#apologies on that regard but yeah!!! i would prefer to not participate in the community haha

[nastyburger]

I understand what you mean about not wanting to delve in to find a label, I also just use ace as an umbrella term, its all up to you what you want to go by!

yeah! again its kinda whateves with terms and stuff like labels on sexuality is more for convenience for me lol if anything i’d just not call myself anything! but you know, sometimes i cannot resist a joke >:)

[captain-of-the-historicfuture]

~hello~ !! For the meta asks!: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 25 :))

Hello!! Thank you for sending these; I was really excited to see that ask game and I was hoping somebody would send some in. It still took me a while to actually answer them though, and for that I apologise. But without further ado! Some meta answers (under the cut because they ended up being fairly long, whoops):

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (Consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway.)

I thought of a few examples, but they could basically be grouped together under a common theme: whumpy/angsty scenes that were self-indulgent as all heck. The whole self-indulgent aspect often required the characters to be just the teeniest, tiniest bit OOC and/or necessitated rather unrealistic plot circumstances. So it was simply easier to keep such scenes as maladaptive daydreams, rather than trying to think of explanations for the character/plot issues…or exposing myself to judgement for them LOL.

Receiving permission to write/share one such scene anyway is an opportunity I can’t let slip by though. It might be because I’m writing this while running on zero (0) hours of sleep—let’s hear it for insomnia, y’all!—but I suddenly couldn’t remember any of my newer ideas under this category. However, I did recall a one-shot I had started writing a couple of months ago that sort of counts? “Sort of” because I could actually be arsed to write it since I was, ya know, writing it. Only got about six hundred words down though.

…should I share those six hundred words…?

………nahhh. I don’t think I’m quite ready for that yet.

But here’s the gist of it: Coulson and May (because of course it’s Philinda) were married for quite some time before the Attack on New York. But then Coulson DiedTM and then got ResurrectedTM. But gasp of horror, he had to lose his memories of his romantic relationship with May because reasons. (I actually did have some ideas for those reasons but sshhhh this is about me yeeting context and setup.)

The first half of S1 still happens as normal (except MayWard doesn’t happen because??? Vows) and it’s now post-E20 “Nothing Personal”. The morning after (or a morning soon after, whatever) the T.A.H.I.T.I. reveal! May’s mom—who doesn’t know about GH.325 and whom May fed a cover story about Coulson divorcing her or something equally as oof, IDK—shows up at the hotel and starts ripping into Coulson for breaking her daughter’s heart, then dragging her back into the field with her ex-husband (him), then accusing her of terrible things and forcing her away again.

Poor guy’s confused as heck, and so is the team, and soon enough so is Lian. The only one who understands what’s going on is May, and she’s freaking dying off to the side like why is this happening to me and eventually everybody’s like! Explain??? (Was thinking about including something from Coulson like, “Are you still keeping things from me?” Just for that extra smidge of angst, yay!)

So yeah then May gives a, like, two-sentence debriefing that elicits more questions than answers. Coulson decides to take May aside and they have a heart-to-heart. Lots of feelings and angst and hurt/comfort and at some point plenty of kissing too. Just! May hiding her feelings for Coulson’s sake but really magnified, plus some actual apologies and consideration of the grief May’s been through on Coulson’s part.

And uhh yeah that’s basically it I dunno hdsjncjshd. I warned y’all it’s OOC, plot-bendy, and very self-indulgent!

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

I don’t think I could name a single character for this. I get different things out of taking on different voices, you know? I guess recently I’ve found myself gravitating towards more taciturn and introspective points of view, like JQ from my original novel Rosewood or M. Yisbon from my…other original novel Temple.

Generally, however, I like tackling stories from an outsider’s perspective. That’s why I so rarely write my more “substantial” (serious? demanding? for lack of better words?) projects from the PoV of my “preferred” character. This usually means writing from their love interest’s perspective, but not always. With shorter fanfic, using a more removed/unconventional/niche PoV can be really fun. Like, I once wrote a canon compliant ficlet purely(-ish) about Philinda from Tony Stark’s perspective. That isn’t always sustainable with stories that demand more character development or closer character studies, however, which is why it’s a good thing I like writing drabbles!

9. Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?

My word counts tend to run long, but I usually only write one-shots for fanfic. If I’m even inspired with a novella- or novel-length story idea for a fandom, you already know I’m in deep with them. And if I actually find the motivation to plan and execute that idea? Dangg. That’s only ever happened…twice, maybe thrice, and I’m in a lot of fandoms.

At times, I wish I could go for more of a middle ground ’cause, like, you know what I love to see? An AO3 dashboard with several completed novellas for my ship/character of choice. I mean yes, I hecking love >90k fics, but sometimes I’m in the mood for quick reads…and what am I supposed to do when I burn through all the drabbles and 2k one-shots? (Besides despair and/or reread my faves desperately.) Novellas are basically always safe for me LOL, and I’d hope to be able to give as much as I take.

Ultimately though, I think I’m okay with where I am with regards to that. I wish I could write more in general, but I’d be okay with “writing more” just meaning “writing more one-shots”, ya know? More than okay, really. I have mad respect for fic writers who have, like, a hundred or more one-shots under their belt for this one ship. The fandom ecosystem would be incomplete without them (as well as every other type of writer, but sshhh that’s the type of writer I’m closest to being right now).

I’m definitely a plotter, and I definitely prefer it that way. It’s cool having such a detailed record of my process. I like feeling like a frazzled genius on the brink of a major discovery with all of my different outlines and colour coding and many drafts and various websites.

