaara lives there with his siblings. When Temari gets married, she and Shikamaru live there, and continue to do so when they have kids. If Kankuro has a kid (and a spouse), they’ll live there too. Lee eventually moves in. The house is always filled with love. When Gai visits with Kakashi, or when Tenten and Neji visit, they stay there too.

[thewolfisawake]

CLAMPS for the fandom

Favorite character:

Mmmm. I don’t think I have one I love terribly more than others but I guess stand outs are Sakura Kinomoto and Yuko Ichihara. Sakura because I was her age when I first found the series and related to her a lot as a clumsy, not the best but not the worst sort of girl. As for Yuko, well, she’s funny, powerful, and damn that fashion sense. 

Least Favorite character:

Probably a tie between Akira’s mothers and Seishirou. The former because the boy is fucking nine, you bitches, what the fuck are you doing having him steal shit just because you think it’s pretty. A five-year-old is better at taking care of him and worst part is that I am not exaggerating. As for Seishirou...mmm, I guess I more just didn’t like this drop of some persona he had. I mean it was a persona but like I feel he lost so much personality to just be ‘I’m a stone-cold murderer and I feel nothing inside.’

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon):

KuroFai - Look, they went through a lot of each other’s bullshit and I am here for it. Also there’s something about Kurogane being able to see through Fai’s fake smiles and that it’s something that paralleled his father telling when his mother did the same. I got into an argument over this ship. Like Kurogane made some sacrifices you don’t make lightly for someone that you claim you dislike. 

Touya/Yukito - This has such a nostalgic place in my heart. Like this was my first feelings for people of the same sex being together as like a young child. And like it felt right even if English dub very much tried to make it feel like there’s something wrong. Look those two being caring and loving towards each other. Would you give up your powers for your SO? Would you??? (there’s a running theme with CLAMP faves y’all)

SubKam - Even though I know CLAMP says they see them as ‘sisters’ but like, in the conotext of X for me? They were probably like the only good personal relationship that either has had. And I think it also is somewhat scary to Subaru to see someone going down the same path he has and knows on some level who he is isn’t the best. And Kamui’s love for everyone is just a thing for me but I think it was just that one-on-one he’s had with Subaru that gets me.......and then burns me when in another of CLAMP’s series, they’re twin vampires. Why do you do this CLAMP?

Kakei/Saiga - Look. Look. The whole angel/devil dynamic has been done before but such a teasing and loving relationship is like the best. And they are looking out for this baby ship trying to find it’s footing. They are the parents and I love the ship that are also the parents for some other characters. Also the demon is great at domestic matters while still smoking and looking like menace. I love it. 

Sakura/Syaoran - But which one am I referring to? Haaaaaaa...I am referring to Cardcaptor Sakura version of this pair. It’s just so cute and you spend so much time (in the anime) watching their relationship change from rivals to one-sided crushing to ‘oh I think I love them.’ Strong nostalgia with it and is why I refuse to do Clear Card as I fear how much that’ll affect my feelings on it. 

Character I find most attractive:

Yue. Oh god he’s so pretty. I constantly forget but then like out of nowhere remember how pretty he is. Also Yuko. She’s just so beautiful in her enigmatic nature. 

Character I would marry:

Probably Kurogane. Look, for all his tsun, he does care and if not taken by his husband, 10/10 would go for. 

Character I would be best friends with:

Tomoyo because I accept being a side character but by no means does that mean that shenanigans can’t happen while the heroes are doing their thing. She’s energetic and considerate and one to always have the camera rolling. I also can level with ‘my happiness is your happiness’ she holds. 

a random thought:

CLAMP doesn’t seem to be afraid of trying to go into interesting and even uncomfortable lines of love. And I kind of applaud it because love is such a broad thing to define and while we try to boil it down often...love isn’t black and white and it can get very murky. It can get weird. It can border and sometimes cross ‘this feels wrong’ but I really do like in some of the works or ships that ‘feelings are complicated.’ 

