#Citron & his brothers

[winter-spark]

Do you guys ever think about the amount of pressure and how draining it must be to have been Orange growing up?

No no like seriously think about it, think about it.

When everyone found out that Citron would be next in line for the throne, Orange was dragged into the spotlight with him. It had to have been from the jump that people who didn't want Citron, the son of a commoner, as King latched onto Orange.

"Orange would be a better fit." "Orange should be king." "Why the son of a commoner when the next son isn't one?"

Like Orange probably heard stuff like that all throughout his life, that's a lot. To immediately be put in a box as a better fit for ruler, and you know it was a lot of pressure because he then dedicated his life to proving that point. He had to be better than his hard-working, calculative, already training/set-to-be-the-King older brother, when from the get-go people preferred him.

Sure Citron worked to win over the public's opinion but don't you think that hurt more? So many thought you'd be a better fit and now they're saying your brother is a good fit, that they're happy and satisfied with that? What? Was your hard work not good enough? Were you somehow worse than him? Did you dissatisfy the people?

Orange grew up feeling in constant comparison to Citron. Feeling in the eye of the people. Knowing that if anything happened to lead to Citron not being King, he was next up. And even with the number of people who liked Citron, there were still people who thought Orange should be King instead, including extremists, one of which worked for Orange directly for who knows how long. He couldn't relax, he couldn't quit, he didn't have the room to.

They tell us that Citron couldn't get along with his brothers because the competition for the crown but we don't get to see it from Orange and Navel's perspective much. We know they were curious enough about Citron that they'd copy some things he did, such as reading one of his favorite books. But let's not forget they had a negative takeaway from that book, they didn't get it. Their world, though similar to Citron's, has colored their lenses darker than his, to where they couldn't see the positive over the parts that didn't make sense to them, over the negative. Also, they see Citron as lucky, that he was born under a lucky star. While Citron was the one to say they then must've been born under unlucky stars, they already were somewhat thinking that to point out how lucky Citron is. After all, they had to have been comparing his luck to something to conclude he was lucky.

Being Orange was being bitter and cold and working hard to accomplish a goal. A goal many thought you were suited for, to the point that you believed it yourself, that you had to prove it to your father-- to everyone, that you had to be ready if it ever came to pass. And that's what he did.

He worked hard, and plotted, and schemed, and grew so desperate. And it wasn't even because he hated Citron. Because he doesn't hate Citron. Orange resents Citron, he thinks it should've been him instead, he thinks he needs to prove himself better than Citron, he thinks Citron is in his way. But he doesn't hate him. If he hated him he wouldn't read his favorite book to try and get that bit of understanding. If he hated him he wouldn't care if Citron died, so long as he got the throne. But he did read that book, and he did care that Citron lived, making it clear that he thought just kidnapping him was suffice. So yea, Orange didn't do all of that out of hatred for Citron, but moreso out of (self)obligation, expectation and determination.

It was hard in his earliest years for him not to desire the crown, the comments against Citron likely initially felt somewhat as a compliment. So of course, it became something more something he just had to make tangible. People believed he could, he believed he could, he just had to get there. He'd been convinced from a young age that this was what he wanted. And maybe he really did. But it wasn't easy and all his hard work never seemed to come to fruition.

He worked hard and people grew to like Citron as next in line. He studies to be prince, was days away from his coronation, and Citron shows up for the crown. Orange kidnaps his brother, (says no on the killing of him) to try a last ditch effort of getting the crown because if Citron was coronated he wouldn't get any other chances. But the one person who was supposed to be on his side and listen to him directly, didn't and everything went up in flames, which he didn't want, and he's been stripped of the chances to become king(because he did set up basically an attempted hit on his brother). And his reputation was completely tarnished, being blamed for things he didn't do, such as breaking the translation device.

Of course, Orange's actions are his own and of course he has to make up for the harm he's caused and of course people's view of him was gonna change. But gosh it's so exhausting being Orange, working your whole life for the affection, respect and approval of the people, of your father, and for it all to turn to dust. All that hard work down the drain.

You think he ever wished he was Tangerine? Blissfully out of the race for Crown, able to have time without people looking closely at your actions in comparison to Citron's, able to breathe?

[youtellmeman]

Hello ma’am 😈 I am here to request 😈 I’m thinking neteyam and reader are like enemies😡 they do not like each other okay but somewhere somehow they accidentally perform tsaheylu with each other and then they bang 😦

Yuh first request done-zo I really enjoyed writing this so i hope you like it.

Neteyam Sully x Fem!Na'vi!reader

Rated R

includes- smut, ma as a pet name, baby as a pet name, fingering, p in v, dirty talk, fem genitailia, accidental tsaheylu

In this tsaheylu is only explicitly erotic the first time around and it can be used to simply better understand what your mate is thinking/feeling.

Na'vi word translations

tiwan- love, wiya- damn, tewng- loincloth, knalu- fuck, Uvang- damn, skxwang- moron,imu’ta- bitch

italics= spoken in na'vi

Hating Neteyam, had been easy. After all it was all you'd ever known when it came to the blue boy. You’d always seen him as so, so irritating.

He always thought he knew better, better than his siblings, better than the other kids in the village, and better than you. That being eldest son to the Olo’eyktan made him so much smarter than those his age and unfortunately it seemed that trait would follow him to his grave as even now, after being accepted into the clan as an adult,he held himself to be so all knowing.

“What are you doing out here?” the voice came from behind you, his voice. “This area of the forest is dangerous, you should have someone with you.”

“Why, because I am incapable of taking care of myself?” It's a loaded question,but you can't help the way he is so quick to get under your skin. Whipping around to meet his citron eyes, raising a brow when you hear him scoff to himself.

“Why must you make everything into conflict?”

“Why must you be an imu’ta who refuses to let me live in peace.” I bite back and the air between us grows tense, eyes boring into eachothers waiting for one of us to break.

“Damn it, you are so difficult for what? I am simply looking out for you, it is dangerous, we both know this.” he huffs angrily out his nose and his tail thumbs against the ground with his growing anger.

“Have you considered that perhaps I don’t need anyone looking out for me? Especially not you, now leave me be and let me hunt in peace.” You roll your eyes and without waiting for a  response you start to walk. Slinging your bow over your shoulder as you search for a new, quiet place to hunt.

“How dare you turn your back to me!” You can hear his steps speeding up after you resulting in your pace speeding as well until he manages to catch you. His slender fingers wrapping around your wrist spinning you face him. “You dare disrespect the future-”

“Future! You said it yourself!” You cut him off hissing the words at him angrily, “You hold no authority over me Neteyam so cease this useless display of power. Power that you do not have.” You spit. And maybe if you’d been less focused on the current shouting match you were having you would’ve noticed the small hand wrapping around your queue.

“Regardless of whatever you may think I am owed respect!” He snarls back and before you can you feel a sudden rush through your system, something so new yet familiar and immediately your eyes leave Neteyams face to focus on finding what's caused this surge of energy and what you can only describe as feeling. You find it immediately, honing in the little blue hand wrapped around your queue, your queue that was currently connected to, to…

“Tuktirey!” It's Neteyams voice that cuts through the silence though you can barely hear him,you can barely hear him with the wave of shock that flows through your body clogging your ears like water.

 You can tell he's scolding her for a minute or two before she's shooed away, leaving you two alone still connected and you can feel it starting to ebb its way to the surface, the lust. Pupils blown wide as you find Neteyams eyes once more.

You can't find the words to ask why in the world Tuk would think that it’d be okay to connecther brother and yourself. All you can do is search his face and body for any sign he’s feeling what you are, and boy do you find it. Whether it be the rapid rise and fall of his chest or the tent in his tewng growing by the second. 

Opening your mouth trying to find the words but you fail once more, or really you're cut off by the feeling of lips against yours as his hand finds its way to the base of your neck holding you close while the other pulls you in by the waist. And as his hips slot themselves so perfectly against yours you try to find some sliver of restraint, a tiny ounce of strength that will let you rip yourself away from him. You come up empty handed.

Hands finding their way to his hair pulling at the roots as you press him closer, pulling a heavenly groan from his lips.You find yourself pulling him back with you until your back meets tree, pulling back for a ragged breath. 

“Holy mother.” You huff out in between breaths, Neteyam on the other hand has let his mouth wander from your jaw to neck, sucking dark purple marks onto the sensitive skin about your collar bone intermittently letting his fangs drag against the new purple markings, before coming back up.  Neteyam kisses like he wants to consume you completely, it's a mess of teeth and spit as you both battle for dominance, it’s when he bites at your bottom lip that you give up  on grasping at the reins letting him take complete control.