12. Do you want your writing to be famous?

Not exactly. It might be cool if my original works were recognisable in the world, but I don’t think I’d want to be recognisable. As for fanfic, I’d low-key enjoy gaining a place in that fandom’s community as a fic writer. Like someone who gave and got fic gifts from fic writer friends, who participated in challenges and GCs, who received writing prompts on Tumblr, whose name was known for doing a certain trope/genre a bunch of times… Ya know what I mean?

Unlikely to happen when I’m so hecking hesitant to publicly (i.e., outside of AO3) claim credit for my writing, but fjnskfsjhfjs. A writer can dream, right?

15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Of those three, tags are the easiest for me, for I have a reliable system for figuring out those.

Next easiest would probably be titles. For fanfiction, I like to use titles that are a quote from the source material. You should have seen all of my old Hamilton fanfic… I was really proud of some of those titles. And I don’t mean, like, whole lines—usually only two to five words. It’s a unique type of wordplay that I just love dabbling in.

And lastly, summaries. Sometimes inspiration strikes me and a snappy and intriguing synopsis just jumps out—one that I’m quietly pleased with—but most of the time I’ll spend way too long trying to think of such a synopsis and eventually just go with whatever I’d come up with so far. And live with my quiet dissatisfaction for the rest of time.

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (Plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations...?) Tell us about them!

Typically, no. If I have deleted scenes, I save and publish them separately, but that’s about it. I sometimes think of AUs for my own work and might talk about them in my author’s notes—might even talk about writing them—but I never really do anything with them.

Although…

It’s not uncommon for me to decide a plotline isn’t working for a certain story or to think of an interesting but undoable arc for a certain character, but what I’ll do is make a whole new story for those ideas. Once I’m done developing the original idea and the branched-off one, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell they grew from the same roots. Does that count?

21. What other medium do you think your story would work well as (film, webcomic, animated series, etc.)?

That depends on the story. I’ve actually written stories in other mediums—movie screenplay, musical stageplay, poetry, TV show scripts, play scripts, roleplay—but the novel does tend to be my comfort zone. Sometimes, if I have an idea that I think could work, or would even work better, as another medium, I’ll label it as such in my folder of ideas and decide not to write it as a novel.

Most of the time, my non-book projects are collaborations. I’m working with five different people on six different story ideas: two webcomics, one stage musical, one anime, and two animated TV shows. Little concrete progress has been made in any of those, mind you, but they’re still fun to discuss!

24. Would you say your writing has changed over time?

Absolutely. But I’ve been writing stories since I was five years old, so we would hope so, huh?

I wouldn’t say my writing’s changed completely, though maybe that’s just my insider’s perspective.

25. What part of writing is the most fun?

Oh gosh, I can’t believe you’d make me choose. Writing is just such a wonderful experience for me; I love just about everything to do with it. Admittedly, not all the time, but. Since that barely qualifies as an answer, however, I’ll give you this—

The endings. Not only that intense feeling of rightness when you wrap up that last sentence, but also the moments before. The adrenaline of knowing you’re almost there but you gotta push just a bit more to actually get there. And also the part right after—the real wrap-up, honestly: the revision and the editing. Heavens, I love revising and editing my work.

Which is not to say I don’t like writing it out for the first time, too—there’s nothing quite like seeing your cursor scroll to the next page, like going from a blank expanse to a Oh man, how many more lines are even going to fit on this page?, like watching that page counter tick up another number. However, there’s something cathartic about finally ironing out those problems I had to force myself to stop worrying about earlier because “just finish the first draft dangit”.

I guess that’s not really the end of the writing process, but whatever. Close enough (as fic writers are wont to say).

Another thank-you for these asks, and feel free to come back with more at any time! ;P

Send in fun meta asks for your friendly neighbourhood writer!

[obeymematches]

Hi, can I get a matchup? Thank you in advanced and I hope you're doing well despite the current state of the world ❤

(Edit: almost an hour later and I've finally finished writing this. Let's just say this did not turn out the way I expected AT ALL and I'm so sorry in advanced. But at least I got a new story idea)

Introduction (Innocence): At first, I'm extremely shy, timid, and quiet. I have a hard time opening my mouth and starting conversations. It doesn't always bother me since I like keeping to myself because it keeps me motivated and stay focused on my goals. However, if someone approaches me, I try to be as polite, passive, and friendly as possible. The only way to move out of this stage is to constantly interact with me until I feel comfortable.

Chapter 1 (Reality): Now that I'm comfortable, the snark and attitude starts to come through. At first, it will be a few light-hearted teasing that surprise people. Slowly, the jabs grow harsher and my voice grows louder. The dynamic of the conversation changes as I begin to dominate. My voice rises as my hands do all the talking. Sarcasm and eye rolls are regular parts of conversation. A thick cloud of chaos and self-deprecation arises, leading to a storm of endless rangs about my dramatic woes. In the midst of this confusion, you can't help but wonder: what happened to that soft-spoken girl?

Chapter 2 (Chaos): It has become my personal mission to make your life as miserable as possible. My sinister laughter rings through the air, bringing headaches to those around me. Despite all their attempts, no one stop me writing monologues that parody your towards your crush or stealing your phone until you give me your chips. My ego has devoured my self-deprecation; my word is law. My beauty, my hardwork, my intelligence-- me. You absolutely hate it, but you can't leave. The quick-wit, the variety of humor, and the soft crinkle around my eyes when I smile. The smart-assery is almost endearing. You can't help but wonder, what is she doing to do next? It's a game of cat and mouse, but I am always victorious.