An unpopular opinion:

CLAMP can’t end a series to save their lives. Like everything about any series is fine except the ending. I haven’t had an ending I’ve particularly liked except Cardcaptor Sakura but I find it hard to mess up a ‘shojo romance.’ 

My Canon OTP:

Sakura/Syaoran I guess is the only one that’s been like explicitly said?

My Non-canon OTP:

It’s hard since so many are like canon in everything except like a blantant ‘oh yeah I’m with this person.’ So KuroFai.

Most Badass Character:

Clone!Syaoran. There’s something kind of cool about a dogged deteremination.

Most Epic Villain:

Uuuuuhhhhhh, sorry, I don’t think there’s much of a ‘villain’ to most of their series. Maybe monkey paw? Monkey Paw. That fucker was kind of terrifying. 

Pairing I am not a fan of:

Phew, the burning I’ll experience buuuuuuttttt SubSei. But hear me out! I do think it’s an interesting dynamic. I can’t quite place my feelings on as I don’t outright hate it but I also don’t love it. For the same reasons. I think it does do well with the whole falling in love with your target thing in a really interesting way. Like catching feelings doesn’t necessarily stop you from being a cold-blooded murderer and sometimes you don’t stop. And while I know and understand that this is a different land with different rules and the like....I am still somewhat squicked by how the age thing plays here. Like in the context of X or even Tokyo Babylon...I was okay with it. But the backstory part was a hard brake on that. 

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another):

Hinoto. Just. Where? Where did that fucked up personality come from? I feel like there was too small of a window for this to show up. It started feeling like a plot device to get people arranged neatly. It wasn’t a bad thing to have another personality show up...I just wish it had been introduced a bit longer and run her cards in the background before basically the end. 

Favourite Friendship:

Kamui & Yuzuriha or Keiichi - The world may be ending but hey you wanna go get some food? Just like the simplicity of it I guess is really nice. Especially since Yuzuriha got Kamui back before he got curbstomped into being a good boy. And then there’s Keiichi. He may be a minor character but he’s shown so much concern and kindness to Kamui when his life is literally going to shit. And this is while dealing with his own strife that the goddamn apocalypse that no one knows about is going on!

Character I most identify with:

Sakura from CCS as I said above. She was like me when I was younger.

Character I wish I could be:

Haha....no one. Because CLAMP are sadists and everyone is sad in some way, shape or form. 

[thelittlemermage]

"I spoke with CLAMP"

In light of recent events here's a thing every person in the Tsubasa Chronicles Fandom knows about Vic (and maybe others have heard it as well at this point)

He straight up said he met CLAMP and they told him, the character Fai D Flourite whom he voiced, was Not Gay. There's a video of him saying this at a panel in response to a fan asking what he thought of his close relationship to Kurogane.

Now, as soon as he claimed this, questions were immediately brought up. How did he know to ask this before he was even in Tsubasa Chronicles? He said himself he never read the Manga so he wouldn't know much if anything about the series at this point in time. Apparently Colleen Clinkenbeard knew to ask this, per Vic. Also...CLAMP... They don't speak English. Was there an interpreter to ask this for him/Colleen?? This may be possible but not something he ever explained? And lastly.... No member of CLAMP would say that about their character. If you know them as a group it just... Isn't something they do. They leave a lot of things very open ended on purpose. The closest thing I've ever seen to them addressing Kurofai was when someone mentioned it at a panel and a member said "Oh, it that something you like? -fans cheer- Well there's something coming up later..." referring to certain events between them in the Acid Tokyo arc. Also, CLAMP is sort of known for writing all characters as essentially bi since a big theme of theirs is that when it comes to soul mates that sort of thing doesn't matter.

Now...normally you could maybe brush this off as Vic not caring for ""random yaoi ships with no basis" "" as apparently he doesn't like "non Canon". But lying to make something not Canon by claiming to speak directly to the creators? Why? Of all ships? I can understand his eversion to say, Ed/Roy...a ship involving an underage boy. But Kurofai? A ship with two grown adults in which they are literally bound together for the rest of their lives and also (wow Tsubasa spoilers in 2019) one of them cuts off an arm to save the other's life???? And that's putting things lightly. The significance of the bond between them and the sheer amount of symbolism CLAMP uses...its natural to see them as the definition of soul mates. It's a reach to see their relationship as totally platonic, honestly.