As your mouths clash Neteyam gets busy with his hands pulling the knot at the side of your loincloth before hoisting one of your legs up into his hip. Letting the arm that's not holding your leg slide between your bodies, finger sliding down your slick dampened lips, moving between tracing around your clit to moving downward to tease at your fluttering entrance. He does this a few times before you grow tired of his teasing. Pulling back to let your head rest on the bark of the tree.

“Quit it and do something, or are you just as incapable of pleasing a woman as you are at leaving me alo- ohh!” A surprised moan escapes your lips before you can finish the taunt.

“Wiya, you talk a lot.” The smug look that covers his face would have you rolling your eyes if you weren’t so focused on trying to keep them open enough to see anything at all. The annoying bastard had slipped in a finger while you were mouthing off, curling it to hit that spongy sweet spot within while letting his thumb rub lazy circles on your bud. “If I knew all it’d take to shut you up would be to stick a finger in you I woulda done it long ago.” He’s the one taunting now.

“Shut up you skxwang- hah- For you to think I would’ve ever let you touch me like this before. You clearly don’t know everything you claim.” You bite back best you can, and while you know your words hardly have any merit while you’re literally humping the palm of his land looking for more.

“Such a smart fucking mouth, lets see how that changes after I have you cumming around my fingers, hmm?” He leans close while growling out his retort, sliding in another finger as he speaks. And god, it should be criminal that it's him making you feel so incredibly good.

“Fuck Neteyam.” You whimper out and his fingers speed up their unrelenting attack, consistently hitting that sweet spot and thumb moving so quickly against that bundle of nerves it has your knees ready to buckle. “Shit, I-I need more.” You're whining against his neck now, head resting against his shoulder as he continues his assault and you can feel his chest rumble with the groan that leaves his lips.

“You want my cock baby? You want it real bad?” You can only imagine the pride on his face , but none of that matters right now, not when you really really do. So all you can do is nod as moans and groans slip from your lips at the thought.

“No, need to hear you say it. You had so much to say earlier ma , what happened?” It’s the smugness in his voice that leads you to fight against what he wants from you.

“Fuck you.” It’s practically a pant as you pull your head back from the crevice of his neck and rest it against the tree that has you sandwiched between Neteyam. Peering at him from your lidded eyes.

“Tsk tsk, not what I asked for.” He shakes his head and the small grin he wears is nothing but predatory. “You want to cum by my hands, you're gonna do what I say.  " The pace he's picked up at the point is unforgiving, his fingers barely even thrust the tips simply rubbing against your most sensitive spot in a way that has you seeing stars and you can feel the coil in your stomach growing dangerously taut. But it's like he can see it on your face that you're growing close, and unfortunately he stands true to his words because as soon as you feel yourself about to teeter over the edge he stops. Leaving you withering against him.

“Nete-” 

“Say it.” There's no room for negotiation in his tone, “Say it or you don’t get to cum and if you dont cum on my fingers first you sure as hell aren't getting my cock.” 

It's almost pathetic how quick your resolve crumbles.

“I want you, please. Neteyam I want you please.”

“Say you need it.” Now he's just being mean cause he can.

“Fucking hell, need your cock so bad Neteyam, please.” Your breathing is ragged as you practically beg and he can hear the aggravation behind your voice.

“Not so hard is it, Tiyawn?” He quips as his fingers start to move again, thumb finding your clit as his index and middle continue the assault on the inside. And with you being so close prior it doesn’t take nearly anytime at all before your ether again, on the edge of complete euphoria just needing one last push. Push coming in the form of the third finger that ends up slamming into you, filling you up so completely and sending you crashing into waves of ecstasy. Hands finding his shoulders, nails leaving crescent marks in the blade of it as you ride your orgasm. Neteyam helps you through it, paying attention to your complete reaction while his fingered pump inside of you. 

Sliding out once he's sure you’ve enjoyed the best of it,dropping your hip to your side, giving you one more openmouthed kiss before spinning you around leaving you to brace yourself on the tree that was once digging into your back. His hand finds the small of your back pushing you to be bent, arching subconsciously, readying yourself for what's to come.

You look over your shoulder just in time to see him rip the string of his tewng in a rush to move it out the way, letting his length spring up and hit his stomach.

To say that Neteyam was well endowed would be an understatement, youd heard rumors before but holy mother they didn’t do him justice. He made eye contact with you as he grabbed himself by the base getting ready to line himself up with your core.

“Like what you see?” And of course he’s cocky about this too. Neteyam raises a playful eyebrow.

“Thought you'd be bigger.” It's a lie, but you can't let his ego go unchecked. Though it doesn't seem too much as he simply sucks his teeth in response, letting a toothy grin spread across his face.

“Mhm, that’s why I can see you clenching at the sight of it then?” He retorts, still smiling as he moves, letting his tip slide between your lips, catching at your entrance. A move that has both of you shuddering in anticipation.

“Neteyam!” you whine out tired of waiting, pushing your ass back with a wiggle in anticipation and to hopefully get him to act sooner.

“Fuck, yeah okay i'm coming.” You can hear him mutter behind you. Properly lining himself this time before pushing in slowly, the girth of his head alone has you gasping for air. He’s slow to work himself in, not wanting to let his desperation for release lead to you being hurt. Eventually however he does bottom out and once he does the both of you let out sighs of relief. He gives you a moment to adjust before beginning to move, pulling back to grind back into you. 

Usually this soft caring pace would leave you purring, but this is Neteyam and the fact that he just spent his time finger fucking you so good you see stars just to treat you like glass has you grinding your teeth in want for more.

“More.” You demand throwing a lust filled glare over your shoulder.

“Uvang, you feel so tight around me.” You're not even sure Neteyam heard you, his brows are pulled together and eyes scrunched in pleasure. 

“Knalu Neteyam, harder!” You snap, punctuating your sentence by pushing back onto his cock which seems to break his trance. 

“Eywa, why can't you let me enjoy this in peace?” His nostrils flare and eyes snap open boring into your own. Leaning forward he braces holds you by your shoulders. Sliding out till only his head is left inside of you before slamming back into you with enough strength to bruise. Switching from his heart shatteringly slow movement to thrusts that could shake Pandora itself. Thrusts that leave you gasping for air that's being knocked out of your lungs with every slam of his hips into yours. 

“Oh Eywa! Neteyam fuck, yes!”  Your moans are practically prayers as they fill the air around you, Not that he's being any quieter than you are. Moaning and groaning as he leans down to press wet kisses to your spine.

“Shit you feel so good Ma, fucking hell. Its like you were made to be wrapped around my cock, my perfect fucking pussy for the taking ain’t that right. ‘M gonna ruin you baby, mold this cunt to my cock. No one else could make you feel this good right Ma, c'mon tell me i'm right.” It’s hard to make out most of his rambles as he ruts into you like something feral, but you manage nonetheless.

“Fuck,  yes Neteyam no one’s as good as you. No one could make me feel- oh my- feel half as good as you, shit!” You say back telling him whatever he wants to hear, telling him the truth. And it has him speeding up at which point you thought was impossible as he continues to ramble on and on about how good you feel around him against the skin of your back. One of his hands manage to find their way around your waist and to your clit, rubbing tight circles while his noises grow more animalistic by the minute and it has you fluttering around him causing him to twitch within you. The both of your peaks growing increasingly closer. 

“I'm gonna cum, Net, fuck dont stop!” you warn him of your upcoming release and you can feel the way the knowledge fuels him, his grip on your shoulder tightening as he drills into you with fervor. 

“Cum for me tiwan, wanna feel you cum around me, cmon.” He urges you on and soon enough it comes. Surginging through you like electricity, punctuated by a high pitched whine as your legs tremble. Neteyam fucking you through it fighting to hold off his own upcoming orgasm in lew of making sure you can enjoy yours to the fullest and soon enough you start to come down, the way you clench becoming softer and more spaced out as you begin to take deep breaths in order to ground yourself. 

It only takes a few more pumps before the euphoria is hitting him like a splash of cold water and he’s quick to pull out and spill his seed on the curve of your ass and back, groaning your name slowly as he works his way through it.

Eventually you both restore enough air in your lungs to disconnect yourselves and get cleaned up. Finding a small and unoccupied pond to wash his essence of yourself along with the sweat you'd worked up along the way before slipping your clothes back on and helping him repair the string of his loincloth well enough that it would not fall off on his trek through the village. 

Still once you're both clothed you both take a few moments to be together and fully grasp the fact of what this connection means for the both of you. It's then that you finally find the words you’d lost earlier.

“Why did tuk do it? Why did she connect us?” You ask, your eyes finding his in confusion.

“Our parents.” He starts, “ Sometimes they fight and sometimes when they do they perform tsaheylu. In order to better understand what the other is feeling. She thought it would help us ‘get along’” he finishes explaining and you can't help but laugh at the childlike innocence of it all.