Chapter 3 (Darkness): Beneath the madness, lies a small girl fighting against the shackles against her feet. She will not accept any help, she must escape on her own. Doubt constantly lingers in her mind, a consequence of previous endeavors that failed due to pride. She does not care for those who jeer at her as she struggles, holding her head high. There's only one thing in her mind: she will do anything to escape. It will be methodical, calculating, and nothing less than perfection. And when she does, she vows to do everything in her power to take her rightful spot on the throne.

Chapter 4 (Light): And so she escapes and sets on her path to become queen. Along her path, she befriends villagers who aid her quest. Although she becomes the voice of harsh reason, they heed her wisdom. Her companions know that despite her sharp tongue, she is simply looking out for them. Although she dislikes any form of affection, the cracks of her stone heart shine through her actions. It is here that she finds balance. Innocence, reality, chaos, darkness, and light meld into one.

Conclusion: Unfortunately, the journey is not over. However, the journey itself can teach one a lot about themselves. Thus far, the little girl has learned for her love of novels, often with her head in clouds to escape reality. She's also taken a liking to storytelling, finding solace in writing and storytelling to express the emotions she cannot communicate otherwise. She likes to bathe in her vanity by indugling in fashion and makeup, spending hours to create the perfect look. Despite this newfound sense of self, only time will tell whether she can succeed in her quest.

Adding a summary below because as a fellow matchup writer, I can see how this description would drive you insane. I'm so sorry for the story lol

Summary: At first I'm super shy, but I'm actually a sarcastic smartass that has a large ego and annoys everyone. My only redeemable quality is that I'm funny. Deep down, I'm ambitious, stubborn, and paranoid. With friends I'm the unaffectionate voice of reason that shows love through actions. My hobbies are makeup, reading, writing, and public speaking (aka storytelling).

----------

Hello! 💎

Thank you for sending in a request, I hope you like the result ! I’m doing fine, everybody at home is still healthy! 🙏

So I really enjoy how you elaborated on your layered and complex personality, because when I do matches I take people’s negative traits into consideration and they boy’s as well. Let’s face it, nobody’s perfect, and I like how the characters have their own flaws. I always look at how everybody could develop. (although it is not complete redemption cuz i’m not sure if that is possible for demons. like in paradise lost that is impossible but at this point it is not known how far obey me will go with that 🤷 but anyway regardless of canon i like to think that the MC has a positive effect on each character because i prefer healthy relationships) 

So I think your shy first impression would actually draw all of them in. I mean like yeah, they all have their prefered types, but they are also very curious demons (not exactly genuine but curious nevertheless) and would compete to figure out your actual personality. (I mean..Belphie probably not that much but deep down he is interested too)

I think by the time you’d show your deeper layers and vica versa you’d have a strong bond with Mammon (he is supposed to be with you a lot so really; it is hard to avoid opening up to him first but it is up to your imagination how far that goes), Satan would appreciate your shared hobbies and intellect, but it is up to you how much you trust him. Asmo obviously because of makeup, you have a shared interest and he can show you some tricks regarding that. I think both Satan and Asmo could influence your writing also. (Satan knows some lit Devildom stories that the human world lacks, and Asmo probably knows so much gossip nobody is prepared for)     

Now obviously, Asmo is not the ideal partner because he would definitely prefer someone affectionate. 

I’m deciding between Lucifer and Satan..but I am unsure what kinf of improvement you and Lucifer would result in, despite the connection that might form between you two. (I mean I don’t think it is a good idea to pair a kind of arrogant character with a deep-down paranoid person.)

But I think you and Satan could work out. 

I already mentioned the hobbies/shared interests and source of inspiration, but there is more than that to it!

He definitely needs some guidance in his life and no way he would ever let Lucifer play that role. 

It’s not that he is not independent, but he should  reconcile with his birth as much as he can  -  you being a dominant voice of reason under the surface is something he can respect.

Yeah he can be pretty dominant and that might result in arguments from time to time, but you are somebody he needs so he will do his best to apologize if he snaps for some reason. 

You both are witty and sarcastic and I think you would kind of point out the other’s flaws like that. No offense taken on either side.

So his aggressive tendencies the others warned you about might cause paranoia in you but I don’t think he would actually be violent towards the MC so if you bring it up to him in a conversation he would reassure you that you really shouldn’t worry about that. (and then he beats up whoever made you think that, behind your back) 

You see, on the surface he is also calm and collected but on a deeper layer he is also insecure and oh boy he has so much flaws that should be fixed.

Again, you being rational, wise, voice of reason proves to be much needed. 

As I elaborated before, in his case I don’t think there is space for complete redemption but he would go a long way with your aid!

He also adores your ambitions and your goals in life. 

He would read all the work you decide to share with him! He would disappear into the night reading your story and the next time you see him he has a copy of your story in his hand; little notes everywhere, underlined parts, several bookmarks, tons of insanely detailed questions, sharing his interpretations... you better be ready because it will be a long conversation. 

This way he also learns so much about you and the way you express your feelings! He would fall sooo hard, especially when he supposes you like him because of some line on page 73′s third paragraph  

He wouldn’t be sure though. (Again, he can be kind of insecure.)

Not until one of you actually makes a move. I think when that time comes, he would absolutely make a reference to one of your stories one way or another. Even if you don’t write romance. He’s smart, he will find a way.

 I think he would also help you “stay on Earth” considering your fears and tendency of stubborn and prideful behaviour. 

You would never have to ask him for help, as he will be the one suggesting it all the time. He is good at observing people, he will know if/when you need help. He refuses to be rejected by a human so really you have no chance here. 