What I'm saying is this isn't an "uwu yaoi" ship. It's well defined in Canon. And when met with criticism his response is only "well, I don't read the Manga. I only do the anime." Implying that (even tho apparently CLAMP told him there was no gay... Lol) even if there was there wasn't any in the anime cuz he voiced it and he said so.

So if you've seen people saying things like "people only think Vic is homophobic because he said a character wasn't gay once!" Yea...it's a bit more shady than that. It was a bizarre thing to do and he totally dismissed the fan's question and talked down to her while spouting lies. Why is he so adamant about Fai not being gay? What makes him so uncomfortable that he has to make up stories? Why can't he just act...normal? I can't picture another VA having that reaction. Idk man, just a thing that happened that has always made me question his character.

[melodicness]

Chapter 5 - KuroFai FF

Kurogane was a way too cruel to Fai when he told him about everything he did with Yuui but he never was a nice human and people who know him should understand how it was meant. The problem was Fai itself. He took so many words and actions personally even if he didn’t show it and in Kurogane’s mind, Fai would accept his decision and would leave this world without Kurogane.

Before Kurogane had left the house, he had looked in his room and had noticed that Yuui was gone already. That was good, because Kurogane just needed a few minutes to himself for thinking about the words he said and that he had nearly touched Fai against his will.

“Idiot,” Kurogane hissed.

This day just started some hours ago but it was a mess already. Kurogane’s hand stroke through his hair while he was starring in the sky. It was clear blue, the sun was shining and some birds were ruining the silence.

“Could you shut up for a moment? I need to think,“ the black haired man complained.

Not knowing where his way led to, Kurogane began to move.

There was a path leading from their house to the city, but also a path into a little forest near the city. Kurogane went there from time to time when he wanted to be alone. He felt the presence of magic all over this world but it was stronger inside the forest. It was nice to be alone but also it was terrible to be surrounded by of all this magic and animals. That’s why he never stayed there for too long or went deeper into it.

Without realizing Kurogane had gone deeper, ignoring the strange feeling he had. The landscape turned into an opening with a lake. Only a few sunrays shone through the thick forest, the water surface started to sparkle while he could only hear birds, the burbling of water and the slightly wind.

For Kurogane’s taste it was a way too cheesy and tasteless but also … beautiful somehow? The perfect place for a world composed of magic.

Kurogane wanted to turn over immediately to leave this strange place but when he turned his head, he saw a person standing on the surface of the water.

He couldn’t see clearly who this person was nor if this person was human but he could feel something familiar.

While staring on the back of this one he examined the appearance and got clearly sure that it was Yuui… kind of. He wore a white coat with a big hood and the fabric was floating.

Well, Kurogane knew about Yuui being a magician too but he never used it … just like Fai. So Kurogane could just guessing which magic he controlled. It wasn’t a magic to fight it felt more like the opposite of Fai’s.

Kurogane still doesn’t know much about magic and even does not know why he was able to tell which is which but he really felt it. Maybe he got used to this world.

Yuui didn’t noticed him yet and Kurogane went some steps to his side without bothering him. Kurogane wanted to watch. Bright lights in different colors appeared around Yuui, floating over the surface and they felt warm when they suddenly came closer to Kurogane.

Surprise wasn’t the right word but Kurogane didn’t expect them to include him into Yuui’s… ritual? He still didn’t know what Yuui was doing.

“Don’t move,” Yuui gently spoke. His eyes were closed after all but he knew he wasn’t alone anymore.

“It may helps you to relax,” he continued. His arm rose with elegant movements like he was playing with the light balls.

“You just need to close your eyes.”

Yuui must have a strong feel of trust if he doesn’t bother to look who joined him.

Kurogane was on the point of telling Yuui that he wouldn’t do any kind of magic or want to be involved but his eyes closed automatically.