“How sweet in theory I suppose.” You smile up at him stifling a few laughs.

“Yeah,” he chuckles, “Remind me to thank her when we get back.” At that you roll your eyes and smack him in the shoulder. “Hey!”

——————

Let me know what you think

Reblogs and likes deeply appreciated

<3

[tomorrowsdrama]

Omg I love these two smart idiots in love. It’s so obvious these two still care about each other. Pei Wenxuan, you clearly loved your wife in your first life. Why did you let her believe that you had no feelings for her? Li Rong probably wouldn’t have turned to Su Rongqing if she didn’t feel betrayed by Pei Wenxuan. She thought she was the only one who fell in love. It makes sense that she’d put up walls and not trust him anymore.

===

Ooh I am loving the charged energy between these two. When she made him eat the citron knowing full well about his allergy, I thought I’d hate her. But instead, i found myself becoming more invested in her character. You could tell that she regretted her decision but couldn’t stop herself from lashing out anyway because of all those years of hurt and loneliness. And then he willingly ate the citrons (even though he really could have just refused to since all pretenses were gone at this point) to appease her because he partly felt guilty towards her! Omggg. And then I completely lost my mind (in a good way) when she told her servant to go after him and give him a cloak, anti-itch medicine, and silver. Omggggg I can’t with these two. And then I totally died when he said that only she would care to protect his dignity like this. Please just talk it out and make out with your beautiful selves.

===

Omg he tripped his own wife 😂 I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I was not expecting this hapless clumsy side of Pei Wenxuan.

===

These two are mentally 38 and 40 yet they’re bickering like a pair of teenagers. So childish haha.

===

Girl. GIRL. Your brother annihilated his family and CASTRATED him. Do you really think he’ll forget all of that and live happily by your side as your little man servant?

===

Love that Pei Wenxuan seems like a decent and kind person. They both knew in their hearts that Su Rongqing was the one who poisoned her in their first life yet he still said that there’s no proof so it might not be him to comfort her.

[diablademon]

I did a list of how long time there were between Charlotte siblings births.

This was made with the idea that Big Mom gave birth each and every year from she was 18 to 60 and never skipped a year. But keep in mind that she apparently gave birth 43 times in 42 years. So there was one year she gave birth two times.

First of Cracker and his sisters are only 5 months younger than Opera and his brothers. I read that children only have a chance of surving being premature birth if its been over 6 months. Because its at 6 months lungs and other organs are fully developed. But this is a show where a woman was pregnant for 22 months so everything goes in this world I guess.

Brûlée and Broyé have two different birthdays, twins being born on different dates arent that uncomman, but Broyé would have been born 9 months after Brûlée, 28 days before Nusstorte. Sounds more like Broyé would be apart of a Quadruplets with Nusstorte and his brothes than a twin of Brûlée. Most likely just a mistake on Odas part.

Perospero: March 14th 19 months

Compote: October 15th 12 months

Katakuri, Daifuku, Oven: November 25th 12 months

Mondée, Amande, Hachée, Effilée: December 10th 9 months

Opera, Counter Cadenza, Cabaletta, Gala: September 29th 5 months

Cracker, Custard, Angel: February 28th -

Zuccotto: - -

Brûlée, Broyé: March 6th and December 26th 10 months or 28 days

Nusstorte, Basskarte, Dosmarche: January 23rd 23 months

Noisette: December 15th 12 months

Moscato, Mash, Cornstarch - December 16th -

Compo, Laurin: - -

Mont-d'Or: April 23rd 20 months

Mozart, Marnier: - December 20th -

High-fat, Tablet: - -

Smoothie, Citron, Cinnamon - October 16th -

Saint-Marc, Basans: - -

Melise: - -

Dacquoise: - _

Galette, Poire: October 19th 12 months

Snack, Bavarois: October 29th 9 months

Prim, Paraline: July 22nd -

Kanten, Kato, Montb: - -

Chiboust: - -

Chiffon, Lola: January 27th 22 months

Mobile, Marble, Myukuru, Maple: November 17th -

Brownie: - -

Joconde: - -

Raisin: March 23rd -

Panna: - -

Mascarpone, Joscarpone: February 27th 19 months

Yuen: October 15th 13 months

Newichi, Newji, Newsan, Newshi, Newgo, Nutmeg, Akimeg, Allmeg, Harumeg, Fuyumeg: December 2nd -

Nougat: - -

Pudding: June 25th 7 months

Flampe: February 11th 20 months

Anglais: October 19th -

Wafers: - -

Wiro: - -

De-Chat: - -

Normande:- -

Doice, Dragée: Ferbruary 21st 14 months

Anana: April 17th

526 months total from start of being pregnant with perospero (Added 9 months to before his birth) to her giving birth to Anana. ~381 of those months she was pregnant (total of 31.75 years spent pregnant) and ~145 months (~12 years) between that being not pregnant. 72% of her prime was spent being pregnant. (46% of her entire life)

Other facts: -When Big mom was 24(?) she joined Rocks Pirates. same year she gave birth to Zuccoto. -Rocks got defeated when Big Mom was 30, the year Mont-d'Or was born. -At 35 Year old Big Mom created her own pirate crew, the year when Melise was born. And as it seems her children become officers in her crew when they turn 15 means Perospero, Compote, Katakuri, Daifuku and Oven all joind the crew as officers at the same time.

I find Big Moms pirates to be very interesting and I want to know more how the development happend. When did tottoland become a candy fantasy land? Did she have to wait untill her children ate devil fruits for that to happen? Or did Streusen turn things into food? Did she leave Rocks pirate to give birth or gave birth at the ship and then left back to tottoland to leave her newborns there? Katakuri and his brothers was apparently born on a ship, but such infomation isnt mentiond for Perospero or Compote. Katakuris flashback showed him and his sibling to grow up in a city, so Big Mom didnt keep them with her.

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 16: Crossing Paths - Episode 30: Real Name

Guy: “They should still be nearby.”

Citron: “Let’s hurry after them!”

Kureha: …

-

[Applause]

Guy: Thank you very much.

Citron: Thank you~!

Kureha: (That’s Guy-san for you. So many people have gathered even for such a small Street ACT.)

Audience A: It’s almost time for the Winter Troupe’s eleventh performance. I have to preorder tickets as soon as they’re available!

Audience B: Guy-san was really good in the Winer Troupe’s tenth performance, too~

Audience A: Yeah, he was so cool!

Kureha: (The Winter Troupe’s tenth performance… I wonder what kind of role he had?)

Kureha: (Now that I think about it, I never really looked at MANKAI Company’s site.)

Kureha: (I wonder if it’s got introductions for the members? Guy-san is…)

Kureha: ——

Guy: Kureha, you came.

Citron: You should have joined us!

Kureha: …

Guy: Is something wrong?

Kureha: Um… Is your last name also Nishiki, Guy-san?

Guy: What?

Kureha: On one of the flyers… Ah, no, I’m sorry. It’s nothing. Please excuse me.

[Kureha leaves]

Guy: ——

-

Tooru: “I see, so that’s why…”

Guy: Did you tell Kureha about me?

Tooru: “Yes. He asked as soon as he got home. I simply answered him honestly.”

Tooru: “It seems he’s a little confused right now. He’s holed himself up in his room.”

Tooru: “I might have ended up hurting Kureha by dragging this matter out for so long.”

Tooru: “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you as well, Gai.”

Guy: No, don’t worry yourself about me.

Tooru: “I should have mustered up the courage to talk to him after reuniting with you.”

Guy: I also hadn’t considered the company’s website. I should have been more careful.

Tooru: “You haven’t done anything wrong, Gai. I’ll try to talk to Kureha again once he calms down.”

Tooru: “I’ll call again.”

Guy: Yeah. Alright.

[Call hangs up]

Guy: … Hah.

Citron: << I assume what you were fearing has happened. >>

Guy: << Yes. This timing is rather unfortunate. >>

Guy: << I should have kept my name as “Guy” on all our flyers, after all. >>

Citron: << You’re talking about the flyer for the “Die by the Sword.” performance, yes? Both are your names, you know, and it fit perfectly with the traditional Japanese atmosphere of the play. >>

Guy: << Yes. That is what I thought as well, so I asked the Director if I could have my real name on the flyer at least this one time… >>

Guy: << If he had to find out, I would rather it had happened once KICS had started their activities and everything was settled… Not that there is any point in mulling over it now. >>

Guy: << I must have disenchanted Kureha now. I would not find it strange if he were to blame me for keeping quiet for so long. >>

Guy: << I should not have gotten close to him in the first place… >>

Citron: << I believe you concern yourself with your position far too much. >>

Citron: << Tangerine and I have also had our misunderstandings because I was unable to convey my thoughts properly. >>

Citron: << What’s important now is that you properly talk to Kureha. You can’t be a stranger at this point, after all. >>

Citron: << You can’t change the fact that you two are brothers, no matter how much you avert your eyes from it. Now it’s up to you two to decide how you wish to build your relationship. >>

Guy: << Right… If I want Kureha’s forgiveness, I will have to speak with him myself. >>

-

[Door jingling]

Guy: …

Kureha: Welco–

Guy: Could I talk to you for a little while?