He also has his own sense of humour so time spent together would involve joking around sometimes. I mean despite his facade, he can be a little brat sometimes. 

Like a cat he likes his independence so really he is not going to force any affection that you would not welcome. Maybe sometimes he enjoys it, but definitely not early in a relationship. 

He would love to participate in your storytelling activities. Not one occassion he would miss. 

[blumenct]

i guess no one from that community can see me here lol so here’s some fun stuff about a streamer that i’ve experienced the past year

so i started following the former vinesauce streamer j*****i_m**e a little over a year ago and subbed a bit after. person i found amusing and played things that appealed to me. joined the discord community and made friends and became a regular myself.

and you know, white 30-something new yorker, nothing standout or marginal about him. had a funny voice and was crude but like that was the appeal. being vinesauce-derivative is also a plus. very shitposty atmosphere it was nice. he attracted a lot of stick-in-the-mud types though, which was really super bizarre for said shitposty atmosphere. a big lgbtq crowd though. pretty wide age demo too.

anyway, little discomfort things happen over time. i recall a thing happening during stream that got chat to chant “eat the rich” and he didn’t like that because he “doesn’t advocate violence.” which for any thinking person is offputting. and possibly the worst timing of all, right at the peak of the george floyd protests he was playing sonic adventure 2, which involved a sequence where you’re chased by police. cue the acab’s and blm’s and whatnot in chat by people who were already heated. he said he didn’t want any of that because he had family who were cops. so at this point i’m like okay, yikes, i need to prepare to distance.

not long after was a stream where the topic of the military recruitment twitch crap came up. lots of disgruntled anti-military sentiment in chat of course, because again, this dude attracts a lot of marginalized people for an audience, and again he wasn’t having it. family and all that. this reached levels of hypocrisy when the topic switched to those high school army recruiters which he revealed he didn’t know was “serious” and didn’t believe was something they could do. people were quick to point out that, yes, they recruit children.

so as you can imagine it was a very “no politics” sort of environment, except the kind that plays so centrist it allows harmful rhetoric. classic.

the streamer in question was also weirdly bad with technology. he left the discord in the hands of his mods, very rarely appearing to speak in the server. maybe a dozen messages a month if you’re lucky enough to see them. normal interactions on twitter but he just could not bother to understand discord.

around that time one of the community regulars stopped showing up because she was 16, which everyone knew, and the streamers realizes he needs to enforce age policy. thing is, she was a very important part of the community, often running these streams from behind the scenes by helping with guides and emulations and junk. girl less than half his age being an important player like that felt scummy. she’s apparently got no hard feelings but wanted him to apologize for something, i have no idea. her being black and outspoken about blm makes it feel more and more not okay.

the streamer at one point made an announcement that there was some “creep” stuff going on that he was trying to prevent. there’s no way of knowing who precisely was involved but as of recent events having people air grievances it may have been her. allegedly part of the reason this lady was barred from the community was very intentionally the streamer distancing himself from the situation.

so this all culminates in something a couple days ago. the server has a /all ping announcing a new rule, that voice chat and streaming on the server is no longer allowed. and this really riled people up. the final say was that it was very difficult to moderate people streaming, was reasonable, but it was kind of ass we couldn’t have jackbox or among us sessions in our own community anymore.

but this REALLY riled people up. you had lurkers and new people coming out of the woodwork to defend the decision, but a lot of more regular people used this as an opportunity to complain about the community as a whole. this included a couple people mentioning how they barely watched the content on twitch or youtube. some of them weren’t even huge fans anymore, but they enjoyed the community and the friends they made.

so from on high comes the streamer and

he didn’t like that.

a complete failure to comprehend why anyone would want to stick around even if they didn’t like him. the tone was alarming and people were bothered by it and it riled everyone up more. someone posted a big paragraph mentioning stuff i’ve said above, cited them as bigoted behavior and cherry-picking political topics to allow. another doubled down saying that they weren’t into the content, and mysteriously they vanished from the server. a mod assured us they left on their own but minutes later the streamer confirms they were banned. again this was alarming.

and the thing was, despite my discontent with the situation, i was sitting on the fringes and shitposting about it in tried and true fashion. i felt attacked and was afraid to say anything damning, but i realized, i wasn’t totally participating in the discussion? these were other people completely independently feeling these things and venting. it made me see that i wasn’t crazy.

now i have a few friends i met through the community who had left a while back, so i also knew these problems existed in many forms. stuff regarding transphobia and obvious hypocrisies.

so the streamer and mods say that if anyone is spreading shit and bad worth of mouth to report it so they can get banned. the word “purge” is used. people i’ve never seen post on the discord applaud it and others are uncomfortable. i saw a couple announce themselves leaving and another couple disappearing. i received messages from friends who wanted to be in contact in case anything happened, and i dm’d a couple myself.

this morning you can feel it’s a bit tense because the people posting are different. there’s still discussion of the streamer being a stressed and anxious guy and his yelling at people is just how he interacts. i make a dry comment about most 35-year old men seeking therapy instead which i don’t believe anyone liked but hey. later this evening i found i’m banned from the server, like 6 hours after saying that or anything at all. gives you the impression they’re laboring over these ban decisions or it’s a more sweeping purge.

so, good riddance i guess. i was figuring out how best to leave, maybe tell anyone who wants to talk that they can approach me, but that won’t happen. i���m glad i got the few like-minded people i have because they’re good people. sometimes expressing solidarity can open doors you wouldn’t normally come to, and i’m happy some members of the community felt they could come to me.

yeah i would avoid the stream and its community if possible because i don’t see it improving, just sweeping potentially dangerous problems under the rug.

by some incredible circumstance i don’t think anyone involved in that community, friend or foe, interacts with my tumblr to any degree. i’m mainly looking to vent so i knew i could vomit out paragraphs here. if by chance you are part of that community and find this, well, i’d prefer you bring it up with me if this affects you at all. i am not doing this as a confrontation or call-out which is why i censor his name so heavily but leave it open. it’s a posthumous thing. a journal entry even.