“…”

A soft smile laid on Yuui’s lips when a strong wind came, blowing the hood from his head. The wind played with his long hair.

He normally wore his hair in a messy updo so you couldn’t see how long it was. Kurogane could not even see the full length when they had sex because it was too dark. It was a bit longer than Fai’s.

Tiny and warm light balls danced around Kurogane and just some seconds later they disappeared.

“I can use magic too,” Yuui started to talk quietly. He still smiled softly when he turned around to look at Kurogane.

“I know,” Kurogane replied unimpressed. He already was aware of this but didn’t thought it would feel this relaxing.

Yuui smirked as he noticed his reaction. While he was still standing on the water the floating stopped and Yuui’s hair lay all over his shoulders.

“But unlike Fai I can use healing magic and a lot of supporting magic. I guess I couldn’t fight if I had to.”

It really was the opposite of Fai but Fai never used his magic to defend himself, instead pretending he wasn’t able to use it.

“Unlike Fai you’re using it. But what’s the point of comparing yourself to him?“

“I’m not comparing myself with him… not anymore. I lost to him I suppose,” Yuui smirked.

Yuui came closer when he talked to Kurogane, stopping right in front of him.

“What are you doing here, Yuui?” Kurogane wanted to know when he suddenly felt Yuui’s hand on his cheeks.

Yuui still smiled but it wasn’t honest like the days before. Kurogane felt he hides a pain deep inside his heart like his Fai does.

“I’m surprised you found this place, Kuro-sama. It’s my personal hideout, just a few people know about it since I’m hiding it with my magic.”

“You do?”

“You know… this place is really special to me. It holds most of my magic besides it is the only place I still can talk to… my Kurogane,” Yuui spoke with a slight sadness in his voice.

Kurogane didn’t move nor back away from his hand. He didn’t even responded to his words.

So, Yuui told him about Yuuko and a strong wish he had but couldn’t afford the payment but not about the wish itself. Kurogane knew this world’s Kurogane was already dead but not why he had to die. A lot of questions weren’t answered and he didn’t dare ask them.

Yuui walked on tiptoe to kiss Kurogane’s lips very gently before he pulled Kurogane with him onto the surface of the water.

Kurogane was shocked for a moment when he thought he would take a bath right then but instead he stood there with Yuui. The mage held his hands, stood close to him and looked in his eyes.

“I need to be close to use the magic, otherwise you’ll get wet,” Yuui explained.

“I hate magic,” Kurogane grumbled and Yuui started to laugh.

“I know. But trust me… just once.”

“I guess I have too.” Kurogane didn’t really meant it but he couldn’t admit that he really trusted him.

“You’re thinking about Fai, am I right?”

“Yeah…”

“That’s good… I guess. I’m sorry for messing with you and Fai but I wanted to see if you really share the same destiny,” Yuui started to talk. He closed his eyes struggling with himself not to cry.

“Yuui, what’s the point?”

“Do you remember when I told you my Kurogane died already?”

“I do.”

It felt strange and most of all: It suddenly happened. Kurogane didn’t come here to talk with Yuui, he just wanted to be alone. He was kind of confused that he found Yuui in the forest and just more confused that he stood with him on a lake now.

Kurogane wasn’t upset. He felt more calm than he ever did and that maybe was because of Yuui’s magic?

“Don’t judge me for not telling you and using you as an replacement. I really loved him and I still do. When he died I learned about Yuko and tried to talk to her but my wish was too… big. She couldn’t fulfill it, even if I could have paid for it. She just said that one day someone will appear in this world who is struggling with his own fate and if this person’s feelings were not strong enough for his destined one I could fulfill my wish.“

“You mean having _your_ Kurogane back?“ Kurogane was curious.

“It’s not that easy. You know… what’s once lost is forever gone. I may not be exactly like Fai but you appear exactly like my Kurogane. And the reason why Kurogane died is… me.”

Kurogane stopped to breath for a moment. Just for a few moments he thought about Fai’s behaviors and words. He never told him about his true intentions but hinted about them. Back to Yuuko’s words: The same souls in different worlds.