Kureha: … You may sit over there.

Guy: ——

Kureha: Please wait a moment.

Guy: (As I figured, we won’t be able to talk as we used to.)

-

[Kureha places a cup on the table]

Kureha: Thank you for waiting.

Guy: This is…

Kureha: You served me tea in your shop before, didn’t you?

Kureha: I prepared the tea leaves I’d like to serve you, if you ever came here.

Guy: … Thank you… I can smell the jasmine… It’s calming.

Guy: (He’s doing the same thing I did when I reunited with our father.)

Kureha: I’m sorry for the way I behaved. You knew, didn’t you, Guy-san? 

Guy: … Yeah. I’m sorry for keeping quiet.

Kureha: Sometimes, after they put me to bed, I could hear my parents talking about a child I didn’t know.

Kureha: They spoke about him as if he was very far away and they worried about him. I was curious who it was, and it filled me with a childish jealousy.

Kureha: It sounded as though they cared about him very much… Now that I think about it, they were talking about you, weren’t they?

Kureha: I couldn’t believe I had an older brother, but at the same time, I’ve found myself accepting it.

Guy: If you would prefer not to see me anymore, I’ll do my best to stay out of your way

Kureha: I don’t think that way at all. If anything, I’m glad you’re my older brother, Guy-san.

Guy: … Is it alright for me to think that you’ve accepted me, then?

Kureha: There is nothing for me to accept. I was confused at first, and I still am, a little…

Guy: I see… Of course you are.

Guy: If it’s alright with you, I’d like for us to explore this new relationship of ours, little by little.

Kureha: I’ll be in your care. I’m blessed to have a reliable brother such as you.

Guy: Thank you. I’m also happy to have you as my younger brother.

previous episode | masterpost | next episode

NOTES:

(1) in the poster for die by the sword, guy is listed as gai nishiki; this is present in both the japanese and the english versions of the game (bonus: and mankai stage!)

[lucabyte]

managed to accrue a backlog of namedropped incidentals/lore characters which is... daunting. so... just drawing rough left-facing headshots my beloved

some of these designs have had their roughs/written descriptions around for a while already (the rockets and dj limescale especially being lead in design by @samhainian) and the rest are incidentals with varying layers of in-joke to the designs...

The Rockets - Your Dad's Favourite Band. From Back In The Day. Did 7 albums, each in different genres in which they were basically forerunners. And then one of them (Menken) vanished mysteriously. Band over. Oops. (Also, estrogen makes you green.)

Zavier Summe - Your Grungy Older Brother's Favourite Musician. He's a nice guy though.

Dr. Ruban - Leading academic in studying high control groups. An eccentric man, and seems to have a lot of theories on what happened to that one guy from The Rockets. His legacy will be having his research misquoted and misapplied by teenagers online forever.

Queenie, Chain, Howl, Citron and Mitch: Actual Incidentals. Adults who exist to fill up some background space. Queenie, Chain and Howl, specifically, are former classmates of Miao, filling out her non-existent social life.

DJ Limescale: you know when an album has a bunch of remixes at the end that you don't like? yeah those are his fault. Despite the rave gear getup however, he is devoutly religious.

[yabunishka]

As I promised, more interactions between Citron and his brother

Harris wasn't a good big brother, but he would occasionally defend Citron from they're parents' scolding

And sometimes it didn't end well for him.

They're father really didn't like it when Harris argued back to him.

However, when Citron argued with him, he reacted differently than he did to Harris

So Harris very often took his anger out on others who were unlucky enough to meet him in a bad mood

[taichissu]

17, 36, and 49 for the ask meme!

17. Favorite Harugumi Play

if there are a thousand clockwork's heartbeat fans i am one of them, if there are a hundred clockwork's heartbeat fans i am one of them, if there are ten clockwork's heartbeat fans i am one of them, if there are no clockwork's heartbeat fans i am dead

36. Favorite Doodle

genuinely lose my mind any time i see tsumugi's zabi or citron's fucking uyu creature (honrs)

49. Any favorite Quotes/Trivia?

this one got a bit long so under cut

i'm not actually sure how to answer this one bc there are so MANY trivia i love and i simply don't know how to choose a favorite

i guess some of my favorite trivia (most of it turned out to be akigumi-centered but don't judge me for it too much i just think about them a lot) + (most are pretty well-known, but there might also be some obscure ones, i have no way of knowing what's common knowledge in this fandom anymore):

according to itaru, chikage secretly owns like a shit ton of rabbit trinkets (his last name is a play on words btw, utsuki is written as 卯木 with 卯 meaning rabbit, and additionally it's very close to 嘘つき (usotsuki) which means liar)

my favorite personas the guys become when drunk: kazunari (becomes a formal-speaking senpai), homare (becomes an emotional crybaby (me too)), omi (becomes the mad wolf), banri (becomes a giggly mess, the social kinda drunk who thinks everything you say is the funniest thing in the whole world), juza (becomes extremely honest), the theater idiot trio (tsumugi, tasuku, and izumi; talk about nothing but theater lol)

kumon is a health nut, he's really into working out and eating properly (which is funny considering his brother probably tries to drink shampoo on a weekly basis)

itaru, kumon, hisoka, and homare are all left-handed

kumon is the only one in mankai who azami doesn't use an honorific for - this would be because they met before formally introducing themselves at mankai, so azami can't help but see kumon as younger than himself

according to drama cd, kumon has zero knowledge about cooking and is absolutely useless in the kitchen

it was said before that banri and his sister have very similar faces, but in the marie antoinette event, banri says that he thought he'd pass well as a girl because of that and yet he still looks like a man

banri's sister's favorite mankai members are omi and juza lol she seems to be into muscular guys

banri is the only member of akigumi who's the youngest sibling

that being said, azami is the only member of akigumi who's an only child (everyone else in akigumi is big brothers!)

juza used to be a member of shogi club when in o-high but he was a ghost member and we don't know if he can even play it lol

banri is lowkey obsessed with soy milk for whatever reason and drinks it everyday lol (is it bc of those 2cm juza holds over him?)

another one about juza; it was stated that out of everyone the dorms, he has the worst quality of sleep - this aligns with the fact that according to banri he snores and grinds his teeth in his sleep, which usually results in people sleeping badly

mi-chan's (taichi's little sister) favorite mankai member is azami, ma-kun's (taichi's little brother) is yuki - this makes taichi depressed that he's neither of their favorites

out of mankai: the best (?) singer is juza, and the worst singer is omi (at least based off karaoke score lol banri is still in denial about it)

additionally kumon said that his only good subjects in school were PE and music, so that would imply both of the hyodo brothers have natural musical talent

everyone in akigumi can play at least one musical instrument (first shown in the 2nd anniversary musical etude, later revisited in the rad red)

banri: guitar

juza: guitar / drums

taichi: keyboard / guitar

omi: drums

sakyo: bass

azami: guitar / bass

other than that, i believe yuki can also play the piano, and matsukawa is the MVP

taichi can draw well! (he's probably the only one in mankai who can draw despite not really having a reason to or showing any explicit interest in it (like kazu being an art student, yuki being a designer, muku liking manga))

in my worst wedding, olivia's heels are 5cm high, taichi couldn't move freely when he tried 6.5cm on, and since olivia had to move a lot during the final action scene, yuki settled for 5cm

speaking of my worst wedding, banri is the one helping taichi with the quick costume change before the finale (he got a private make-up training from azami himself to ensure he'd do it properly!)

according to azami; azuma, yuki, and banri have the best skin condition in the dorms

taichi doesn't care to buy his own skincare products and steals banri's lol

tsumugi and chikage have a sort of tense relationship, since tsumugi is a pro at reading people and chikage will do anything not to be read lol

hisoka has heterochromia - he doesn't care to keep it a secret but sakyo made him ensure that he keep it that way to boost his popularity as ミステリアスな人 and keep people on their toes

homare is in great shape because of his experience with ballroom dancing which requires great stamina and core strength

here's the (possibly incomplete) list of characters who are confirmed to have been in relationships in the past: izumi, tsumugi, homare (seriously?? so few?? i must be missing things asklfjsalkf)

here's the list of mankai members who have numbers in their names: chikage (1000), misumi (3), kazunari (1), kumon (9), banri (10,000), juza (10), taichi (1), guy (100,000,000,000,000,000,000)

i was trying to keep this in some sort of order but i literally just started rambling off the top of my head and all the structure flew out the window </3 anyway, sorry for such a lengthy list, i have a hard time choosing a favorite so i just ended up talking about everything i like </33333

thank you for asking anyway!