[bodegacowboy]

Heartwork

I am aghast I almost forgot about NaruSaku day. Not even sure if it’s still going on (on tumblr) but if it is....Happy belated NaruSaku day. Here’s something I put together very quickly that was inspired (ripped off) by a P.G. Wodehouse short story and one or two Macy Gray songs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Custom dictated that every December the elder monk at the Fire temple and the Hokage of Konohagakure would each display a work of calligraphy that encapsulated their respective thoughts of the previous year. If the year happened to include an incoming Hokage-elect, the villagers would be treated to three works being put on display. The Hokage-elect would be given the privilege of brushing a phrase or a single kanji that encapsulated his or her thoughts for the upcoming year. Though most had forgotten the reasons why this tradition had begun, it was nevertheless held as semi-sacred to those inhabiting the leaf village.

Naruto felt nothing but gratitude as he lifted his ink drenched brush from the rather large and framed sheet of mulberry paper spread against one of the walls of the Hokage residence.

“What do you think of this one?” Naruto beamed.

Manuba Yamanaka gazed upon Naruto’s calligraphy with his face illuminated by a frown.

“I must apologize again that my criticism of your work has to be a little harsh”

“No worries Manuba, I am relying on your expertise.”

Naruto was not too familiar with the man who now cast a critical eye upon his work. Beyond Manuba’s familial ties to Ino, Naruto only knew what he had heard. He’d heard Manuba was an established artist readily accepted by Konohagakure’s bohemian elite. It was said by some that he had his finger on the pulse of the village's artistic vision.

“Your brushstrokes continue to come across lifeless, your words nor your spacing nor your characters truly live on the page.”

“I think it’s lovely.” Sakura said from the back of the room.

The customs of any festivities that involved a Hokage-elect were clearly defined by years of tradition. Every single activity that Naruto participated in that was directly or indirectly related to his future title was a ritual onto itself. Tradition recommended that Naruto complete his artwork in solitude, preferably after hours of quiet meditation and or contemplative prayer. Having a consultant for his art was a questionable act. Visitations from his girlfriend during the ritual was also pushing the envelope. For the sake of custom, compromises had been negotiated. The consultant was allowed two hours of Naruto’s time during the day. Girlfriends, or any other guests could also visit, but they weren’t allowed more than three steps into the entrance of the room where Naruto would be doing his duty. If they wanted to stay for awhile they could sit in a formal sieza position near the entrance of the room.

Manuba puffed his chest out. “Yes, perhaps it is lovely to the eyes of the amateur.”

Sakura was not fond of Manuba Yamanaka. From her seated position she had watched Manuba Yamanaka savage Naruto’s efforts. And he did so without a trace of empathy or leniency. Naruto still inflated with gratitude at being elected Hokage took the beatings with good humor. Sakura’s blood on the other hand had long since boiled.

“At least you both can agree that I wrote something. It’s something you can read. See that’s progress” Naruto grinned.

“Yes but progress isn’t always progress, do you understand?”

Naruto shook his head. “Manuba  I am beginner. You’ll have to dumb it down for me.”

Manuba nodded. “Oh I know, I know. The fact that you are a beginner is readily apparent. That said, your defects are not so much technical as they are emotional. It doesn’t engage the audience, it doesn’t make them feel enough.”

“What do you feel when you look at it?” Naruto inquired.

“I feel bored. I feel common.”

“That’s not enough feelings?”

“The work, it should speak to the hearts and minds of the audience, it should speak life!”

“Is my calligraphy not speaking?”

“It is speaking...in it’s own way.” Manuba grimaced.

“What is it saying?”

“To be frank it is saying ‘I am written not by a Hokage but by an unconscious plebeian.’ Of course I say that with all due respect.”

“Of course.” Naruto nodded.

“You should heed his advice Naruto, Manuba Yamanaka is a true artist.”

Naruto turned and despite the length of the distance between them he found himself startled by the cold glint in Sakura’s eyes.

“Yes a true artist indeed Naruto, I’m sure you’re familiar with his famous works.”

“I uh...Unfortunately I haven’t seen any of Manuab’s stuff” Naruto stammered. “But I heard he is an up and coming star in the art world.”

“Yes...he is held in high regard among the art community. And why wouldn’t he be? He sold a painting to the Fire Daimyo.”

“Really?” Naruto said impressed.

“Indeed the daimyo’s household paid a hefty five dollars for the artwork. It’s a well known fact that the painting can be found in the daimyo’s palace, in the bathroom, right over the toilet.”

A tense silence crept into the room. .

With feigned cheerfulness Sakura turned to Manuba. “And of course Ino has told me you write the greeting cards that her parents sell at the flower shop.”

Naruto scratched at cheek. “Ah well I admit I have seen those. I’ve bought some for Sakura. I like them. They’re usually cute.”

Manuba cleared his throat. “Miss Haruno seems to be focused on my more commercialized works. My deeper more complex contributions have done much to spur on the current artistic movement that ....

“How could I forget!” Sakura exclaimed. “The police sketches that you do on the weekends for the Konoha military police.”

“Maybe it’s time for a  break” Naruto declared.

Bowing stiffly the red faced artist stomped away from the Hokage-elect. He paused for a moment at the door just long enough to scowl at Sakura and then with his nose held high he departed the room.

