#it just did. it's at least amusing & has some cute fan art potential

[bellamyroselia]

I was looking through some stuff and apparently Silver is called Tsubaki in some side manga? And as I've been playing FE14 recently, I can't help but find it extremely amusing, the idea that these two share their names:

It's honestly made even funnier by the fact that these two are the de facto shipping partners for the two of them.

... You know what, this would make some absolutely adorable cosplay art for both couples now when I'm thinking of it

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Natsume (pt. 6)

Last time, we talked about Natsume's growing crush on Mikan. As the festival continues, his feelings will only grow. Today we'll discuss how these new feelings will affect him, and particularly how they have the potential to create tension in his friendship with Ruka.

Chapter Twenty-One

Mikan is guilty for not having already gone to Iinchou’s haunted house in the latent ability class area. So they end up going together. Although Mikan is easily distracted and wants to try everything in the latent area, Natsume is strict on going straight to the destination with no tangents.

Iinchou lets them in right away without having to wait in the hour-long line. Mikan puts on airs about being a country girl and, just like she’s unafraid of bugs, she’s also not afraid of ghosts. Except she totally is.

Ruka and Natsume don’t seem particularly scared of the haunted house so far, but Mikan is, and she clings to Ruka, desperate not to be left behind, even if it means she hurts him with her grasp.

The person who posted these TokyoPop scans forgot a couple pages so for the longest time the beginning of the chapter was so confusing to me...

Natsume looks behind to see them and is jealous, yet again. Just like with Tsubasa, Natsume is unhappy with his fate to be the bad guy in general. He goes out of his way to look bad to protect people and as a result will not be the one clung to. It’s different from Tsubasa though, because this isn’t some nameless middle schooler that Natsume can take his anger out on: this is his best friend, somebody he’s never felt anything but affection for. Natsume doesn’t want to hurt Ruka; he’s just sad that the situation is so messed up.

Lucky for Ruka, Natsume gives up before there can even be a competition.

It’s for the best this way, after all. For Ruka to be happy, for Mikan to be with somebody kind who deserves her, and even for him, because maybe this way Mikan won’t be used against him like everybody else he cares about.

Natsume makes this decision without talking to anybody and before anyone can even figure out that there’s a choice to be made in the first place.

Then they run into a crawling hag and nobody’s immune to the terror that being chased after by that demon brings. All three of them run for it, but they end up in a new spooky room, which freaks Mikan out so much she screams and faints, foaming at the mouth, causing Natsume to fall and twist his ankle and for Ruka’s rabbit to run off. He chases after it, leaving Natsume and Mikan alone. Iinchou breaks whatever causes the electricity to run in the building and now they’re trapped alone in the dark, unable to get out.

Mikan tries to figure out a way for them to escape, but climbing the wall is out of the question since Natsume’s ankle is twisted. He suggests that he blow up the wall, but Mikan is adamantly against that idea because the latent students worked hard to make the mansion. Natsume acquiesces. That’s fine. He doesn’t mind spending more time with her. It just means she’ll have to stay in the dark for longer.

She is very clingy when she’s scared, and although he complains he doesn’t really make any moves to get her off. I mean, why would he? This is exactly what he wanted, though he did only get it because he was the only person around that she could cling to. There’s a moment where he spooks her, perhaps so she would hug him more, but then she whines for him to stop scaring her and the panels are quite sparkly. Natsume is distressed about his new crush and the effect it has on him. Really her whining and puppy-dog eyes are not any less powerful on Natsume than they are on Ruka. He’s just better at hiding it.

He looks at her softly and then has a moment where he looks almost peeved to have felt so fond at all... but it won't last. These days he has more affection for her than irritation.

Mikan tries apologizing about getting angry with him at Anna’s cafe, but he pretends like he has no idea what she’s talking about. To me, this cements that Natsume wants to look bad to her in particular. He doesn’t really want her to figure out that he’s kind deep down or that he’s selfless 99% of the time. He doesn’t want her to think he cares at all because it’s best for him to continue being the same jerk he has been for the past twenty chapters. He’s okay with her hating him, because that way she won’t become the new Ruka, used by the academy as a pawn to get him to jump through more hoops.

She tries to make him smile and that’s another big deal. Most people think Natsume is cool for being so unaffected. His fans think he’s the man, a tough guy who frowns all the time. Even Ruka’s approach to this issue was to stop smiling too.

Mikan’s approach is to tell jokes.

Of course, it doesn’t work, and the jokes aren’t any good, but Mikan is trying something nobody else has done: instead of looking up to him or going down to his level of misery, Mikan’s trying to lift him up. She wants him to smile and be happy and that sets her apart. She’s immature and childish and that brings out the childishness in him too. And like I mentioned a while ago, childishness in Natsume is a good thing. With her, he can bicker and argue and tease like he used to before he came to the academy. She has no idea what he’s going through and her mood changes so quickly she can’t even stay mad or upset. She’s just a joyful and loud girl who rubs off on everyone she meets and Natsume is far from being an exception.

He can just mess around like a kid for once. He doesn't have to be serious around her all the time.

Thus, the next important thing in regards to analyzing their relationship is that the last page of the chapter has him teasing her and then smiling at her reaction. We’ve only seen Natsume smile twice before: with Youichi for a brief moment, and then with Ruka on the cover for Chapter Sixteen (Natsume's evil smile when Mikan gets bullied by middle schoolers doesn't count as a real smile). This officially adds Mikan to the incredibly short list of people who can make Natsume smile. She’s angry with him, arguing, but being able to let go of all his darkness and just tease a girl and have her act with such strong emotions is enough to make him happy. And that’s what this is: Natsume is happy.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The musical creates some tension between Natsume and Ruka, as expected, because liking the same girl can make rifts between friends. On the other hand, this isn’t your typical love triangle. Usually in love triangles, the two guys are already positioned against each other. Though Natsume and Ruka may be opposites in many ways, they are not rivals at all. They love each other, and that love is not at all damaged by the conflict of falling for the same girl; it just becomes tense between them.

In fact, the beginning of the chapter has some Class B pals eagerly going backstage to find Ruka before the somatic ability class musical. When they find him, Natsume is the only one to not laugh at or tease him, and seems to be the only one really concerned with Ruka’s feelings about being cast as Snow White.

When the sticky ball incident occurs, there’s a lot more damage done than there is in the anime. In the anime, some cast and crew get stuck, but ultimately nobody was in any real danger of being hurt. In the manga, there were potentially catastrophic consequences for the blast and a lot of equipment got damaged in the process. A somatic child playing one of the seven dwarves is about to be hit by a stagelight when Natsume rushes to get him out of the way, resulting in them getting stuck together. If Natsume hadn’t stepped in, that kid could have gotten really injured, at least.

As a result of Natsume’s heroism, Narumi suggests that he dress up as a forest friend. When Natsume refuses, the child is to be kicked out of the play, and the seven dwarves will be changed to six. Natsume sees the kid pout and with absolutely no more need for convincing he goes to get changed into a cat outfit.

This is noteworthy because the cat outfit is humiliating (not that Natsume hasn’t worn similar things in official art… just saying) and it’s something he truly does not want to do, but he does it, even though he doesn’t even know the kid. It’s some random somatic kid, not Ruka or Youichi or even Mikan, and yet he goes out of his way to do something truly selfless so that the kid can perform what he’s practiced. Natsume is kind in quiet ways, and not just with the people he cares about. Like with Anna, Natsume puts the needs of someone he isn’t close to in front of his own reputation.

Now, Natsume is in a horrible mood, embarrassed to be seen in the costume, and Ruka is confused why he’d even bother, until he sees the smile on the little kid and everything snaps into place for him. Mikan is a very intuitive and emotional girl who can sense things about all sorts of people, but when it comes to Natsume, nobody knows him better than Ruka, who can tell right away the motives for any of his actions.

I work at a restaurant and kids Natsume's age will be like, "I don't want a kids' menu" and act all grown up and then see how big the adult portions are, so they end up eating the Cub Pancake anyway LMAO. Do you want extra whipped cream and chocolate chips, Natsume?