“What happened?“

“I had to kill him,” Yuui answered honestly.

The moment Yuui ended his words he waited for Kurogane to kick him away but nothing happened.

“Kurogane…?”

“You didn’t have bad intentions. I can feel your pure and broken soul. You must have had a good reason to do it,” Kurogane answered calmly.

“Show me what happened… I knew you can.“

Kurogane was still affected by Yuui’s magic when he pulled him closer. He released himself from Yuui’s hands and laid his arms around Yuui’s hips.

Yuui must have expected Kurogane would hate him instead of wanting to know more about his story.

After a long silence Yuui pulled Kurogane’s head closer and kissed him passionately to show him the past…

-

Chapter 6 (coming soon)

[sinkingorswimming]

Cosplayer AU cot’d

Yuuri attends Otakon every year after that, in handmade costumes that he never enters. Not even for hall contest judging. He notes times and dates for group photoshoots for the popular series and blends into them, not ever trying to stick out.

He learns more and more, taking sewing courses as electives in high school to get better and improve. They let him bring his cosplays for his projects, his teacher always so intrigued by the reference photos.

In an art class, he meets a boy named Phichit. Phichit is like, insane, at sculpting, casting, and even welding. He’s also super into anime and manga, and he begins attending Otakon with Yuuri when they get old enough to drive themselves. They spend their weekends together crafting---Phichit makes the props, Yuuri sews the outfits. 

It’s a great partnership, and they start getting noticed by the community.

When they turn 17, they enter the hall contest for the first time as Kurogane and Fai D. Flowright from TRC. It’s an image CLAMP made for Chapter 204---they’re in outfits based on historical samurai gear. Phichit cafted the bow, sword, and armor, while Yuuri sewed and styled the wigs. 

“Stop panicking,” Phichit says with a poke as they wait their turn.

“I’m fine,” Yuuri fires back.

They’re close enought to see the judges---and...oh god. One of them is Chris Giacometti, who is mostly a photographer now. One is Mila Babicheva, who was on their WCS team the year before with Sara Crispino. They won the Brother prize, which they said was pleasing. 

The third is Yuuri’s idol, his raison d’etre for this hobby, why he can sew and style fake hair like it’s his job.

He cut his hair last year to the chagrin of the community, saying he wanted to branch out away from the light haired pretty boys with long locks after he did the Yoshitaka Amano version of Vampire Hunter D. Here he sits dressed as Nagisa Kaworu in his full plugsuit. 

Yuuri isn’t fond of Shinji, but he’s never wished to cosplay him more.

Phichit digs his knuckles into Yuuri’s back, forcing him to the table.

Chris raises an eyebrow---he’s in a comfortable outfit, undoubtedly changing for the masquerade, and he has glasses on. Mila is Fujiko Mine. “So,” begins, “KuroFai. Can we see your references?”

Phichit hands her a binder. It’s not just references---it’s progress shots of all the construction with them visibly in frame so there’s no doubt about the construction. The judges make various impressed murmurs. 

“May I see your seams?” Victor asks with a smile. He has red contacts in, and it’s not bad, but Yuuri’s seen him pictures out of cosplay with his natural eye color. It’s a lot prettier.

Yuuri holds out the long sleeve, turning it inside out. Victor runs his fingers over it with a serious look in his eyes. He turns back to Yuuri and he stares a little too long before smiling. “Your work is lovely...almost completely perfect. Are you at FIDM or FIT? Oh wait---you must go to SCAD of course!”

“Uh,” Yuuri begins. “I’m a high school senior. I just take a lot of home ec.”

Victor’s eyes widen. “High school?” 

Mila and Chris both look at them with greater interest. 

Phichit takes over with a bright grin and the V sign. “Yup! We graduate right before next year’s con! We spent all year on these, though, because we figured better to do it well than to rush! Plus sourcing the fabrics was a pain, ask Yuuri!”

“Um, well,” Yuuri coughs. “Mood sells online. So it’s not...not terrible? And we went to Rockville to G Street...they had good choices, too.”