“Hmmm your punches are sharp today Sakura.” Naruto stated.

“I’m sorry.”

Naruto shrugged, “Hey it wasn’t my ego you just KO’d. Are you alright?”

Sakura sighed. “I am fine. Look I will apologize to him...eventually. Really, it’s just that he was so horrid to you.”

“But he’s a great artist, it's only natural that he criticize.”

“Who told you he was a great artist?”

“I heard...”

“It’s all hype” Sakura snapped. “Most of it is coming from his friends.”

“Well he walks and talks like a great artist”

“He would.That doesn’t mean much.”

Naruto considered her point.. “So he’s not a genius?”

“He’s incompetent...in my opinion. But art is very much subjective Naruto.”

“How do you know all this Sakura?”

She hesitated before answering. “I’ve done some research on him. You’ve been very busy and joyful these last few weeks Naruto. You haven’t exactly paid a lot of attention to everyone around you.”

Naruto studied her with curious eyes before commenting musingly. “I see”

“It’s understandable. You’re preparing to fulfill your life’s ambition.”

A look of gratitude returned to Naruto’s face and a smile followed in its wake. “There really has been a lot going on lately.”

“You should get used to it. There will be a lot more to do after the first of January.”

His smiled deepened. “Yes, when I am sworn in as Hokage.”

Naruto looked off to the side and sighed deeply, happily. But when he looked back at Sakura the curious eyes had returned. “Are you sure you are alright?”

Sakura smiled back. “Couldn’t be better. I am happy for you.”

He nodded in silent appreciation before glancing back to his calligraphy “You think I can get this down before the ceremony?”

“I’m sure you will. And when you’re the Hokage you can do whatever you want...”

Eyebrows raised Naruto returned his full attention Sakura. “The Hokage can do whatever he wants? Why didn’t anyone tell me? Now I really can’t wait to be Hokage”

Sakura laughed softly. Naruto smiled thinly.

“Sakura....”

“Yes?”

“There is something wrong isn’t there?”

She sighed, she sadly sighed  “Remember when you mentioned how people from other villages were mobbing Shikamaru because they were hoping to gain more access to you.”

“Yeah he hasn’t really been enjoying that kind of attention.”

“Were any of those people representing some of the more prestigious clans....were any of them proposing marriage alliances?”

Caught off guard by the question Naruto simply blinked in response. When he recovered as best he could all he could say was, “yes.”

He waited for a follow up question.

When no further questions came Naruto asked one of his own.

“How do you know about that?”

“I’ve been approached as well.”

Stunned, Naruto sputtered, “That’s crazy-I mean they..why-to you...I mean we’re dating.”

“They don’t really care about that” Sakura said cooly. “They just want to get in your ear. Get the message out there.”

“Sakura why didn’t you say anything about this?”

“I’m saying something now. I think it’s something you should consider.” Sakura said indifferently.

At a loss for words Naruto stared at her for a moment. Eventually he blurted out “WHAT?!”  

 “You should consider it” Sakura said.

Anxious laughter escaped from Naruto’s lips. “Wow these guys must be very persuasive.”

“They make sense, they make practical sense for you, for the village really. These are very logical, pragmatic opportunities that will be very beneficial for you, but more importantly for the village.”

“Sakura, I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t going to waste my time-you know I have to be honest, I am a little annoyed you are taking this so well.....”

“What? Did you expect me to hit someone?”

Naruto ran his free hand through his hair. “I wouldn’t expect you to hit anyone. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you did. At least In this specific scenario anyway.”

Sakura licked her lips. “Honestly I did punch the first representative. But then I thought well that didn’t really help anything. You will need these people politically right? In the future. So I was polite and I listened. By the fourth and fifth representative they were starting to make sense.”

Naruto shook his head. “Plenty of things sound like they make sense but that doesn’t mean they actually make sense Sakura.”

“I am just saying you should consider it. These people can be vital allies.”

Naruto pointed towards the entrance “Manuba Yamanaka is technically an ally and you destroyed him.”

“He was a hack who had no right being that awful to you!”

“Sakura I-” Nartuo stopped to draw in a breath, “My allies and my potential allies, they may have good intentions but they obviously won’t always know what is right for me.”

“Just think about it Naruto” Sakura said with a small voice. “Your future and the village’s future are linked.”

Naruto groaned out loud. “Yeah I’ve thought about my future and the big problem with this plan is the minor fact that I am going to marry you!”

Sakura’s eyes flashed with sudden surprise.

“Yeah you, I want to marry you!” He shouted. Then he paused and with sudden softness he said “well I mean, well you’d have to say yes first.”

Naruto dropped the paintbrush in his hand when Sakura suddenly burst into a flood of tears.

Bewildered Naruto stated, “I’m sorry - I-- I take it back.”

“No! Wait!” Sakura said before placing her face in her hands. “J-Just turn around I need some time to think.”

“Alright, alright.”

Picking the brush off the floor Naruto turned his attention back to the art. In a subdued mood he replaced the paper on the wall with a new sheet. He dipped the brush in ink and with slow methodical strokes he went to work. He’d just about finished the latest draft when he heard faint sniffing followed by a few big gulps of air. He waited to hear from her but when nothing came he resumed his work. Once he was finished he took a few steps back from the wall and knelt down before it.

“I’m sorry Sakura. I’m sorry you had to go through all that. They shouldn’t have insulted you like that.”

She responded with silence.

“You know we’ll be very happy if you say yes.” Naruto said with his back still turned to her.

Silence

“But I guess I have to consider that you may say no for whatever reason.