Onto the actual NatsuMikan portion of this analysis, at long last, Mikan is overjoyed to see how adorable he is in his costume and she is the only one who won’t hold back from saying so because she’s not scared of him. I’ve seen someone complaining that Natsume says “Don’t call men cute,” but I always found that line funny because Natsume is a literal ten-year-old boy… He is not a man at all. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect a kid to say, especially one who wants to be a grown-up as soon as possible, which makes the line endearing to me, but that’s my personal feelings about it. (Like the above caption, I find it very amusing when little kids pretend they're all grown up.)

Anyway, Natsume is as much an idiot as he is in the anime, volunteering Mikan to be the prince, even using one of his three wishes to make it happen. This is all motivated by his feelings of humiliation, and he’s taking it out on her, arguing that he doesn’t want to wear the outfit for no reason so the show has to go on no matter the cost--but this will bite him in the ass sooner rather than later.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The chapter begins and Mikan is very nervous about playing the prince, particularly about looking the part as she is very uncomfortable with her hair down.

This is actually the first time we see Natsume’s feelings about it, but he’ll only make it more clear in about ten more chapters. Here, Mikan wonders if she should put her hair back up and Natsume snaps, “No!” before walking away in a huff. It’s a small scene, and it’s even told through tiny text, but it’s enough to let any reader paying attention know that Natsume also thinks Mikan looks cute with her hair down. Yes, he’s embarrassed to have said anything, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t say it.

Don't worry about him, he's just in a bad mood.

Natsume mainly observes, and nothing noteworthy happens. He eventually goes and gives his line and his aura alone is threatening enough to discourage anyone from laughing or “aww”ing.

The next important moment is when Mikan sees the stage direction to kiss the princess directly on the lips. Narumi says it’s because he’s trying to make up for the loss of sizzle due to the accident, but knowing him, there’s probably more to it. Naru likes stirring the pot and causing drama, although I can hardly tell what his motives are half the time. Truly, I believe he is the most mysterious character in the whole story.

Natsume does not allow this to happen, so he throws something at Mikan’s head--some random box thing--and Hotaru shuts off the lights.

Natsume does something kind of selfish here. He didn’t want them to kiss, so he stopped it. The fact that he grabbed the first thing he saw meant it was a sudden choice to chuck it. I wonder if he had any intentions of just toughing it out and dealing with it, but eventually jealousy won out and he did the selfish thing.

When I say selfish, I don’t mean “bad”. I just mean that for once Natsume is acting based on what he wants, rather than what will make somebody else happy. When it comes to this kid in particular, I actually want him to do selfish things more often, because he very rarely does. He’s been selfless and heroic enough for one day, having saved a kid from getting injured and then wearing that embarrassing costume. He’s allowed to have done this one thing for selfish reasons.

It’s not like it was a bad thing to do either. It would have only benefited Narumi, and possibly the somatic class to have a spicy musical kiss, but it wouldn’t have been good for Ruka or Mikan. Having their first kiss under such conditions, especially when Mikan was just doing the class a favor by acting in the play to begin with, would have been sad. Natsume essentially saved her from the consequences of his own actions, because it would have been his fault if they’d had no choice but to go through with it.

Moreover, like I said earlier, Ruka can simply tell what Natsume’s motives are from a single look. It’s more obvious in the anime, of course, but I still think manga!Ruka is aware that Natsume intervened. He knows Natsume better than anybody, and he’s too smart to think that box came out of nowhere.

This is just the beginning of a long-standing tension between them, one that they will dance around and pretend isn’t happening for quite a while before actually addressing it properly. For now, they have undiscussed feelings and jealousies that will go unchecked and unresolved for some time, building an even deeper divide between them. After all, Natsume and Ruka have enough of a gap on account of Natsume’s missions and his general feelings of not being able to fit in with anybody. This only broadens the gap.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The dance will be very fun to analyze from Mikan’s perspective, but we’re not nearly finished with Natsume’s, so that will have to wait.

For now, we’ll discuss Natsume’s softening, which Permy points out bitterly on account of being surrounded by closet fans. Previously, she says, they were terrified of him, and why wouldn’t they be? We talked ad nauseam about Natsume’s first thirteen chapters of misery and coldness. He was a scary and unkind guy, definitely unapproachable. Even his admirers in Class B were scared of him, equal parts affection and terror. In a very short time, Natsume has softened and it’s obvious. He even dressed as a cat for the somatic musical! His reputation for being cold and dangerous is softening and the girls who used to fear him are now flocking to him to ask if he’s willing to accept their last dance proposals.

But with all this talk about romance and dancing, Mikan feels left out and can’t relate. Her frustrations only grow when some girls start gossiping about her and she ends up taking it out on Natsume, saying she would never ever wanna dance with Natsume for the last dance. He brushes this off, but he still pouts, obviously affected and a little hurt. Their relationship was on the rise, after all. They were starting to hang out more and were bickering often, something Natsume doesn’t make a habit of doing with most people. But just because Natsume is feeling more fondness for her, that doesn't mean she feels the same way.

He expects this in some way, of course, because it's partially his intention. He expects that she would only tolerate him after everything that happened with them, but that doesn't mean he likes the feeling of rejection.

They're so cute when they pout!

Having a crush is bad enough, but hearing that girl shout that she’d never wanna go out with you is even harder, even if you were maybe purposefully making her angry with you to try and protect her. It would be a tough emotion to bear, especially for a kid unversed in romance. He proceeds to be just as huffy as her.

And as twisted as it is, I’m happy for him.

Natsume was cold and mean and difficult to talk to before he fell for Mikan. Now he’s way more approachable and expressive, willing on occasion to show an emotion that isn’t rage, like hurt or grumpiness or amusement. He can now sit at his desk and pout, something he wasn’t doing before, like a kid throwing a fit.

At the actual dance, Natsume is still hurt, still pouting. It doesn’t help that Mikan glares at him upon spotting him. It’s interesting to see how much this affects him. One girl said something harsh in the heat of the moment and he is taking it so personally. Of course, he gets hurt or angered by many things. Upperclassmen bully him and call him a murderer and he simply uses his alice on them to shut them up. He keeps his face straight, moves on, and forgets it. Naturally, the hurt and resentment sit there in his gut to torment him, because he’s a kid and they’re awful things for anyone to hear, but he’s not acting like that here. Here, he’s grumpy and pouty. His feelings are hurt but they don’t come with urges to punish like being called a murderer does.

And it’s obvious he has no genuine hard feelings because Natsume then shoves Ruka onto Mikan, since Ruka was being transparent about his gaze. He goes on to dance with someone else, anyone else, because Mikan made it clear that she too would rather dance with anyone else, just as long as it wasn’t him. He’s clearly still in a bad mood, though.

He's so used to not getting what he wants that he will do all of Ruka's work for him, so that Ruka can get what he wants.

Later, when Mikan and Natsume are singletons in the middle of the dance floor, they notice each other. Here would be a perfect opportunity to dance, but she made it clear she hated the idea, and he’s not about to embarrass himself to ask. Hence, he huffs again, pouting because there’s no way he’ll ask her to dance once she’s said such harsh things. They stand in silence for just a moment, until he finds some other girl to dance with and leaves Mikan all alone.

They’re both grumpy over the way they’re being treated by the other. Natsume is being immature and petty with his feelings, almost childish (heehee it's all I want for him!). With all the dark and depressing divide between Mikan’s academy life of fun and laughs and Natsume’s life of secret missions and physical abuse, he’s somehow found a way to wedge himself into hers. He’s taking something so minor so seriously. He’s been on the front lines, used his alice to hurt enemies and been hurt by enemies and dangerous ability types alike. He is literally dying and he’s aware of it! But he’s still pouting because the girl he likes was a little mean to him.

But the dance with the girl obviously wasn’t much fun, because Mikan quickly finds him again, away from the party, along a secluded path by some trees. He’s in a pouty mood and obviously needs some time alone with his thoughts.

It shows that he’s done some thinking because he doesn’t even mention her angry words from earlier.

Instead, he just calls the whole festival stupid.