[otomehoneyybearr]

A3!

Sorry for the long wait!

Act 12 episodes 2 and 3 will be dropped soon!

Maybe 4 too, if I can fit it in my schedule

In the meantime, I wanted to share these birthday lines to the director!

First generation members and the God Troupe are also included!

Spring Troupe

Kasumi: Happy Birthday! It’s much livelier today than usual… Could I join too?

Sakuya: I’m happy to be able to celebrate your birthday again this year! Let’s spend another year doing lots of plays together!

Masumi: Meeting you has made today a special day for me. Wishing you a happy birthday filled with love this year too.

Tsuzuru: Happy birthday, Director. I’d like to express my gratitude again this year through a letter.

Itaru: Keep smiling and be well. May that smile of yours continue throughout this year. Happy birthday, Director.

Citron: Happy birthday, Director! I wanted to shower you with lots of flowers! It was surprising, right?

Chikage: Naturally, your birthday is only today but… could you spare me a little of that special time?

Summer Troupe

Hiro: Happy Birthday. You look nice. I hope you have a happy birthday surrounded by the members.

Tenma: Director, today is a day to be celebrated to the fullest. I’ll give you my present later, so please leave some time for me.

Yuki: Happy Birthday. I’ve stocked up on cute items that would suit you. Please accept it.

Muku: Congratulations, my princess. Today, I’ll be your very own prince.

Misumi: Congratulations, Director! I hope it will be a wonderful triangulation day for you!

Kazunari: It’s my precious Director’s birthday… I, Kazunari Miyoshi, will make you smile lots this year too.

Kumon: Director, Happy birthday! Everyone’s been look forward to today. And me too, of course!

Autumn Troupe

Zen: Happy birthday. If you want a second piece of cake, come to the store. Take the others too.

Banri: Happy Bday. You’re the main character today, so tell me what you want your day to be like.

Juza: Congrats Director. I’m happy to be able to perform under your guidance. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with you.

Taichi: Happy birthday! Today, I’ll spoil you all day long~!

Omi: Congratulations. How about being in the center of a commemorative photo for a change? Don’t worry, I’ll take a beautiful picture.

Sakyo: Congratulations. You… no, sorry. I didn’t think your happy smile would be the same as back then.

Azami: What kind of makeup do you want to wear today? …You’re pretty without any makeup too. Anyway, I’m curious to hear your preference.

Winter Troupe

Syu: I heard it was his daughter’s birthday, so I dropped her off at the dormitory. I hope she enjoys what’s inside.

Tsumugi: Congratulations. Here’s a special bouquet just for you, Director. I’m always grateful to you.

Tasuku: Congratulations. Why don’t you give acting a try, Director? I’ll join you if it’s a street act.

Hisoka: Director, Congrats. I’ll pamper you a lot today. Let’s meet in the attic.

Homare: From next year and beyond, I want to celebrate the day you were born, Director. Congratulations.

Azuma: Ah, It’s your birthday. I’m really happy I can celebrate it with you again. Congratulations.

Guy: Congratulations, Director. I’ll take care of the preparations for the after-party. Have a great day and enjoy yourself.

God Troupe

Reni: With the way you confidently lead the theater company… You’re starting to look more and more like that guy. Make today a good day.

Haruto: I heard it’s your birthday today so congrats. It cant be helped so I’ll treat you to something if you’d like.

Shift: Happy Birthday, Director! Will you come and try the Arakawa family’s special croquette udon?

Madoka: It’s your birthday today, right? Congratulations. My brother was having fun getting ready.

Mankai Affiliates

Matsukawa: Congratulations Director! I’ve created a new birthday song, so please listen to it!

Tetsuro: Happy… Birthday. … Everyone’s... watching over the play…. Their smiles are… lovely.

Akashi: Director, Congratulations. May you be surrounded by lots of warm and gentle light

Rento: It’s more lively than usual. That just shows how much your loved.

Sakoda: Sorry for the wait, Boss Lady! Let’s celebrate as much as we can today!

Mizuno: I heard it was tour birthday, so I prepared this for you, albeit a small one.

Yuzo: “Happy Birthday”. It’s a message from your fans.

▼・ᴥ・▼

[izumi-fanclub]

A3! Translation: Chikage Utsuki SSR Card “Dear My Moon” [ Twinkle Sign ]

Work pilled up for Chikage while he was busy for the 10th play. How will he handle this?

Part 1

Chikage

…

*Phone buzzes*

Chikage

… Understood. Will keep monitoring.

…

*Phone notification*

Chikage

Tsk, this again… pushing everything on me.

(I’ve been putting both of my jobs on the backlog to focus on the show… it takes time to handle work when it piles up this much.)

(I wonder, is there a way to clear this all up——)

(Hands move faster when you’re actively thinking about it.)

Hisoka

… Welcome back.

Chikage

I’m home. You still on your shift?

Hisoka

We ran out of seasonings at the bar, so I came to the dorm to borrow some.

Chikage

You’re taking your job more seriously than I expected.

Hisoka

… Work got you busy?

Chikage

We don’t have enough manpower. It’s unreasonable but I can’t just disregard it.

Hisoka

… At least do it in the dorm, instead of that room. Everyone else gets worried when you’re not around.

Chikage

Absolutely not. That’s too risky.

Hisoka

… Guess even Chikage can’t do it.

Chikage It’s not a matter of whether it were me or not.

Well, I’ll get this over with as soon as I can.

Part 2

Sakuya

Ah! Almost there! Tsuzuru

I lost again!!

Chikage

(It’s quite lively at this hour…)

Citron

Once more!

Izumi

Oh, welcome home!

Chikage

I’m home. What’s going on?

Masumi

A board game we got from a package from Zahra.

Tsuzuru

We were all playing it while waiting for you to come home.

Sakuya

It’s really fun! How about you join us, Chikage-san?

Chikage

At this hour?

Sakuya

Huh!? What time is it?

Tsuzuru

I didn’t even notice the time.

Itaru

Well, let’s draw the line at this hour.

Chikage

You should. I’ve had some troubles at work, I’m just getting caught up on my backlog now.

Itaru

…

Chikage

What?

Itaru

You’re probably tired.

Chikage

No——.

Izumi

You’ve been coming home late recently.

Tsuzuru

You’ve been busy before, but not to this extent.

Sakuya

Let’s just play the board game on our next off days.

Citron

If we do not sweep soon, Azami will be on our trails!

Masumi

Sleep.

Tsuzuru

Good night.

Chikage

Night.

Sakuya

Night guys!

Chikage

…

Did I look that tired?

Itaru

Nope, if I didn’t say that, everyone would just stay up playing board games.

Chikage

Alright then.

(But I think you just added an extra layer of worry.)

(... Guess I really got no other choice.)

Sakuya

Huh!? Chikage-san isn’t going back to the dormitory for a while?

Izumi

He’s got a lot of work to do. It’s more easy and efficient to binge work while isolated for a couple of days.

Sakuya

So that’s why…

Itaru

He tried to lie at first, saying he was going on a business trip. But I’d find out about it anyway so he told the truth.

It’s unusual for senpai to have this much work to do. He’s at the top of his game at the company.

Tsuzuru

That’s quite something if it’s coming from you, Itaru-san.

Sakuya

Should we bring him some refreshments?

Masumi

If he wants to concentrate by himself, don’t get in the way.

Hisoka

… Hey.

Izumi

?

Part 3

Chikage

(That’ll be it for today. Now let’s get on with my other work——.)

Itaru

Nice work.

Chikage

… You too.

Itaru

You heading to the conference room?

Chikage

I am… but what are you grinning about? Itaru

You’re seeing things. Have a good one, see you.

Chikage

… I’ll be going.

Hisoka

… Quicker than I thought.

Chikage

You, what are you——.

What’s this?

(Stars and the moon… is this a planetarium?)

Hisoka

… I told everyone in Spring troupe that your room looked bleaked and lonely.

Chikage

So all this is…

Hisoka

… Then I’ll be going. The rest is up to you.

Chikage

Honestly…

?

(A note?)

Izumi

“Good luck with your work!”

Sakuya

“Let’s play the board game when you get home!”

Tsuzuru

“My brothers got tired of this pretty quickly, I hope this will soothe you.”

Masumi

“Careful not to put your backbone too into. You’ll end up like Tsuzuru, that’s just a pain.”

Citron

“We await your return back home!”

Chikage

… I'm guessing this is a drawing of Earth?

Itaru

“Wanted: photo of senpai working in his fancy room.”