After a moment’s consideration Naruto continued. “You said before that I’ll have plenty to do as Hokage. That’s probably right. Maybe I’ll have enough to keep my mind off you.”

He drew in a deep breath and released it.

“But you know Sakura-chan it’s the heart that’ll be the problem.”

“You’ll have everything.” She said finally.

He shrugged. “Everything but what my heart wants. It’s my heart that wants you. It’s my heart that won’t forget. It’s my heart that loves you.”

Suddenly Naruto heard footsteps. Sakura strolled across the room and knelt beside him.

“I am an idiot” She said.

“Sakura....”

She looked up at his calligraphy.

“The future is in the air, the past is in the ground, all is right in Heaven and on Earth,” She read aloud.

“I’m not sure if it’s pessimistic or optimistic” Naruto said.

“It’s lovely”

“Do you think Manuba will like it?”

“I don’t care, it’s lovely.”

“But do you feel anything?”

“I feel foolish, but very much loved. I feel that I am in love with someone wonderful.”

“That’s great! But I don’t know if that has anything to do with the calligraphy. Does it speak to you?

“Yes.”

“What does it say to you?”

“It’s saying “I am written by the the man whom Haruno Sakura will marry. It says ‘she will be happily married to my author for the rest of her life’.”

Naruto laughed happily, “I am thrilled, but again I don’t know if that has anything to do with the calligraphy. How will the villagers feel about it?”

Placing her head upon Naruto’s shoulder Sakura said, “They’ll love it-or else they’ll deal with me.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Welp that’s it. Leave a comment if you like it.

[clairekatswritingcorner]

Unexpected Guests

Word Count: 2,010

Summary: A few years after the Great Race of Oban, Spirit reconnects with Eva and Aikka to hear the big proposition Eva has planned for them.

*Author’s Note*: This doesn’t have much of a plot, but it’s a scene I wanted to write for my idea of what an Eva/Aikka/Spirit reunion might look like in the new Oban series! I know we know absolutely nothing about the plot or why any of the characters that have reconnected have done so, but that’s part of why fanfiction exists, right? I also just wanted to take the opportunity to write more Spirit stuff for @aepaex because she deserves it. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

(also available to read on my Ao3, which can be found in my blog links)

Spirit observed the vehicles, both flying and grounded, that crowded the busy city center. Most of the buildings were tall and glossy, surrounded by intricately woven roadways indicative of the futuristic feel Eva had informed him most of humanity, at least those building a majority of Earth's big cities, preferred to use. There wasn’t much to do to pass the time as he waited to meet her and some other unnamed parties she’d yet to reveal the identity of.

He wandered from the monument in the city square to a bridge overlooking a clear waterway, leaning over the railing to see if the water was too far away for him to see his own reflection. He eavesdropped on the people that periodically passed him on foot, some discussing indistinct topics that he knew little about while others whispered about him. Earth had received an uptick in interplanetary traffic in the years following the Great Race, but it was clear humans hadn’t become entirely accustomed to seeing less than human forms on their city streets, especially in regards to more traditionally monster looking species like the Phils.

Spirit didn’t mind the passing comments, though, especially since he was used to them. After his years of experience with other species first reactions to and interpretations of him, Spirit had come to recognize that some things didn’t really change until you got to know an alien, and he had much more important things to be considering anyway. Unfortunately, the water was too distant for his image to even appear as distorted colors in its sloshing waves, and he turned back towards the street just in time to hear a familiar voice calling out to him. Her voice traveled from above him, and Spirit looked up to see Eva flying over the square, a little stunned to see exactly what she was riding and who she was riding with.

“Hey, sorry to keep you waiting!” Eva greeted, waving enthusiastically as she slipped off the giant beetle’s back. Spirit had recognized G’dar in an instant, and as if to reinforce this recognition Aikka leaned forward a bit from the great bug’s back, giving Spirit a small wave.

Spirit returned Eva’s greeting with a nod, and before he knew it she had her arms wrapped around his waist in a friendly embrace. He was still a little caught off guard that the unnamed friend Eva said she was bringing along turned out to be the now proud Nourasian king, Aikka. The last Spirit heard, Aikka had had his hands full with diplomatic affairs and the protocol of transferring power from the previous king to himself, not to mention sorting out the Nourasian’s old and forced alliance with the Crogs. The fact that he had come all the way to Earth, and moreso had apparently been roped in to whatever scheme Eva had concocted that even Spirit knew nothing about yet, was peculiar but not altogether unexpected. After all, Eva and Aikka’s relationship had only strengthened following the Great Race, something they had both meticulously maintained even with the distance between their planets.

Spirit observed the myriad of differences Eva and Aikka displayed since the last time he had spoken with them face to face. There were certain things that remained staples of their physical presentations, such as Eva’s dyed hair, the bright pink music player that never left her hip, and the distinct racing goggles that she never went anywhere without. It appeared that she’d updated her arsenal of technology with a new high tech visor, and her clothing looked fitting for everything from space travel to mechanical maintenance.

Aikka’s clothes reflected a similar purpose, which was surprising considering his newly esteemed royal position. Spirit wondered just how much trouble the new king would be in if his attendants knew the details of his trip across the galaxy in civilian clothing to take part in some sort of assembly orchestrated by a simple Earth girl. His hair was much longer than it had been during the Great Race, fashioned into a high ponytail to keep it out of the way.  Spirit considered that both of them looked like intergalactic bandits or bounty hunters, ready at any moment to board a space faring craft and plunge into the cosmos looking for the next big adventure. Knowing Eva, that might be what she had planned anyway.