We’re reminded here of a scene from way before they liked each other, when the festival was first announced. Then, she also found him playing with a dog, all on his own, using anger to mask his feelings of hurt. He said the same thing back then, that the whole thing was stupid and it was dumb to get all worked up about it. He’s doing it again now, but it’s a little different this time. Their relationship has changed, improved. They actually care about each other now, and although Natsume starts off just talking through his anger, he eventually turns honest.

The truth is that these periods of childishness will always have to end. It’s just an extended version of the dodgeball game. No matter how much emotion he puts into these experiences, they will be overshadowed by his real life. Now matter how much fun he has, he will always have to stop smiling and go kill himself on Persona’s orders. And even more honestly, the more fun he has, the harder it will be on the people he has fun with. It’s not enough for the ESP and Persona that Natsume completes his missions and does all his work; they find pleasure and relief in his constant misery. The second he cares about something, they use it against him. His joy is never meant to last and will always have consequences for the people he loves.

I hate tumblr's 10 image limit. I hate it. I despise it. I abhor it. I cannot come up with a caption. So instead I'll say again. I hate the 10 image limit.

And so he explains, for once, that he’s simply different from everyone else. The festival is something that doesn’t belong to him. He’s merely been an observer this whole time. He’s never actually been a part of it. And then he tells her that she should stay in the light, stay out of the dark. He calls her naive, but it’s not as much an insult as it used to be.

She is childish and loud and optimistic and annoying and a little sweet and even though he hated all these things about her before, he now realizes that these traits are things to be protected. The more she mingles with him, the darker her life will be. After all, her light is not the only thing that’s contagious: his darkness rubs off on people too, and in his mind it will only hurt her to be involved with him. She should stay in the light--in the shiny, sparkly side of the manga, where everyone is concerned with sports and coming up with ideas for the festival--and keep out of the dark--where there’s murder and blackmail and danger and death. It’s bad enough he can’t keep Youichi or Ruka out of it: Youichi is already in the DA class and Ruka came running after him. He can’t distance himself from them. The most he can do is protect them and raise their star ranks or keep them off of dangerous missions. But with Mikan he has a chance to really protect her, prevent her from being used against him at all. Ideally, she’ll stay away and he won’t need to worry about her as much.

And he wants her to be safe and gone, so when she asks what he means, he changes tactics and decides to be rude and mean instead, telling her to get lost and insulting her. She gets angry and it almost seems like it’ll be another bickering match, where they will both be childish and hurl insults at each other, but he doesn’t take that path.

She is complaining about how he doesn’t seem to know that she has a name, thank you very much--and then he calls her Mikan. He concedes to her demands. He does what he perceives to be the mature, adult thing, ending the argument so she will leave for good. When she has nothing left to argue about, she will have no choice but to walk away, and she does, once he makes it clear that his last command is for her to stop complaining about what he calls her.

Natsume chooses to do the selfless thing again, and gives up the first thing in a long time that made him happy. He barely had any time with her at all, but he lets her go, because she can only continue to be sunny and cheerful away from him. He’s giving up before anyone can tell that something was around for him to give up.

He has no idea how much one word has affected her.

Conclusion

Natsume is a selfless kid. He gives up on what he wants very easily, but especially because he knows that the second he gets what he wants, those things could be destroyed, just by association with him. He just wants the people he loves to be happy, even if it means he could never be.

In the next segment, we'll talk about what Natsume is willing to do to protect Mikan, even if it means being cruel and hurting her. NatsuMikan is the living embodiment of the "break her heart to save her" trope, and I very much adore that trope with my whole heart, so we're going to be having a LOT of fun with the next essay!

Also, disclaimer: I'm not smart. I refuse to take responsibility for any mistakes I make in these essays. There also are no mistakes. I've never misspelled a word in my life.

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[monkeydluffy19920]

I also noticed he’s wearing the circles like Nami does. Is there a reason for those circles?

——————————————————-

Greetings @icantthinkof1posts and many thanks for the submission :) I’ve never paid attention to this detail while watching Heart of Gold-tv special before so thanks for pointing this out!  Now that I look at the jacket pattern it surely reminds me of Nami’s skirt and jeans’ circles and after browsing her outfit gallery in One Piece fandom wiki it seems like these circles appear in many of her outfits:

The reason how those circles ended up in Sanji’s jacket in Heart of Gold probably remains a mystery forever but it indeed is a nice detail from the perspective of shipping. However, I think it is partly a coincidence, they both enjoy fashionable clothings and maybe they like same clothing brands. An interesting topic and for example my fellow shippers @pernanegra [x] and @sanjiafsincedayone [x] have written nice thoughts about clothing related to Sanji x Nami for Sannami week- event.

But in general, it’s actually pretty interesting to notice that Sanji and Nami indeed do seem to have some similarities and/ or “parallels” when it comes down to their style and clothing. For example in the following cases there seem to be something:

Sanji’s Alabasta’s outfit

First one might be very far fetched but I admit when I first saw the desert outfit after a long while, the sun on his sleeve reminded me of the logo of the Sun Pirates and guess who was part of the Sun Pirates? Arlong and then who was working under Arlong? Nami!

It’s hard to say did Oda-sensei mean any foreshadowing in this but now to think about the connection to the Sun Pirates came up later in the story line when Jinbei revealed to be close to Arlong.

Sanji knew about Nami’s backstory because Nojiko told it to them earlier when Nami struggled to fight against Arlong’s terror. She didn’t know Sanji knows so she was probably surprised why it was difficult to Sanji to face Jinbei’s confessions.

Actually the Nami’s backstory that returned in Mermaid Island arc turned unexpectedly into a parallel at the latest in Zou arc where Nami became the one who learned about Sanji’s backstory (well there was also Brook and the others but the point is, they both know their backstories)

A bit similar pattern in shirts

Before the Strawhats arrived to Alabasta, Nami wore this colorful heart-patterned shirt and later she changes it to the black/blue bikini top. Sanji also switches his outfit in Skypiea to this red-shaded and flowery patterns too that are a bit similar to Namis (who knows, maybe the same brand?)

 Punk Hazard style

Sanji’s winter outfit after the main adventures in Punk Hazard is stylish and has Nami’s colors and those S-patters partly resemble Nami’s iconic pinwheel tattoo. Her jacket instead follows a bit of Sanji’s suit jacket style (with 6 buttons)

Of course those swirls in Sanji’s jacket and in Nami’s could also represent the symbolism behind their names. My fellow shipper @eleamaya wrote a interesting analyze about their names:  Sanji = whirlpool  // Nami = Wave both things are linked to swirls.

The swirls can also be symbolism for Sanji’s curly eyebrows and now to think about, the symbol of the Arlong Pirates reminds a bit of a whirlpool if one looks quickly.

wearing blue and orange

There are obviously dozens of outfits Nami has worn but one thing that crossed my mind after browsing the One Piece’s fan gallery was that she wears a lot of blue, either the top or the bottom part which is nice because blue is a nice color.

(and yes I am color blind, I can’t distinguish blue and purple-ish well *laughs*)

Also Sanji likes to wear blue but also he has worn a lots of shades of yellow/orange.  Shipwise this  is an interesting thing to notice because their theme colors are blue and orange. Eleamaya linked it to the colors of the sunset which has these two very colors and she also pointed out there the common link in their names (related to the element of water).

(btw @sanjiafsincedayone‘s post about orange and blue sums ups well this theme)

ties

Both Nami and Sanji have been seen wearing ties both in canon and in Color Spreads, if we return into a earlier subject, Nami wears blue again in Water 7.

Offering the suit jacket to the lady

Sanji is a gentleman so it’s natural nice gesture for him to offer his jacket. First time he offered it to Nami when they survived the ordeals in Little Garden. Nami’s reaction was annoyed.

Later he gave his jacket when they were freezing in Punk Hazard’s cold side. Then Nami’s reaction was more friendly (she seemed actually be surprised about him doing it again). This is most likely because they’ve known each other for a longer time in Punk  Hazard arc.

Number 3 in clothing

There has been great analyzes about this topic but to sum it a little bit: Oda-sensei has given each Straw Hats a “theme”number that is based on their birthday and names, Sanji’s is 3.