“G Street is where I go,” Victor says with a grin. “Love them. On a first name basis with the entire staff. Take classes sometimes...curious I’ve never come across you!” He bites his bottom lip while looking at Yuuri, then he recalls Phichit is his partner. “Either of you.”

Chris snorts and gives Victor the sideye over Mila. Mila shakes her head, then turns back to her job. “May I?” she asks. Phichit hands her the bow. “Hm, surprisingly unburdensome,” she begins as she touches it. “No visible lines or seams, flawless paint...you spent hours sanding this, didn’t you?”

“I marathoned Champloo,” Phichit admits with a shrug. “Twice.”

Chris laughs, heartily and happily. “Yeah, you know, when I made my Kefka, I went through a few seasons of Yu Yu Hakusho.”

Phichit laughs. “Then you get me!”

Mila laughs too, but Victor’s eyes haven’t strayed from Yuuri. Yuuri notices, and gives him a quizzical look that may be slightly bitchy since he flies blind in costume. “Do you have a social media account or webpage?” Victor asks. 

“Uh---no,” Yuuri manages. “This is the first one I’m proud of, honestly.”

“You should, I’d like to see more of your work,” Victor says as he checks the entry form. He scans it and sees their names with their characters. “Katsuki Yuuri,” he reads.

Phichit is giving him a look but Yuuri flushes and nods. “Um, yes. That’s me. We’ll set up a site...soon. Um...”

A volunteer taps Victor and points at the ten or so entrants behind them. “Oh! Yes!” Victor grins. “Well, thank you both.”

“Thank you,” Mila and Chris chime in unison.

“Thank YOU,” Phichit replies as he bodily steers Yuuri away. He gives Yuuri a judgmental raised eyebrow that Yuuri pretends he doesn’t see.

They went to the Starbucks on the third floor of the convention center and wait in the hellish line for cold drinks. They’ve barely paid and had their first sips when an excitable boy with a DSLR screams and runs to them. The boy has blonde and red dyed hair and he insists on doing a photoshoot right that second on the garden and fountain area of the BCC. 

It takes like...elventy hours and others take their pictures too in various fighting stances. (A few ask for...pandering shots, but since Phichit and Yuuri can read search results for Kuro and Fai, they anticipated this. Somewhat awkward since just buds, but not a shock.)

When the light fades, they head to the Pratt Street Pavilion and eat a nice (they’re kids) dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Yuuri almost drowns in cucumber lemonade and Phichit insists on them sharing their cheesecakes. 

They manage to get back in time for the Masquerade and they get decent seats. A lot of the skits are okay, some are outright just awful, but there’s no clear perfection like when Victor competed. Yuuri reminds himself of his goal---Best in Show at Otakon, just like Victor. 

He’s not there yet, but he will be.

Halftime happens, and the music video winners are shown. Then it’s time for the Hall Contest winners. Yuuri’s palms and forehead drip sweat. Phichit holds his hand, no less nervous than Yuuri but better at pretending otherwise.

Kids then novices, which is their category, and nothing. Journeymen, Master. Best of Friday, Best of Saturday. Nothing. Yuuri and Phichit exchange sad looks, but they don’t complain. They’re smart---next time, they’ll do better.

Victor takes the mic. “Best of the Weekend was something special, especially for first time entrants! Everything was flawless from the sewing to the prop making...entry number #53, Kurogane and Fai from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles!”

Yuuri freezes like a statue as Phichit jumps up with a loud shout. He tries to drag Yuuri to the stage, but Yuuri can’t budge. “Dude,” Phichit says. with disbelief all over his face.

“Oh!” Yuuri realizes. He stumbles, and they walk up the stage stairs. Flashbulbs blind both of them as they’re given room to pose for photographs. Occasionaly they change position, and it ultimately lasts a solid ten minutes. Phichit accepts the trophy and prizes with a bright grin, shaking the hand of each judge. 

Yuuri almost forgets himself, and follows suit. “Good job,” Mila says with a grin, now dressed as Hyakurin from Blade of the Immortal.

“Well done!” adds Chris with a big pat on his shoulder. Chris is Saya from Blood+. It’s a good look.

