#but also because Mikazuki's ghost is in the narrative and I really enjoy that

[waterlinkedgirl]

Toumyu Hanakoyomi 8&9

For something different from usual (no fancy picture because the Hanakoyomi is a drama cd and so doesn't have one), I'd like to give you all the 8th and 9th Hanakoyomi episodes! It's not very likely I'll be posting the rest of the Hanakoyomis, as it's very likely the episodes will be released on CD and I'd like to prevent folks substituting the tls for the actual episodes ^^;

The choice of Hanakoyomis is not at all because I'm biased noooo

Hanakoyomi 8 - Higanbana featuring Minamoto Kiyomaro, Nagasone Kotetsu, Kogitsunemaru, Suishinshi Masahide, Hachisuka Kotetsu

Hanakoyomi 9 - Cosmos featuring Onimaru Kunitsuna, Daihannya Nagamitsu, Kogitsunemaru, Tomoegata Naginata, Heshikiri Hasebe

[topazadine]

Since I love to talk about myself, let’s talk about me and my fics on this most hallowed of holidays

The relationship I most like to write about is not Tsurumaru and Mikazuki, because most of the shit I put them through is situational rather than interpersonal. I actually like writing about Higekiri and Hizamaru the most because there is so much unresolved trauma there and their dynamic is rather unstable once you really think about it. 

Hizamaru is a warrior in his own right but he has this weird deference to Higekiri, and Higekiri acts like he doesn’t give a shit but he very, very much does. They’re both just so deeply emotionally repressed and I love bringing that to the surface like the bitch I am :)

The relationship I don’t like to write about but have would be Horikawa and Izuminokami. I just don’t particularly like either of them on their own, but the concept was compelling to me so I went with it.

The character I’ve most enjoyed developing is Uguisumaru. He goes from being very meek and quiet and passive to being witty and bold as he becomes more comfortable with everyone. I also love how he and Tsurumaru went from being acquaintances to being real friends because they showed up for each other when they needed it the most.

The character I’d like to explore more is Omokage. I envision doing MANY more stories about him and how he comes into his own.

The story I most enjoyed writing was “Joya no Kane” because I really enjoyed fucking around with different narrative styles and different types of writing. Before I started writing fic regularly, I did a lot of other types of writing: grant submissions, business/promo writing, academic writing (liberal arts and the hard sciences), nonfiction articles, poetry, and probably more I can’t think of right now. I’ve had a pretty varied experience as a writer, so I liked pulling all of those together to tell a coherent story.

The story whose reception surprised me was “Thalassophobia.” I didn’t expect so many people to like it, but it has my second-highest hits and my highest hits to kudos rate. It might have been because it’s a part of Horikawa’s backstory that not a lot of fics seem to touch on.

The story I’ve written that I dislike the most is “The Ghost Journals.” I felt it was rushed and incomplete, and I didn’t go far enough with it. I don’t feel like going back and revising it but I’m not particularly proud of it.

The story I’m proudest of is “Joya no Kane” obvi. I use it as a touchpoint for pretty much all the fics that come after it even though everyone was retconned at the end because it revealed a lot of my personal headcanons about Touken Ranbu.

The scene I think about the most is the lion dream in “Beyond Mortal Sight,” which I’ve mentioned a million times before lmao. I just REALLY like the imagery of Hizamaru being held down by a lion and stretching his neck out to let Higekiri kill him: it’s intimate and powerful, and it encapsulates the push and pull of their relationship. Hizamaru would sacrifice himself a thousand times over for Higekiri because he is bonded to him for life, and he would actually be honored to be killed by his partner. Very twisted psychology. 

My second favorite scene is Tsurumaru curled up around Mikazuki on the veranda in “The Blood of a Cherry Blossom,” because I can just picture it so well in my head and it always breaks my heart.

The scene I cringed at most while writing was Uguisumaru covered in sores in “A Mended Treasure.” I tried really hard not to get too graphic with it but it’s just really gross anyway lmao. I also cringed when writing about Nikkari’s eye exploding in “The Red Ring of Fate.” 

The scene I laughed at while writing was Tsurumaru getting courted by a crane in “Five Strange Days in Tokyo.” Poor Tsuru lmao

The theme that comes up most in my writing is emotional repression and unresolved trauma. All the swords have very tragic pasts that they haven’t confronted, but eventually all of us have to face our demons in order to uncover our hidden strengths.

The trope that comes up most in my writing is dream sequences and prophetic dreams. I love writing about weird locations based on the psychology of the character or their moods, and I really like symbolism.