He has worn number 3 in his outfit in Whole Cake Island arc in flashbacks when he was a child, mostly so their father and his minions could distinguish Sanji and his siblings.  Nami as well has worn number 3 in Water 7 arc. Actually Luffy has also worn numbers in the flashback arc.  but they are linked to his own birthday as far as I remember, Nami is only strawhat who has worn numbers “just for fun” so far but correct if it’s false.

Of course it might be that since  Nami was the third one to join the Straw Hats, her number also is therefore 3 which could be the reason why Oda-sensei made her wear that in Water 7.

clothing details in official art

@sanjiafsincedayone also wrote posts about the colors blue and orange and how they appear in One Piece. Oda-sensei likes to share his official One Piece art in Color Spreads between the chapters and in art collections (Color Walks) and once these are published, we fans then enjoy to find details that match to our OTP. 

Here are some of the stylish details that has been pointed out in Sanji x Nami posts about official art:

- similar/matching accessories

One thing Sannami fandom has pondered together is that they like to wear accessories, for some reason there has been a couple of drawings where the accessories are very similar to each other

(the picture below with giraffe theme is from Color Spread chapter 357 and the picture below with similar flowery necklaces is from Color Walk 5)

(They both seem to really enjoy wearing necklaces)

(and who knows, maybe that necklace that appears in Color Walk 4 could be the same as in  chapter 357)

When it comes down to similarities, there has also been same styled wristbands in chapter 878′s Color Spread

and sunglasses in the Color Spreads of chapter 941 and 835

Sanjiafsincedayone pointed out also that Nami seems to like to wear blue colored kimonos in Color Spreads

A couple of times Sanji and Nami either wear the same patterns in their clothes (i.e chapter 507)

or one wears swirls and the other rings (Chapter 937)

- character shirts, a (far fetched) foreshadow?

In chapter 692′s color spread Sanji wears a shirt where there is a character who l1ooks very much like Nami (with all the bikini top-style and curly hair)

Nami has actually worn character shirts as well, in chapter 578′s Color Spread. If the theory would be far fetched  then we could imagine that picture in her shirt could be referred to Alabasta arc (because of the cactus and desert) where he referred himself with a codename Mr Prince.

If we wanted to put this thought of this even more trickier we would think about Sabo’s background as a noble who never wanted to be a noble and ran away, just like Sanji did so that picture on her shirt could be also a parallel

but  since  the guy looks  more like Sabo perhaps it was more likely foreshadowing to Dressrosa when the Luffy’s long lost  brother made a comeback.  

And now to think about, Nami’s outfit in chapter 771′s and 588′s  Color Spreads could have foreshadowed the upcoming art since Sanji also wore ruffle-styled shirt before the tea party? (and actually, Nami’s WCI arc dress had ruffles too).

fun fact: Robin’s outfit in that Alice in Wonderland themed Color Spread was very close to what Sanji wore in WCI)

sweet escape

The gingerbread theme in chapter 902′s color spread was cute and as a shipper the view of Sanji and Nami sharing the same pattern icing/frosting/topping is cute (there were other Straw hats too in that picture but their patterns were different).

Movie 2 Clockwork Island

Last but not least in the list is One Piece’s second official movie. Yes, it’s a movie and therefore it’s non-canon but I find it interesing that out of all outfits and characters, Nami and Sanji are dressed as they could walk to the wedding aisle any minute. What makes it even more amusing is that Usopp and Zoro are dressed more traditionally and could bless their union *laughs*

And after the Whole Cake Island’s and Thriller Bark’s events and marriage theme that is quite a parallel in total (first Nami being the damsel in distress who needs to be saved from a forced marriage and then later Sanji being forced to marry because of his father’s policies) the more funnier the link between the arcs and  movie 2 feels (since there is too Nami being kidnapped and almost forced to marry someone she doesn’t want and the movie’s promo picture includes a bridal carry)

When it comes down to the concept of the word canon, It really depends on the shipper which is counted so called shipwise-material. For some everything is potential but dor some,  only manga as canon counts and  therefore everything else like side stories (fillers, movies), merchandising (ads etc.) is shipwise just so called “nice extra” (like some of these examples mentioned before) since  these filler-stories and movies are still mostly handwritten and directed by someone else than the main mangaka. Obviously Oda-sensei is the main supervisor and is very strict about what should happen and what not and he might do these detail things just for fun and it’s us reading it as signs for OTP. So all in all, as always said,

as much as we like to seek for details to support the ship,  it’s all about interpretation ;)

[fearfulkittenwrites]

Zukka Youtuber AU (pt 1)

Youtuber au inspired by @ratatosk-express – Link to the post (https://ratatosk-express.tumblr.com/post/622032956613115904/okay-so-idk-if-youtuber-aus-are-still-a-thing)

Sokka has a channel dedicating to his inventions and other projects, but his live streams are particularly famous for the amazing stories he tell.

Basically everything is the same, except it’s in a modern setting and Sokka is relatively internet famous.

** Hey, just a little heads up, I change some things from the original post, I hope it’s not a problem! **

Sokka tells his audience a lot of stories during his streams. Most of them are from his journey with the avatar, although he occasionally talks about his childhood in the Southern Water Tribe. Many of his fans watch these streams because of them, even if the overwhelming majority believes them to be fake. After he came back and decided to expand his content, Sokka found out he is particularly good at storytelling, and it granted him an audience that didn’t even followed his main channel but appreciated the contents of his lives.

He got annoyed sometimes when he recieved comments that treated his life experiences as a fantasy. His biggest mistake was sharing Yue’s story with his fans; all of the teasing and ‘yeah right’ comments really got to him, but there wasn’t much to be done. It was quite a surreal story, and if they wouldn’t believe him there wasn’t much he could do to prove it. Too many people have already forgotten the old spirits of the moon and the ocean and how crucial they are to water benders, so if they didn’t believe that, they wouldn’t believe Yue’s sacrifice.

They did believe his stories about the Kyoshi Warriors. After all that happened the girls became quite famous, and even if they thought the details were too exagerated and fake (I mean, the avatar was there? And he dated one of the warriors? Please.), it wasn’t impossible, that’s for sure. I mean, he did talk about attending formal events with his boyfriend, so, yeah, why not? The Kyoshi Warriors attend those too, don’t they?

Speaking of his boyfriend, he told them little about him. His audience knew he existed, but he was never seen on camera and there were many stories or commentaries involving him, but he never went too deep into it. When asked about it, he told them his significant other was a private guy, and he himself didn’t feel like there was a huge need to share their romantic lives online. Most people were pretty respectful from that point onwardars, although there are always some exceptions.

More often than not, his quick comments about his daily life involved him, and everyone though they were super sweet, although most of them gave his audience the impression that he was dating a very socially awkward and overly emotional man. They weren’t exactly wrong, they just didn’t have the whole truth; still they always asked Sokka to see them at least once during his lives. One of the most know and loved stories about him had been told in a stream as he built a new house for the turtle ducks’ lake. The last one was getting too old, and he had nothing else to do with his time.

“Hey, did I ever tell you guys about the time my boyfriend brought like, eight little turtle ducks home?”

The comment section was filled with negative responses, although some were very panicked.

“Yeah, it’s true. Happened about two weeks after I moved in. They were all babies and their mom got hit by a car? Some jerk was probably speeding and the poor creature died, leaving her children behind. He brought them here because they were too young and he was afraid they’d die if left alone.”

Many comments were praising him for the action, and some were worried about what happened to the little creatures.

“It was kinda of cute but I got a little freaked out about where to put them. Then he told me we have a pond? I swear, this place is so big I could die from starvation after getting lost on my way to the kitchen.”

He laughed. Once again, a lot of comments talking about how full of shit he was flooded the chat.

“I’m serious guys. I’d rather bring him to my tribe, but that’s really not an option, unfortunatly. So I moved here, and I think I only know about 30% of this building even after being here for like, almost a year.”

Someone told him to write a map.