Chikage

There’s no one to take that picture.

Sigh…

(I should rest for a while before work)

Chikage

…

(To think that this room would look like this one day.)

(Quite the drastic change compared to when it was cluttered with bags of marshmallows and cushions.)

(I’ve had my fair share of unfair workload in my life, but I’ve never wanted to get it over with this fast before.)

(I just clear it all up like a robot without thinking much about it.)

(Why am I so desperate now? … I think I can answer that.)

(Because I want to return to my home as soon as possible.)

… I see.

(I thought I’d prefer to be alone since it’ll be less of a hassle, and I’m more comfortable with less stuff.)

(But now, I wanted to return to the everyday hustle and bustle of MANKAI, filled to the brim with things, like this room filled with all sorts of lights.)

…Can’t help but laugh at myself.

*Text notification*

Hisoka

[ Forgot to ask for marshmallows as a reward. Come back soon. ]

Chikage You don’t need to tell me. I’ll return home soon enough.

Story Clear!

[joseimukeaddict]

Finals be beating me hard rn and my period cramps kicked in. Spending the rest of this short break from finals work typing up random headcanons bc my electric belly warmer needs to charge 🤡. There’s more stuff and yeah, this is not my week.

CW: Izumi cousins, workaholic and Tsuzuru fainting, most of it is how Izumi spends her time off (farmer’s market, reading, etc)

——

Izumi Headcanons (pt 2)

It’s pretty much implied that Izumi is an only child but cousins are free game

Yukio is definitely an only child

Her mother would have 1 or two siblings that have children much older or younger than Izumi

She’s either their caring big sister figure or the younger sister they tease

There is definitely a cousins group chat or something where they all keep each other up to date

Only a few of them have met MANKAI by traveling all the way to Tokyo to see a play; they all live far away

Other than the mother-daughter semi-monthly trips (see previous post), it’s very hard to convince Izumi to take a break because she’s such a workaholic

If someone takes up her MANKAI work for her, she’s just go help out a different troupe

Will work until near exhaustion but she knows her limit

She learned her lesson after collapsing once in college right before a theater performance where she took on like 5 different backstage jobs

The play went off without a hitch but she was so upset that she missed it, and all her friends were so worried about her they made her promise to never overwork herself like that again

Because of this, she’s actually really worried about Tsuzuru’s fainting after he finishes a script

She brews some calming teas for Tsuzuru whenever he’s on a script writing spree

Her poorly hidden worry is initially the reason why Masumi starts taking up the task of making sure Tsuzuru eats and doesn’t collapse when he’s writing, but soon he takes the job seriously as he grows to really care for his roommate (almost never shows it though like a tsun younger brother)

Izumi’s full-day breaks are scheduled monthly and she has to be half-threatened by Sakyo and the rest of the dorm to take a proper rest and not run off to a different troupe to help out

Sometimes it works, but sometimes she comes back with groceries or whatever supplies she noticed the dorm was running out of(and lots of curry supplies)

She has a few favorite spots to get curry ingredients such as a local farmer’s market

She’s usually driven by one of the boys who can drive (bc they can’t trust her with the car alone, my girl only knows how to drift), but if they can’t, she’s fine with public transportation

She chats with some of the vendors there and they hook her up with some tips to better prepare her ingredients and some new recipes

The market is also frequented by MANKAI for their grocery runs, so the vendors also give Izumi compliments about any plays they’ve watched from them since the company is always on a tight schedule whenever they come by

Citron frequents the farmer’s market too, so he tags along with Izumi if she made plans to go, but he can usually be found chatting with the aunties there on the weekends

The aunties don’t know too much about the housing situation with MANKAI and Izumi doesn’t talk about it, so they’re making bets on which one of the boys Izumi is secretly in a relationship with

Citron has one of the biggest pools because he’s just the aunties’ favorite, but Omi is also up there

Citron knows about the betting pools but pretends he doesn’t know because it would be awkward to bring it up, and he knows the aunties are only doing it for fun

If not the farmer’s market, Izumi will curl up with a good book or plan an outing with a non-theatre friend she hasn’t hung out with in a while

She can’t help but to read some theatre magazines to keep up to date with the industry, and she’ll indulge in a good historical romance novel once in a while

She’s the type to get really immersed in a novel, so it’s hard for her to notice distractions when she gets into it

She likes reading on a lounge chair on the balcony facing outside since she requires some quiet before she starts reading

Sometimes the tea club comes out to have a party and they bring out an extra chair for her so she can join

——

And that’s it for now. Got off-topic for a few of them 😭 and my break is way over now. Time to get back to stats…

Unrelated but Anzu (Ensemble Stars) and Izumi (A3!) would be friends and go to cafes together

[winter-spark]

Citron's Love and Limited Self Value Disguised as Coldness & Selfishness!

Okay! So, I said I had thoughts back in December about Citron's coldness & 'selfishness' so let me actually share them now. (I was starting to doubt doing this but one of my mutuals said I should share my thoughts on a3! things and that they'd like to hear them, and this is one I really wanted to share so here I go!)

Intro/Too long; didn't read:

There are three things that I feel are true about Citron:

He loves and values everyone so much.

For the longest time, he saw himself as a title

These things combined into him making decisions that on the surface come off as cold and or selfish but underneath are dripping in love and care.

Table of contents

Paragraphs 1 -3: Fleeing Zafra Paragraphs 4 -6: Joining & Leaving Mankai Paragraphs 7-9: Leaving Guy & Lies Paragraphs 10-14: Citron vs Tangerine and their Dad Paragraphs 15-16: Good now right? Paragraphs 17-22: Tangerine in Citron's Past Role {additional thoughts on this: here.} Paragraphs 23-24: Conclusion

Let's begin with the reason he even fled Zafra in the first place. Citron was being targetted, by those who thought his brothers were better fit to rule than he. And he was aware of this being the reason strange things were happening. At least, seeing as Guy had the suspicion/knew, I don't see why Citron wouldn't have.

Instead of voicing what was going on or raising any suspicions, he just left. He couldn't let them win win because his only value is his role, he's the Crown Prince. It's all he is. But he loves his people and he loves his brothers. He's not going to cause them any problems. They want him gone. Alright, he'll leave, silently without a word to anyone. Is it selfish to leave those who care deeply about you with a word? Well, some people might say, "obviously" but Citron loves so much and refuses to stop existing in the only way he knows, so he couldn't say a word.

What was he supposed to do? Say goodbye to Tangerine and cause him to worry and rouse suspicion on others? Tangerine is very headstrong, he would've wanted to get to the bottom of it(pin on that). Similar thing with Guy, if Citron told him he wanted to leave, Guy likely would have suggested that he say something, if Guy didn't just follow him. He can't really go undercover with Guy around, and maybe he wanted Guy to have a break from being at his beck and call(more on that later). If he announced anything of this to his father, his father would have gotten to the bottom of it. Citron selfishly chose to leave, without a word. But when you think about his motives he wasn't just being selfish, he was trying to protect people because he cares so much.

Then he gets to Japan and ends up finding a struggling theater that just needs a few more hands. He's not gonna stay for long. He can't stay forever. But what's the harm in lending a hand? Afterall, he's always loved the arts.

But then something strange happens. He acts completely different than who he is, completely different than whats expected of him. And they value him anyway. It's beyond just needing another person for the play. They care about him as a person. It's not yet addressed not fully, not really but it's there. And he cares about them. So he pours his heart into them but keeps a distance as best he can, he can't stay he knows this. They can't learn more, they can't care more, they can't be sad about his departure.

Of course, they were gonna be, and of course, Guy was gonna find him. He knew his time was coming to a close when Tsuzuru brought that souvenir. So when Guy arrived, it wasn't the time to dwell on it. On his desires, on his wants. He wasn't allowed to have those. He's the Crown Prince. He must go ascend to the throne lest Orange do. As is his role. As is who he is. As is what he's good for. It's what he's meant to do. He didn't want to leave but he has to and it's going to be sad and hurt. And he loves Mankai, Spring Troupe so much, he doesn't want them to be too sad about his departure. So he creates a list of tasks--a distraction--one for each of them, he can't pretend he's not leaving but he can make it fun and silly for them. Itaru pays for a buffet, Tsuzuru joins him in Manzai, Masumi lets him have some time with Izumi. They're small things to prepare for the goodbye but they can't have an actual goodbye, it'd be too sad. So he gives Sakuya the task of performing with Mankai, something he never plans to do but is something nice for Sakuya to look forward to he doesn't realize the hope he's planting, the hint he's leaving of his own desires, but he does. I believe it's called a Freudian Slip. And that's what he does by putting Sakuya last, with Chikage's Vanishing Citron act before it.