Victor is Sebastian from Black Butler, and Yuuri swallows. Victor’s eyes light up, and instead of a handshake, he pulls Yuuri into a hug. “I want to see what you do next,” he whispers. 

Yuuri’s cheeks turn red, and he clears his throat. “Okay.”

Victor’s smile fills the room, and it’s all Yuuri sees, even on the drive home as Phichit talks a mile a minute about how next time they’ll go even bigger.

[fizzingwizard]

1, 2, 12

Your favourite non-canon ship?

Joumi! An old childhood fav. Even though there are so many popular ships for Mimi, to me there’s never been anything but Joumi. I’m resigned to their non-canonness, it’s always been more of an “aren’t they cute” feeling more than a deep passion, and I just love how many scenes they’ve had together in Tri and little details like Jou helping Mimi climb the rocks or Palmon sitting on Gomamon, etc. It isn’t canon, but I’m pretty happy with it the way it is.

2. Is there a ship you didn’t like at first but ultimately started shipping?

This may be a little obscure, but it’d be WillxLyra in His Dark Materials. Reason being, when I was a kid I just loved Lyra in Northern Lights, and when Will came along in Subtle Knife, I was like, “where’s Lyra??” I didn’t dislike Will, and all was well when Lyra joined him, but it disappointed me when they started to fall in love because Lyra’s independence and spunk were what I loved about her most, and now she was all “Oh, Will!!” etc etc. However, I came to like them as a couple a lot over a time.

12. What is your favourite canon ship?

Kenshin & Kaoru from Rurouni Kenshin! This is one story where I think everything would have been so much less memorable if they’d never become a couple. Shonen manga loves to dodge the issue, or just have the girl pine away while the guy goes on either oblivious or making a personal choice not to get involved with her. Usually that’s whatever, ok, fine, but in Ruroken I just think there was no other outcome that could be satisfying in any way besides Kenshin and Kaoru getting together.

Also, two special mentions!

1) KuroFai. I think of them as a canon ship. I think CLAMP probably does as well, so that’s that. But fans will be fans and since they’ve never done anything romantic, plenty would say they’re not canon. It doesn’t matter to me because they’re an all-time fav canon or not. Kurogane and Fai were the main reason I fell in love with TRC, because Syaoran and Sakura alone just don’t do it for me (which is why I so wish CLAMP would write more them!!! but!!!!). And I have to say, there is so much great Kurofai fic out there. Sometimes I struggle to find fic I like, but never with KuroFai!

2) Kirk/Spock. Another one that is canon as far as I’m concerned, but not something ever made official by The Powers That Be. That they love each other is canon, though, and that’s the most important part. Scenes between Kirk and Spock are always awesome and memorable whether they’re just silly, or deep and meaningful, or a totally casual conversation. That’s the magic of their relationship.

[meow-meow-motherfckr]

The Shape of Happiness (Chapter 2) Ships: Kurofai (Kurogane/Fai) Toyuki (Toya Kinomoto/Yukito Tsukishiro) Characters: Fai D. Flourite, Kurogane, Syaoran, Sakura Kinomoto, Toya Kinomoto, Yukito Tsukishiro Rating: M

In which Kurogane and Fai are both struggling to raise their children and keep their lives together. After and injury brings Kurogane to Tomoeda, he meets a man who may turn his life upside-down.

Or, in which Fai was doing just fine on his own until somebody had to come along and fall in love with him.

“Where are you from?” Kurogane asked. He was surprised this hadn’t come up, but he also got the feeling Fai avoided the topic. “Sweden,” Fai said. “Way up North too. So it was really cold. And dark all winter” “Why come to Japan?” Kurogane asked. “It’s not exactly close.” Fai shrugged. “I just wanted to see the world. Go somewhere new, and leave home.”

“And there wasn’t anything tying you to your life back there?” Kurogane asked, very aware he would likely not receive an answer.

As expected, Fai turned away from him and said, “I’m going to see if the kids want popsicles. Do you want one?” Kurogane sighed. Things were always difficult with Fai.