“Hah, yeah, I should probably do that.” He smiled. “Actually, that reminds me of that time me and my friends got stuck in a cave with a bunch of crazy hippies while trying to get to Omashu. We were looking for an earth bending master for Aang. It was wild, the tunnels kept moving so I couldn’t keep a map of the labyrinth, and a badger mole almost ate me.”

The comment section went wild again. Some people were excited because he was finally telling a story, some people were calling bullshit on the moving tunnels... It was chaotic, and Sokka loved that. He was pretty chaotic himself, so this crazy comment section always amused him.

Sokka didn’t care that his stories weren’t believed. He understood that his situation was... unusual. Besides, many stories he told were of public knowledge already, he just set the record straight for most of them, adding unknow details or straight up correcting lies. There was only one thing he couldn’t stand being questioned on; his skills. When he mentioned he once built an armor for Aang’s sky bison, he wasn’t mad when they laughed at the idea that he was the avatar’s friend, no, he was mad when someone commented that he was lying about knowing how to build an armor. After that, he put out a series of videos on his channel in which he forged an armor for himself from scratch, even if he knew he’d never use it (And every single one of them started with a screenshot from said comment).

So his irritation at this moment really shouldn’t be a surprise. After showing off the sword he made for his channel, he told his audience about how he learned all he knew in the art of the sword from Piandao, who told him he had great potential to surpass even him. Of course, the comment section laughed again.

“It’s true!” He exclaimed, exasperated “Why would I lie about something like that? Okay, I see why I would lie about something like that, but really, I’m not lying. I swear!”

The comments still went on.

“Okay, you know what? I’ll prove it.” He got up and moved some furniture around to open enough space for a duel “HEY JERKBENDER,” He yelled from his door “GET IN HERE! AND BRING YOUR SWORDS!”

The audience heard a voice.

“What is it, Sokka? Did something happen?”

“No babe,” They heard Sokka answer, with a much softer tone this time, before planting a kiss to the other’s face “My viewers think I’m lying about being a swordsman, so I need to prove myself.”

“Really?” They heard an unimpressed voice.

“Hey, you’re all about honor, aren’t you? Help me defend mine for once.” Sokka apeared in the picture again, smiling, followed by Zuko, as in the Firelord Zuko. Many jaws were dropped.

“Fine, but I won’t make this easy.” He swung his dual swords.

“Me neither.”

They attacked each other for some time, occasionally getting out of the frame before jumping back in. Sokka eventually tossed an used shirt at Zuko’s face to throw him off. It made him confused, but he didn’t give up so easily.

“Unfair!” He exclaimed, getting up and defending himself from another one of Sokka’s attack “I’ll fire bend if you keep this up.”

“You’re getting me a replacement for anything you burn!” Sokka complained, jumping on his bed for leverage, but Zuko kicked it and he fell with an emasculating yelp. The fire bender had the upper hand now, but Sokka was quick to get up.

Eventually, Sokka managed to disarm Zuko, and used the tip of his sword to lift his chin up.

“You really ought to practice more with the swords.” He said, a smug smile on his face.

“Shut up, you dork.” Zuko answered, a little frustrated from the loss, but mostly proud of his boyfriend’s mastery.

He walked up to his boyfriend, replacing the blade with his fingers.

“Thanks baby. You’re the best.” He leaned in and softly kissed him. Once he tried to step back, he felt Zuko gripping him by the waist, holding him and deepening their kiss.

“I miss you. We barely had any time together this week.” Zuko complained “Go by my room when you’re done, okay?”

“Sure babe.” Sokka smiled, still being held by Zuko “Wait, why don’t you say hello, then I end the transmisson, huh? They’ve been wanting to see you for a while.”

“Really?” Zuko asked, a little amazed and curious.

“Yeah! I think they fell in love with you after I told them about the turtle ducks. But, honestly, who wouldn’t.” Sokka smiled and guided him to the camera “See guys, I told you I’m a...” He turned his face to the screen again “Oh.”

“Oh.” Zuko mimicked, watching as the comments rolled in faster than he could read, all of them some sort of variation of ‘Is that the fucking Firelord?’.

“I-I...” Sokka stuttered “I mean, I’m pretty sure I mentioned his name.”

A comment said ‘Yeah but there are many Zukos in the world’.

“It’s not my fault you don’t believe my stories! I told you I travelled with the avatar, the same avatar who is friends with the Firelord, who happens to be my boyfriend. I thought it was kinda obvious.”

‘Wait’ Said another comment ‘SO IT’S ALL TRUE???’.

“What do you mean it’s all- Yes it’s all true. Of course it is.” He looked at the comments flooding in and sighed. “Y’know what? I’ll deal with this tomorrow. I love you guys, but I’m a little too tired to do this now. Byeeee!”

With that, he turned the stream off. Zuko had an amused smile on his face.

“What?” Sokka asked.

“Nothing.” He answered “I’m just... I don’t know, when you said they wanted to see me I thought it was because I’m the Firelord and all. But... They didn’t know. They wanted to see me from the dumb stories you tell them about me.” Zuko smiled at the ground “You must’ve painted me in a very kind light, love.”

“I mean... There’s no way I can paint you in a bad light, really.” Sokka placed his hands in Zuko’s waist “You know that, don’t you?” Zuko kept his gaze fixated on the ground “Zuko, baby, you’re a great, kind, brave man. And I’m madly in love with you because of it.”

“I love you too Sokka.” Zuko smiled, but still couldn’t bring himself to look at Sokka. After some time together, Sokka figured it was best to just let him look at wherever, if it made him comfortable. He already had to sustain too much eye contact as fire lord, so when he was in his arms, Sokka just wanted the man to be at ease. Even if that meant he wouldn’t always look him in the eye.

“C’mon,” He squeezed his sides slightly “Take me to your room, my lord, because mine is too messy for the cuddles you deserve.” Sokka teased, getting a small chucke from Zuko as he turned to walk out of his boyfriend’s chaotic room.

“It is impressive how messy your room is, considering our maids clean it everyday.”

“What can I say? It’s one of my many talents.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know that originally Zuko’s supposed to win, but like... In my mind, after all that happened, their skills were pretty much on the same level, and considering that Sokka would have more free time to practice than the Firelord would, well... I think his victory is not all that surprising plus i think his smug smile directed at zuko would be so cute and make him melt af

[h3trappedcollection]

Author Interview Part V

The talented and all-round fabulous @weilongfu joined us today for another part of the Author Interview. 

Stories written for the Collection:

The Day of Singularity

Four meetings with Officer Meng (But one with Shao Fei) 

Interview:

How did you come into the Trapped fandom?

I came into the Trapped fandom the way I’ve gotten into many of my fandoms. By everyone around me screaming about it. People like @andwebegin, @ctl-yuejie, and @florbexter were pretty instrumental in getting me aware that it was going to happen. Especially after having taken their word about HIStory2: CTL, I was more than willing to check out Trapped. Especially after I found out more about the potential plot. 

My usual philosophy after that is to at least watch the first few episodes. If I’m not hooked by anything, then I give it up. Trapped kept me hooked for good! I fell in love with everyone in the show and the rest is… history? 

Who’s your favourite character?

I love a lot of characters in the show for different reasons. I love Zhao Zi for his honesty and genuine desire to do good. I like the mystery and mischief of Jack. I admire Tang Yi’s deep feelings and emotions. And I greatly enjoyed Shao Fei’s straightforwardness and ability to commit. If I had to pick one, I’d go with Zhao Zi because we both love food, potentially like dangerous boys, and we both want the world to be a better place.

What’s your favourite trope?

I honestly have been enjoying a lot of the AU fics that are in the fandom. Like the original Trapped setting is great, but pushing the boys into college or further back? It’s been an amazing thing to read and I’ve enjoyed it immensely. As to whether I’ll write it? Eh… Someone did ask if I’d ever write a proposed fic about College Freshman!Jack dating HS Senior!Zhao Zi so…

What do you like about writing for Trapped?

The best part about writing for Trapped has actually been the fandom. Everyone is so supportive and nice. It’s a real pleasure to see the responses I get which are also always very friendly. 