But! Before we move on we can't leave out his love for Guy. Leaving Mankai, Spring Troupe without a real goodbye is harsh, it's selfish, it's unfair, they weren't ready, he left too fast. It was sudden, no one really got any sort of closure. But leaving Guy behind(again) and telling the people of Zafra that Guy held him hostage against his will in Japan, that's cold, that's vicious, that's confusing. That's Citron's love.

When Citron was a little tiny child, he looked at that messed up soldier in training and decided that was his person. And overtime found out just how messed up he was, and Citron wanted to help. He wanted to prove to Guy he wasn't an android, wanted to get him in touch with his emotions to some extent, wanted to get him to be able to do things for himself. Here's where we continue on the "more on that later" point, Citron understands how much Guy has devoted himself to Citron and Citron specifically, and he wanted Guy to be able to be his own person, to have a freedom Citron couldn't have. I like to believe part of the reason he didn't take Guy along with him in the first place was to sort of start that divide, to let him exist on his own, as his own person. We know that goes into him leaving him in Japan with 0 way to return to Zafra. Citron wanted so much for Guy to find his own personhood, and connect with himself, his roots, and he knew Mankai was a great source of support for Guy, because Citron vetted them. Citron loved Guy so much he'd rather be without him than let Guy continue without his own sense of self, his own purpose. His freedom was ending but he wanted to gift Guy with it.

Was it one of the ugliest ways to do it? Oh absolutely, but Citron's quick and analytical. He knew if he just said he intended on leaving without Guy, Guy would have probably followed anyway. So he asked himself how can he ensure Guy's not going to follow him and has a way to remember his past, so he leaves Guy's charm with Izumi and he returns home lying that Guy was at fault for his absence. Guy can't come in, and even though Guy's been cast out of Zafra, Citron can see this as reassurance, he knows Guy is somewhere nice and he knows, in theory, Guy's not coming back to Zafra. Did Citron really never want to see Guy again? Of course not! Like Mankai, Citron loves Guy a lot, but Citron doesn't want to doom people to sorrowful fates.

Take his brothers for example. If Tangerine hadn't been apart of the rescue plot whatsoever, Citron would have done his best to still not rat out Orange and Navel. Citron been knew they wanted him out of the picture. He knew. But he doesn't want them to have to suffer. Even if they were never close like he'd have liked, even if they hated him, even if they were trying to steal the one thing he was allowed to exist as, even if they were trying to kill him. Citron loved his brothers and valued their well-being. He didn't want them to be in trouble surely not behind him and he would've kept that secret to his grave because of that.

But things can't always go how you want them or to your plan. Tangerine (unpinning that earlier point), is very headstrong and he sees things a little more equally. His brothers are all people, and two of them were apart of a plot to kidnap and murder his other brother. He was supposed to keep quiet about that? Lots of people were nearly injured in the event. Of course, he was going to tell his father what happened. Brothers or not that wasn't okay.

And the King, very much like Tangerine, sees things more equally. The King like Citron has a role he must fulfill but he doesn't seem to have the same problem as Citron where it's all he sees in himself(I think, he's seemed to spend very little time with his kids as they grew up so that up for debate), he loves but he can put that aside and think about what's fair for all parties.

It's not fair, for Orange and Navel to simply just be scolded because they are his sons, this was a serious offense, he must treat it as such. It's not fair, for Citron to lie to the people, to lie on his retainer who has done nothing wrong. There are many things to consider. Is him allowing Citron to be an ambassador(was that the word? Idr) of the arts being a little soft on him? Honestly, I don't know, maybe, but he loves his son and he understands that he must have been struggling and in fear of running away because he was being plotted against, not saying anything because he has a big heart. And he just nearly died. He can't let someone so willing to lie over being upfront and stopping issues early on because of feelings be the next in charge, but he knows Citron is very capable and he sees the warmth of Spring Troupe, Mankai with Citron. He understands that where the Palace lacked for Citron, Mankai picked up for it. Citron had a home away from home but also wanted to serve his country. The King, his father, didn't really want to take either away from him. So he gave him a new role, a way he can have both. [How did this become a meta about his dad? lol] This scene, Citron goes through likely a lot of emotions.

Being stripped of his role, the one thing he's lived for, his one purpose in life, the thing he's fought for jeopardizing his relationship with his brothers, his sense of value. That mess is heartwrenching, it's scary. He just failed to protect his brothers from punishment and he lost the one thing he refused to ever actually give up. Now what?

Now, his father gives him a gift. A gift truly of freedom, decorated in a nice bow of still being valuable to his country but also showing him that his value wasn't just his title. He didn't have to be Crown Prince to be worth something. Could he have left the title sooner? Who can say? But right now, his father is basically saying "I love you and I value your happiness" and what more could Citron really ask for? Things are starting to look up for Citron, Guy was able to start healing from his past, Citron gets to return to Mankai and exist and have value and above all be loved. Everything is great.

Except then there's Tangerine.

Many of Citron's problems growing up were tied to him being the Crown Prince, it's restricting, it expects a lot of you, and it's a sad existence. That's how Citron views the title of Crown Prince, even if subconsciously, it's a bad thing to be thrown upon someone. It's something that destroys your sense of worth. How could Citron do that to someone he loves so dearly? He ran off, to be happy, to have a sense of worth outside of the title of Crown Prince, he left his precious little brother for dead, and what kind of person is he to do that? His suspicions "confirmed", when Tangerine shows up unannounced after running away from home.

Citron is so used to seeing himself as "the Crown Prince" he doesn't even consider that Tangerine just missed his brother, or wanted to ask for some sort of comfort or advice or anything like that. Because Citron was the former Crown Prince and Tangerine is the current one. That's where is mind is at. Citron is reliving all those years mentally and worrying that Tangerine is living like he was. Why else would Tangerine run away and come see Citron, who was once in his position? So his love for Tangerine and his pain from only seeing himself as a title combine into guilt, and that guilt turns him cold.

He can't rub salt in Tangerine's wounds by showing how happy he is without the burdens of the crown staring him down. He can't flaunt his freedom. He can't bare seeing Tangerine suffer the way he did. So he frowns and he gets serious. There are expectations of the Crown Prince, too. And Citron has those embedded into his very being. And he tries to somewhat of what you'd expect someone to be after having prepared for a role for years to someone now in their role. And he tries to get Tangerine to go back as quickly as possible. And it's selfish to send someone away because of your own feelings and not what they've done but it's also so complicated for Citron.

He's not mad at Tangerine, he's sad for him and mad at himself and every second Tangerine's there is a reminder of all of that and a show of Citron being a bad influence probably. Citron's used to falling in line and fulfilling duties so as he becomes somewhat of what you'd expect of a serious mentor, it makes sense that he's falling back into that mentally, the proving oneself to the right/expected thing to do. A good older brother/mentor wouldn't let his brother who needs to be preparing for a big event miss practice and possibly the event. A good older brother doesn't brag about how good he has it now that the younger one has it worse.

Of course, thanks to Masumi's patience with Tangerine and Spring Troupe's patience with Citron, he was able to turn his love warm again. But it was a bit rough getting there. Like the other events before.

Honestly, there's so much more that can be focused on about Citron and a part of me wants to go on a tangent about the little slips he has like the wish he'd given Sakuya and how his emotions slip through in other ways like how he got kidnapped and stuff like that. But I should probably reread things again before/if I do that. The important part here is just that I'm so fascinated by how Citron is just so full of love but for so long lack a full sense of self outside of the Crown, (not to say he didn't have interests and desires but more in the sense that nothing he had interest in or desired fully mattered in the long run because it was insignificant to the role he was meant to play, in case I haven't made that clear) and how those things combine into actions that are cold and or selfish but also so layered and so full of care.

Citron is so !!! my heart! Idk how to put it quite into words but I haven't really seen people like full-on analyze him really (outside of some analyzing in fanfictions really funnily enough) and I wanted to just give him a bit of focus. Honestly, it was long over due with how much I talk about his brothers. I didn't even say everything I thought but that's okay. Just means more opportunity for me to talk about him again later.

[the-himawari]

A3! Citron - Translation [SSR] Curtain Among Cherry Blossoms (2/3)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Tangerine: Quickly, sideways…

*hit, hit, hit*

Kumon: Great job, Prince Tangerine!

Tangerine: This is the last one!

*hits*

Taichi: I can’t believe he cleared it perfectly on his first crack at daruma otoshi. That’s amazing!

Tangerine: That was so fun! I’m going to do it one more time.

Kumon: It looks like Prince Tangerine is really into daruma otoshi!

Taichi: Yep. I’m glad he’s having a blast with it~.

Tangerine: Alright, one more time!

*hit, hit, hit*

Tangerine: Wow! How fun~!

Kumon: Woah, woah, woah! Aren’t they flying a bit too much!?