Spirit patted Eva on the back, making sure she was aware that he was going to connect with her telepathically before asking her through this channel of communication exactly what was going on. He wasn’t necessarily the type who had to be privy to all things at all times, but with the esteemed company she had roped into whatever excursion she was planning on pursuing, Spirit had an inkling that something larger was at play. Eva smiled and released him from her grasp, both of them moving out of the way a bit as Aikka slid off G’dar’s back to join them.

“We had a little bit of navigation trouble once we got into the city,” Aikka explained, filling in the blanks from Eva’s apology for their lateness. “G’dar isn’t exactly skittish when it comes to crowded places like this, but it seems like most of the locals aren’t used to anything more than shiny flying vehicles soaring through the sky. We were lucky we didn’t get arrested for flying a foreign object.”

“Yeah yeah, but what’s important now is that we’re all here together!” Eva replied, patting Aikka on the back. “Your flying has gotten a little rusty though, your Highness. Seems like it was more urgent to get you out of that palace than I thought.”

Aikka opened his mouth to protest, but Eva swiftly switched topics. “So, now that we’re all together, I can elaborate on my proposal.”

Something she had to tell us in person…Spirit thought, noticing the exuberant shine in her eyes. Or perhaps she just really wanted to see our reactions.

“I think we oughta get some more old friends back together,” she began, stretching her arms out behind her and leaning against the bridge’s railing. “I mean, we already have the three of us, and I’ve been able to contact a few others, like Rush. A lot has happened since the Great Race, a lot that’s only shared between those of us that actually experienced it…while I definitely don’t want to return to that, I think it would be fun to hang out together again. A lot of us, all at once, and maybe we can even have some racing meets to see who’s still got their racing fire lit.”

Spirit rested his hand on Eva’s wrist. Doesn’t this seem a little spontaneous? Although both Aikka and I had the time and the means to make this meeting happen, I’m not sure what gathering us all together again really accomplishes.

“You don’t have to worry about that, I don’t really have a sure fire plan anyway,” Eva less than reassuringly replied. “I just…it’s been lonely, and so much has changed. We’ve all grown, undoubtedly become different people than we were during the Great Race. But that experience still lingers within us. None of us will ever truly be able to get rid of those memories, good or bad. I figured it was time to make some sort of impromptu reunion, even if it’s only for a day. You guys are both here already, right? Can’t you humor me with this?”

Spirit had to admit that he knew where Eva was coming from. There were certainly things he had seen, and even more he had heard about after the fact from racers like her, that shook him to his core. Although he sometimes felt tempted to share his feelings or thoughts on the matter with his family or friends, he knew that not only was it a dangerous idea to involve them in such a dreadful affair, but they would never be able to truly understand. The only people who could offer support for and relate to the pilots who participated in the Great Race of Oban were fellow pilots and various other individuals who had shared the experience with them. Spirit mimicked Eva’s relaxed posture, extending a hand to Aikka to ask him what he thought about all this.

“Well, I’m not here because I don’t want to be,” he began, an unmistakable blush coloring his cheeks. “I think there’s merit to what Eva says. Apart from needing a break from my duties, I think there are bigger things that need to be discussed. Some things…that although they may never be completely dealt with, they can at least be worked through. All of us have suffered at the hands of the Great Race in one way or another, some deeper than others. I have questions, many of which I’m sure have no hope of being answered, but maybe the more of us that join together, the closer we can get to uncovering the truth.”

So a mixture of a research expedition and a friendly support meetup. That sounded like about as Eva an idea as any of the ones Spirit had already heard or been apart of throughout the years. After the Great Race, while many racers had gone their separate ways, Eva and the group of those who had been with her through her roughest patches and knew about the deepest pains of her past had remained in consistent and close contact with her and each other.

Eva had come out of the Great Race with an altered perception of fate, a new set of friends, and an infinitely widened view of both life and the universe. Spirit still didn’t know every detail of what transpired on Oban with her, her faithful racing team, and King Aikka. Although part of him would always be achingly curious to have her divulge the full story, another part knew that it would be detrimental both to him and the parties involved to plunge them too deeply into territory they weren’t properly armed to tackle.

Spirit simply nodded in agreement then, knowing that no matter what came next, it would surely be an adventure he didn’t want to miss. He wanted to uncover more about the Great Race for himself, as well as catch up in person with racers who understood him for more than the enigmatic Phils champion that many assumed him to be. Even just being around Eva and Aikka again brought him a peace that he hadn’t known since he had last had the pleasure of sharing their company. There was a deep, unspoken camaraderie between many of the racers who participated in the Great Race. Whether it was fate, or trauma, or the simple desire to reconnect with those Spirit once saw as nothing more but fellow competitors, he had a yearning to join Eva’s expedition. He ruffled her hair, cut shorter than she had worn it when she was younger, and in the gesture passed along his thanks for her kindness in reaching out to him.

Eva laughed, grabbing his hand with one of her own as she smoothed her hair with the other. You don’t need to thank me, it was a no brainer. It wouldn’t be the same without one of my best friends.

Spirit felt the wellspring in his chest expand, doing his best to keep his composure while also sharing the elated feeling with her. She considered him a friend, a sentiment that made him feel more than he felt he would ever be able to share or communicate, even with telepathy. Aikka smiled gently at them both, and Eva yanked him over to them, pulling them all into a group hug that made Spirit feel like he was truly at home. This was the beginning of a grand adventure, one that had no perceivable direction. But spontaneity was what Eva did best, and with her at the helm, Spirit was sure they would make it out of even the darkest recesses of space they might dare to traverse.