Aside from that? Trapped has such varied and interesting characters. It’s very easy to find the right knob to twist or switch to flip that can make a large variety of fics happen. 

Care to elaborate about your writing process?

My writing process is a mess!

I don’t usually outline because then I over-outline. A lot of my fics were spawned from just coming up with a good title! And that’s in every fandom I write for. 

But once I get going, things usually just flow. I’ll go back and read it once or twice to make sure I haven’t truly fucked something up, but once I’m done, I’m usually done for good and I post it before I second guess myself. Truly, I treat writing fics like how I take exams. Just get it done and hand it in before you delete/erase something that actually worked!

Sometimes it’s not that easy, and I have struggled with a few fics just because I’ve managed to overthink myself or I get hung up on an idea, but I have yet to find a better or more comfortable way for me to write. 

Your favourite Trapped fic by another author?

Oooo…. Well I have to give a shout out to @decadentdeerpolice and @the-wintry-mizzenmast for their lovely fics during the last exchange. I absolutely loved how they filed the prompt for me. 

I’m also a big fan of Skuld’s The Divine Art of the Househusband series. It’s definitely a twist on what Jack’s life as a househusband would be like and it’s always fun to see a new update!

I also liked @sarah-yyy ‘s fics fortune and amuse bouche. 

The next set of fics I’m actually eagerly awaiting updates on is Flor’s Breaking the Firewall series. The espionage and manoeuvring that’s happened in just the first parts is already super fun.

What do you want to write but never had the nerve to?

Hmm… I’m not sure? There aren’t a lot of ideas that I’ve never really had the nerve to put down on paper, if only to get them to stop bothering me. There are a few that never really made it to paper though. Like my Fantasy!AU where all the boys are different positions and have different abilities. 

I wanted to write Jack as a member of the Assassin’s Guild. Zhao Zi would be part of the guard and mostly be seen as a scribe, except when he pulls the robes off and gives most thieves a run for their money in his trap deactivating, lock picking, and ward/seal breaking. Shao Fei would, of course, be a paladin as he believes in the law and doing what’s right. Tang Yi would so be a weapons master type character, as once he was adopted by the ‘noble’ Tang Guo Dong, he was trained in many styles to defend himself. 

The idea fell apart after that because I had no idea what they’d do afterwards. Plus they’re missing a ranged caster and committed healer in the party and everyone who has played D&D knows that’s a mistake waiting to cause a total party kill. (I mean you could argue Hong Ye would totally make a great sorceress and Dao Yi would be the cleric cleaning up her messes, but let’s not get this any bigger.)

If you want, please share a snippet of your current Trapped WIP!

It wasn’t very often that Zhao Zi wondered what was the first link in the chain of decisions that lead him to slightly less than desirable outcomes. Not because Zhao Zi lacked insight or critical thinking, he was a police officer after all. It was often because Zhao Zi was usually pretty good at pulling himself out of a pinch.

A smile and innocent disposition were very good for many things. When those failed, being flexible in many ways helped some more.

(The third option was that he was legally allowed to carry a gun, even if no one wanted Zhao Zi to carry a gun.)

But as Zhao Zi lifted a large, homemade sausage to his lips while Jack eyed him expectantly, Zhao Zi contemplated if his grandmother would approve of what he was about to do to a perfectly decent piece of food and what had brought him to this new point in his life in the first place.

------

Zhao Zi had been through practice interrogations before, but none of them had prepared him for someone like Jack. And despite Jack’s initial countenance, there was something about his smile, how easily he showed his teeth. It should have been predatory and dangerous. But in the curve of Jack’s eyes, Zhao Zi knew he wasn’t in any danger.

Of course, Zhao Zi knew plenty about Jack. Working with Shao Fei for so long, Zhao Zi knew plenty about Tang Yi’s most recent right hand man. Jack was a known mercenary, but he’d somehow managed to keep his nose just clean enough, just on the gray side of legal. All evidence was circumstantial. Even the International Crimes Division was often stuck dancing around Tang Yi’s lawyers when they were aiming for whatever secrets were hiding in Jack’s mind.

So it was Jack’s smile and eyes that allowed Zhao Zi to sell Shao Fei out in exchange for food. He did not expect the food to taste as good as it would. Nor did he expect that he might enjoy Jack pulling him close as Zhi De knocked over his bowl of noodles.

Zhao Zi decided to be open-minded. Jack was certainly interesting and fun. No harm in getting to know someone, right?

------

Jack knew he was smitten the moment Zhao Zi sold out his friend for food.

Good survival instincts. Good taste. Cute face too.

Jack was also hardly the kind of guy who just let things happen to him. But Zhao Zi was a new quantity. He’d have to slowly edge his way in, find out just how Zhao Zi might handle another man pursuing him.

So when Zhao Zi said, “Don’t you need to try it?”

Jack knew this was his chance to appeal to the clear foodie Zhao Zi was. “I don’t need to. I know I’m a good cook.”

“Huh? I meant Ah Fei’s number!”

“Too subtle,” Jack thought.

But Jack got to hold Zhao Zi close and a promise to see him again anyway.

“That could be like a date, right?” Jack thought as he rushed to collect Tang Yi from the hospital.

Thank you so much @weilongfu for the Interview

[theorynexus]

68 will be my second post, this morning. I wonder if it will start section 8 of the Meat Epilogue.

Oh darn it. I forgot to make a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy/Meaning of Life reference on Meat 42. At least we’re back to a 43, and things might therefore be luckier. Maybe.    (I am very silly when it comes to superstitions regarding numbers, sometimes, even though I don’t really believe them.)

MY TIMING SENSES WERE TINGLING!!!

Hmm. Well, strategy meetings and investigations are important.  (Also:  I am again reminded of the dreadful likelihood that Terezi went with Dirk, which continues to be a disturbing thought.)

Hmm.  For some reason, I have the impression that he does indeed have a vague idea where he’s going, but he may not actually know where/how to find it, yet. That seems pretty likely.  Thus, Roxy would be partially correct. (On that note: Interesting that Jake didn’t actually come with. I thought for sure he’d have snuck aboard at the last moment, or something, as a stow-away.)

Eh, I’d say it goes a little beyond “prove a point,” but it’s also probably incomprehensible to you, right now.  I guess we’ll all have to be patient before we can more thoroughly sort through his insanity in that regard. As for Jane...   I don’t know. It might be more trouble than it’s worth to contact her.  The fact that Dirk has her as a seemingly important part of his plans suggest that it could essentially be springing a trap on yourself. I wonder how she’ll react to finding out that Dirk’s been mind controlling people and that that probably invalidates the actual results of her election, in the sense that it dramatically undermined the democratic process. (That is a really complicated issue that is somewhat entangled with real life politics, though, so I don’t want to get into a deep and proper discussion of what determines electoral legitimacy on a philosophical or political level here.)

It is a very interesting choice on Alt!Calliope’s call to focus on incestuous questions and Dave being awkward, rather than to follow tat important call.

Dirk is so twisted at this point that I’d almost not put it past him, but at the same time, why, Dave, do you have to assume that the motivations are sexual in nature?   (I mean, honestly, it could be the fact that Dirk was trying to force him to have sex with Karkat that gave him the impression that Dirk was [and he is, but maybe not to that extent] way too carnally-minded and motivated.)   Honestly, Dirk’s head is way too concerned with philosophical matters, and if anything he’s probably going to make a clone of himself to have sex with or something stupid like that, if he REALLY has to engage in some sort of tension-releasing copulation that isn’t masturbatory in the way that having sex with someone you’ve brainwashed and twisted into being your personal object of amusement is.   Therefore, I juuust can’t quite see Dirk having sex with Rose/her new robot body.  (Gosh, I hate that I feel compelled to address this.)

I honestly quite agree with Karkat, and now understand a little bit more about why our focus strayed where it did--- though it would have been nice to receive some sort of narration to indicate that.  And yes, it’s sad that Kanaya’s being put on hold, I guess. A little bit.  (Not really. I understand politicians in places of power can get quite busy, and it may not even be Jane’s decision to have her on hold... though if it is, I can most certainly affirm that that is quite rude.)