Taichi: I think it’s fine even you don’t hit them that hard!

Tsuzuru: The pieces are shooting really far away!

Citron: Tangerine is talented at daruma otoshi~!

Izumi: Ahaha…

Omi: Sorry for interrupting your fun playtime, but the food is ready.

Tangerine: Thank you!

Tsuzuru: Hm? There are some unusual dishes here.

Omi: The ingredients are Japanese. But with the help of Guy-san and Mika, I tried to make some variations like Zafran cuisine. Thank you, Mika. You too, Guy-san.

Guy: Not at all. It is us who would like to thank you. I will use these as reference for dishes to serve at my shop.

Mika: 《I am glad I was able to watch Fushimi-sama's wonderful cooking up close. When I return to my home country, I would definitely like to put this experience to good use.》

Citron: He said that Omi is skilled at cooking, so he wants to copy you once he returns to Zafra!

Omi: Haha. I appreciate it.

Kumon: Alright, let’s hurry up and dig in! It smells so good, my tummy’s rumbling already!

Taichi: Same here! I can’t wait to try Omi-kun’s Zafran-style meal~!

-pause-

Tangerine: …

*hit, hit*

Citron: 《…Daruma otoshi? Do you like it that much?》

Tangerine: 《Yes! The way the blocks are flicked away quickly feels exhilarating.》 《It wonderful that Japanese culture still retains their traditional games of the past without being lost to time.》

*door opens*

Izumi: Ah. Citron-kun and Tangerine-kun. Perfect timing.

Citron: What is up, Director?

Izumi: I’m about to go out to do some shopping. Is there anything you two want?

Tangerine: Oh, Japanese shopping…! I would like to go with you!

Izumi: Eh? I mean, I don’t mind at all…

Tangerine: Yay!

Citron: I will go with you then! I will worry if Tangerine goes alone.

Izumi: Okay, all three of us will go together. I’ll bring the car around right now.

-pause-

Citron: Director’s driving was wild as always! It was fun and thrilling.

Tangerine: It was the best, just like a rollercoaster!

Izumi: Ahaha. I’m glad if you say so. (They basically had the same impression… they sure are brothers.)

Citron: Director, what are you buying first?

Izumi: Right. First off, I want to stock up on daily necessities…

Store clerk: We are currently holding a special event with a giant daruma otoshi! Please do participate, everybody!

Tangerine: …! A giant daruma otoshi?

Izumi: I wonder if that’s the one… It’s really big, isn’t it!

Citron: Oh! It looks really fun!

Tangerine: Nii-sama! Director! I would like to try that!

Izumi: Sure. We came all the way here. You should participate!

Citron: If you’re going to do it, make sure you succeed! I will be cheering for you!

Tangerine: Leave it to me~!

---

previous | next

[yuzokasu]

Guy enters the nursery. “There you are.”

Citron looks up from where he leans his head on the crib. He flashes Guy a smile.

“Your afternoon lessons will begin in fifteen minutes,” Guy tells him, walking towards him. “You have to–”

“Yes, yes, shhh.” Citron points at the baby in the crib. “Keep your voice down, Guy. You might wake up Tangerine.”

Guy goes quiet. He peers at the baby’s face.

“I might have looked like that when I was a baby, but I don’t think you or me could have known that. Do you think he’ll look more like my father when he grows up?”

“We cannot determine that yet. A week old baby’s features are still developing.”

Citron huffs. “You’re no fun.”

He gently rocks the crib. “But I think things will be different this time. If I spend as much time as I can with Tangerine, we’ll get close. And then maybe my other brothers will become close with me too.”

Guy still stays quiet. The two gaze at the youngest prince’s face, sound asleep.

Citron grabs a stool. “I want to carry him. Help me carry him, Guy.”

“It is not safe, Citronia.”

“It is!” he says in a whisper. “He’s tiny enough! And I need to learn how to carry him, anyways.”

He reaches down to grab Tangerine. Guy immediately lunges forward to support Citron’s hands as he lifts him up, making sure Tangerine won’t slip.

Citron, stubborn as he is, doesn’t let go of Tangerine as he’s out of the crib. “Come on, Guy! I can handle it.”

Guy thinks for a while, Citron staring at him as if he can see the gears turning in his head. He eventually lets go, and to their relief, Citron can support Tangerine’s weight.

“See?” Citron giggles, holding him close. “Oh, he’s so cute up close. Your big brother’s got your back always, okay Tangerine?”

Guy feels something indescribable at the sight.

[neonatenecromancer]

The First Experience Of Lonliness

Death had bespoked Abel, Gifted with a palimpsest made blank, But never once again carved, Perhaps he wished his brother had kept him, Much like the sheep he himself reared, Frater meus, Who had nurtured sap but not blood, vetch but not kin, Despite, oh how he missed the taste of sweet korfodan Missed pulling the stone from apricots and dates Peeling citrons and feeling figs bleed down his chin, But now there was now no cave of treasures to huddle in, Nor Tigris to drink from, Abel was given redemption to God, But came to discover empty hills of gold, Silent shores of shimmering gemstones, And lifeless fountains which stood only to mock him,

Abel, sweet sweet Abel, The first lamb sacrificed to God, And the lonesome neoteric of this quiet place called Heaven.

[primeministerofantarctica]

A3! reading club: act one (chapter 1-6)

(cw: talking about parental neglect and abuse, orientalism, one mention of suicide)

Hey, ten out of twelve isn't bad, all things considered! This very well could have gone down in October. Also, since it's February (March if you wanna be generous), does that mean everyone in Harugumi's slightly younger than their Year One ages now? Ack, timelines are confusing.

Izumi casually talking about how Yukio neglected her and following it up with "well, it was probably because he loved this theater so much!" is. Oh, girl. No wonder she snapped when Sakyo suggested he'd abandoned Mankai, because if he hadn't loved it, then why did she have to go through with that?

I'm not versed enough in Japanese particles but I recognize "daijoubu" and Tsuzuru watching this trainwreck unfold and saying something along the lines of "are you guys, like, okay?" is extremely funny.

Then we get to Sakuya and Masumi's family situations, which. From a meta perspective, it makes sense to want to give your minor protagonists the freedom that having parents limits. That's why the trope of "young protagonist in kid's spec fic media is conveniently an orphan" is so common. (was? I think it's becoming less common now.) The problem lies in the lack of willingness to follow through with the emotional conflict it creates, or resolve said conflict in a satisfying manner. Sure, I'm assuming they weren't starved or physically abused, but being treated like a burden when you're a child is still fucking traumatizing! Basically I think Izumi Sakuya and Masumi should start a union. And I'm glad later chapters go the reasonably more toned-down route of "my parents have a reasonable amount of trust in me to make these kinds of decisions".

Also, can we talk about Sakuya and Masumi, because they're one of my favorite brotps here. The way Sakuya appoints himself as Masumi's surrogate big brother? He's so eager to potentially share a room with him ;-;. (personally I hc that Ms. Sakuma was expecting another child before the accident or whatever killed them, so Sakuya's been a big brother without a younger sibling all this time </3)

Wow, that doesn't sound like a metaphor for anything! You're right, Izumi, why would you go the easy route of taking something prepackaged and guaranteed when a bunch of wildly different spices can create a delicious meal if you know how to utilize them right?

Am I grasping at straws here. Probably.

The little ka-ching sound effect is adorable.

Tsuzuru, I'd think "antagonist" should be near the top of the list...also, there's plenty of plays that have been pulled off with two or three actors. Just put on "night, Mother" or something. (Joking. Don't look up night, Mother if you're sensitive to themes of suicide.)

"Tsuzuru, you picked this troupe because it had a dorm, right? ...Then maybe our best bet is to focus on more people in your shoes."

"People in my shoes? In other words...."

"The homeless?"

I CAN'T ASJHGSKSDSK

he's literally doing the 😔 face i'm on the floor.

HE'S HERE! Funny how Izumi's right about Citron not being a regular tourist right off the bat. He may not be from another troupe, but he's definitely "in character" right now.

Also, oof. Citron's my second fave in Harugumi after Sakuya, but it's glaringly obvious how much of his character is rooted in orientalism. Sure, maybe it's an act, but why is he talking about how "shameful" showing skin is when his top is (conveniently for us) THAT low-cut.

On another note, I know people have pointed out his distaste for pig's feet as evidence for headcanoning him as Muslim, but I haven't seen anyone point out how he calls Veludo Way a "mecca" of theatre. Like yeah, mecca can just mean hub, but...why didn't they just say hub? Words Have Connotations. I'm not saying this coding is good or bad, it's just a neutral observation.

AND HERE'S THIS BASTARD (affectionate)

Oh, Kasumi! (insert pointing reaction pic bc I've run out of photo space.) It's Kasumi, guys! :D