I mean... to be fair, Karkat, it’s rooted in biology.  Humans not having a Mother Grub means that the don’t have a natural means to reduce the genetic load that would be caused by related populations interbreeding and therefore dangerously duplicating genes.  Thus, it is not actually arbitrary, which I am sure you would know if you had spent a bit more time acting like the “geneticist” your troll handle suggests you happen to be (yes, I know it means to refer to his ectobiological frog wrangling/recombination; even so, the point stands).

I take it that Karkat’s dejection about the election has kept him a bit preoccupied and out of the loop, lately.

This is horrible (Karkat’s part, I mean).    Roxy’s new new outfit sounds like something I would be very interested in seeing fan art of.   A pink-looking slightly more effeminate Dave look sounds aesthetically striking (and I’m not even a fan of pink). But yeah, good on her for not giving up in frustration for people confusing them, I guess.   ***shrug***

And we return to this awkward and slightly funny subject. Considering it was not resolved last time, I guess that’s reasonable.   (Some day, maybe I’ll write a post analyzing Roxy’s trans-iness and/or how they/he seems to have been affected by those around he/them in his/their path to figuring it all out.  This sort of issue is always a bit difficult to properly tackle without raising some people’s hackles, so to speak, though, so I am not sure if I’ll end up doing it.  Regardless, it’ll have to be quite some time in the future, should I do so, after I’m at least done reading both sides of the epilogues. I’m sure Roxy’s interactions with John will have some important light to shed on the matter.)   It’s sortof nice that Dave and Roxy can joke about this without it becoming too uncomfortable (apparently) for either of them.

...   Is revealing this something they’ve discussed before now?  I mean, doing this in front of friends and family could be sortof... bad for things between them, if Karkat’s still trying to figure out how he feels about it and whether he wants to press on vs throttle back?  I mean, just calling each other boyfriends is not something either of them were comfortable with, and just because Dave is now doesn’t mean Karkat necessarily will be.   I dunno.  I feel conflicted on the matter, despite the fact that it is on the border of being cute.

Yeah, see, this is what I meant:  Awwwwkwaaard.

Yeah, it definitely did serve as a good distraction, at the very least. ~~~ Jane either not knowing or not being willing to tell (we’ll have to wait for a perspective shift to her to be certain) is no surprise.

Gah. FINALLY.  If Roxy weren’t such a Void-y ball of fun, everyone would have known this for some time, by now.  (Also: This is another reason why I am quite certain that Dirk was responsible for at least the way that John died. He didn’t want him to be a threat to him.  [I wonder, though: will Candy John potentially pose that problem, in the future, given the fact that he will likely be able to traverse the two different timelines, should he become aware of them?   Heck, this could be the reason why one had to die in the first place. Or one reason.])

This is what you get when you    A S S   U   M E. Also, Terezi would really be useful due to her Seer powers in particular.

Well. That is a useful compromise. Good on you for finally figuring something out to bridge the gap between your morals and Dirk’s amorality.  (Also, that presents interesting potential conflict in the future, insofar as there might be a point where Calliope has to decide whether to allow them to take Jade with or not.)

Has little Timmy fallen down a well?   O: <

This is funny because it’s like that one time where Jade was sleeping and Dave couldn’t get in touch with her. That time his weird fursona came up. Tightest butt in the jungle, or some stupid nonsense like that.

Dave is smarter than Dirk would give him credit for, calling him the dumbest of the Stralondes, by the way.

Not only do they need one of his ships, but it is quite reasonable to assume that they might be able to entice him to follow with them to where Dirk is going.  This is a potentially dangerous gambit, like bringing Gamzee along anywhere, but I think it could pay off in the end.  I think that, as I suggested earlier, Jake’s probably going to be the one to end up killing Dirk, in spite of all the underestimation that and horrific invective that had been directed his way.   In all honesty, this would really seem to be the direction that Jake’s been being pushed in all along, considering all the failed opportunities to interject him into a place of importance in the story.  

Considering his level of devotion and love for Dirk, now, he very strongly reminds me of that one old clown story that AH wrote... the one where the clown was never able to pull himself away from the service of his abusive, evil master. I bring that up specifically to suggest that Jake WILL succeed, however.  I believe that, counter to the example that I just cited, and contrary to all of the deterministic forces that Homestuck has seen in play, the power of Hope will be what is necessary to do the impossible.  A Page has a long, pain-filled story arc, but when it finally blossoms into the great behemoth that its seed of potential suggested it was from the very beginning, amazing things can happen. A Page of Hope is perhaps one of the most potent Classpect-endowed figures that Paradox Space could conjure up.  I have come now to see that this turn on Dirk’s part was probably planned from the beginning, as was the fact that Dirk’s abandonment of him was likely meant to be the catalyst for the eventual realization of Jake’s full potential. Obviously, this will not likely happen in the near future, much to our short-term misfortune. Dirk, if you ever see this, know your folly:  Jake English is just the force you would need to break free of the shackles of the reality you live in---   if only you believed in the him that believes in you.   Instead, your Rage will consume you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love this dramatic comedy.

Honestly... this is great. From a writing stand-point, this is excellent. The decision to have Dirk drag Terezi along brings more significant stakes to things and drama for the future, especially with the fact that we DO know that he can be brought back to life, now, despite Dirk’s statement to the contrary. Despite all of my pathos earlier, the way this story (the story of Homestuck) is ending is actually getting me excited and washing away the scars that came from the darkest hour of the path previous.     I really like the mechanic of Dirk having reality warping powers and Alt!Calliope being able to counter them, but only in close proximity. With the speed of his ship being a factor, especially, this sets up for some really interesting potential action in the further development of the story, as well.                    That Hussie was able to so masterfully navigate these emotional waters and string me along to this point was brilliant too.    In sum:  WOW, GUYS, I’M PUMPED!!! ... But... while this would actually serve as an excellent, fully complete and enticing epilogue in and of itself, the fact remains... there is yet more. Not only in the Postscript, but in Candy.      This throws many spanners into the works, and I honestly don’t know how to feel about all that!     If this weren’t Andrew Hussie we were talking about, I would be incredibly afraid that what is to come would throw everything off and make the eventual follow-up in Homestuck^2 (which I know he’s at least directing, though he’s not quite as involved in the story as he was in Homestuck, apparently?!) potentially quite messy and of a much lesser quality than I might expect. Given this IS Andrew Hussie we are talking about, however, I actually am quite confident that eventually, it will work out splendidly, and raise his literary accomplishments to even greater heights. Though... I am filled with a bit of trepidation. That “eventually” will be so far in the future. ***laughs awkwardly*** ... Buuuuutttt there’s still more left, even on this page, so I had better get to that. ...

It is very interesting that she’s been enveloped in that blanket of space so thickly and constantly that she’s come to find it comforting. That said:  How is it possible for her to withdraw and still let narration continue, supposedly without source or accountability, as she states?   Is this meant to suggest that the passive forces of Paradox Space will naturally fill in the gap if there is no one manning the ship, so to speak?   This feels a bit unlikely, considering the lack of content for years of the characters’ lives, and Dirk’s suggestion that “God had abandoned them,” or however the heck he put it. This is all veerrry curious, indeed.  (I do like her commentary on narration. A lot.) ~~~ Woooooo!!!~    It’s really nice to finish this at--   Dangit, time, why do you have to keep ticking into the future?!       Well, even though it’s not 3:14, anymore, it’s still very nice to finish the Meat Epilogue on 02/02/2020.   :’)

[inanotherworld5599]

Welcome to the Magic Shop

Summary: Based on the Magic Shop VCR from the 5th Muster because to be honest, I had to. That was way too good of a prompt for me not to. (This is just an intro if people like it I'll definitely put up more chapters because this my first time writing something like this?)

Pairings: Jikook

Jungkook's not sure how he landed in this mess but it's for certain that he hadn't expected for it to actually lead him to seek professional help.

So his magic was a bit shit to be putting it nicely (it wasn't like he had meant to set the dorms on fire, it had kind of just happened and the incident was entirely unrelated to the fact that a girl had smiled at him and he'd freaked out) but that didn't mean the Academy's counsellor had to tell him in not so many words that unless he found a way to train he'd probably never be able to make it as a proper Magician in the Ministry.

Jungkook should have proceeded to argue that if the Academy was really all that hyped up to be they should be able to train him themselves but of course his shyness mixed with his strictly non confrontational attitude had led him to sit quietly and just nod.

Another thing he needs to work on.

Magic tutors were not an uncommon thing in this day and age, while the Academy was a place for all aspiring Magicians to enter and display their talents, the more powerful ones, ones with more potential often chose specific tutors to give them an extra edge so they could enter into the highly competitive Magician industry.

And of course there were cases like Jungkook who needed a tutor just so that he could talk to other people without causing some catastrophe or the other.

He'd gotten offers from all around, tutoring shops that were both big and small, after all Jungkook may have been a bit of a mess but in no way was he a untalented.

Cube and JYP had to be his first option after all they were the most famous ones but it's a small card with Big Hit's: Magic Shop that catches his eye.

It seems familiar somehow, the name that is and Jungkook kept staring at the card until he finally realises in whose association he had heard it to.

Kim Namjoon.

Holy shit, the Kim Namjoon.

Jungkook was as introverted as anybody could get and getting him to talk about anything was a herculean task which one could succeed only if he didn't run away at the meer sight of you.

Jungkook was hopelessly passionate about though and he could talk about it for hours and hours as long as the discussion was pertaining to.. you got it, Kim Namjoon.

Kim Namjoon in no way was superbly famous or even that well known but Jungkook had been a fan since day one and by fan it was more like he was quite literally two steps away from setting up a shrine and worship the man (he tends to do things in extreme to be perfectly honest.)

Kim Namjoon was brilliantly smart and he'd probably get to great places with his intellect alone especially in Magic Theory but he'd chosen to forgo all of that to get involved in the more practical aspects of magic.

The spells he created were a work of art according to Jungkook. There was such an intricate and thoughtful use of magic in all of his spells that Jungkook had quite literally wanted to become a magician just so that he could use those spells.

And now the opportunity to be tutored by him? Holy shit Jungkook's actually glad that he'd freaked out and set the dorms on fire.

The Academy isn't overtly happy about one of their more promising albeit a bit of train wreck students choosing an entirely unknown tutor but there isn't much they can say which is how Jungkook find's himself in front of a quaint little shop tucked in the outskirts of Soul Forest.

It's beautiful and homely with green creepers and tall trees surrounding it and Jungkook can faintly hear the gurgle of a stream in the background. Everything out here screams peace and yet Jungkook can't help but be frozen mid way on the pebble pathway to the door with absolute fear.

He's always dragged his parents around in the fear of having to interact with strangers but this time he knew he was entirely alone and at the age he is in the embarrassment of having his parents baby sit him outweighs him stammering over a few words. But the thought of meeting his idol is almost nerve wracking and ninety percent of Jungkook's brain is telling him to run.

But instead he moves forward.

He peers through the frosted glass of the door not knowing what to expect. The shop was even more beautiful on the inside and it's enough to make Jungkook poke his head through the door after reasoning with himself that he can always choose to run away if something irks him.

What he doesn't count on is the bell that chimes when he opens the door and it makes him go still.

There is some rustling and the faint noise of footsteps which bring a pair of perfectly polished shoes in front of him.

Jungkook gathers up the courage to look up to see.....

To see the most beautiful man he'd ever laid eyes on. Platinum blonde hair with silvery eyes that shine just as brightly as his earrings the man in front of him looked prettier than the ancient paintings of Angels that our usually held as the epitome of beauty.

Has he died and gone to heaven? Did his anxiety seriously kill him?

Holy fucki-

"How may I help you?"

Jungkook just stands there in a daze staring at the man something at the back of his mind praying that he isn't openly drooling. He has somehow managed to enter the shop, he's not sure how because he's so captivated by the man in front of him.

The blonde haired man has to be the most beautiful thing he's ever seen by far and his voice is sweet melodious and welcoming just like everything else about him.

There is no such thing as perfect, Jungkook had been taught growing up and he had truly believed it. Until this moment of course.

"Hello?" The man's voice is a bit unsure now which is understandable considering that Jungkook is gaping at him like a goldfish.

Words Jungkook, use your words, his mother had told him so that's exactly what Jungkook does except it's not much of words just disconnected sounds.

"Excuse me?" The pretty man says again and this time his smile is a bit more amused and it's so dazzling that Jungkook can just melt.

In fact that's almost exactly what he does to the candles in the shop.the candles all melt in an instant making the only source of light the fairly lights that have been hung all over.

"Ohmygod!" Jungkook mumbles out when he realises in horror what he's done.

"I'm so sorry!" Jungkook says utterly flustered and is almost on his way to run out or be chased out but instead the beautiful man just laughs making Jungkook freeze up right in his spot for the umpteenth time just this hour.

"That's a really cool trick!" The man says,"Even Namjoon-hyung can't do this!"

Jungkook blinks Namjoon's name finally reminding him what he was here for.

"U-I-I-" he clears his throat but his voice still come south as small,"I'm Jungkook. Uh-I-I was invited for the magic tutoring?"

The man beams up to him,"I know who you are Jungkook-shi, I'm Park Jimin the owner of the shop!"

Jungkook's eyes widen and Jimin laughs again,"I'm really happy you picked us! Sorry for messing with you for a bit, I've read your file and I just wanted to get a clearer idea of your situation."

Jimin leans forward and suddenly he's just inches away from Jungkook and Holy crap, he's even prettier up close.

"The file didn't mention how cute you were though." Jimin says his silvery eyes trailing the length of Jungkook's face and the curve of his jaw before finally settling onto his lips.

"Hmm even if it did I don't think it would have been able to do justice." Jimin's eyes finally snap back to his eyes and Jungkook's face is so red that he actually feels like he's on fire.

Jimin's eyes flicker to Jungkook's shoulder his face more sharper and ethereal bathed in a flickering orange light,"You're on fire."

Jungkook vaguely registers that he is literally on fire because of course but before the panic or actually the relief considering that being burnt to ashes would at least save him from the embarrassment can set in the fire goes our with a faint hiss.

"I'm good with water spells." Jimin says"So you won't have to worry about burning things to the ground, I won't let you."

Jimin winks and Jungkook feels like he might just die right there.

"Will you have a seat?" Jimin points to the couch that's neatly situated in the middle of the shop,"I'll get everything in order and tell you how to proceed with things."

Jungkook manages to nod somehow, his only achievement really and he sits down with a thump.

His shock is finally wearing off and the mortification and utter embarrassment was starting to set in now.

No way could he come back after all of this. No way. No wa-

"Jungkook-shi." Jimin's voice is quite and there is something utterly fond in his tone that makes Jungkook look up. The beautiful man smiles at Jungkook and there is something so utterly soft in his eyes that Jungkook thinks that he was wrong to think that Jimin was the most beautiful thing he had ever set his eyes on because it was nothing compared to fond and genuine smile that graced Jimin's features now.

It was breathtaking.

"Welcome to the Magic Shop." Jimin says softly before turning around and walking towards the counter.

--------------

Should I continue?

[lululeighsworld]

Memories are the Music of our Hearts

The Ouran Host Club decides to attend a local Obon festival during summer vacation! Mori shows off a hidden talent, Haruhi takes on the role of instructor, and Tamaki reaffirms what he's wanted all along.

I wrote this fan fiction for @ohshc-music-room3-zine! Reminder that there are a few physical bundles of the zine left and that PDF sales are still open!

@chiisagi and I collaborated together to make this idea come to life! Find her art work here!

And as always, a big thank you to @thislittlekumquat for being my beta reader for the project!

On AO3

Summer.

A time known for its dreadful humidity, vacations from school, and most importantly, festivals. No matter where one found oneself in Japan, a festival was never too far away this time of the year. Colorful lanterns often lit the way as the sun dipped below the horizon, illuminating the festival with a cheery atmosphere. Although it was becoming more normal for festival-goers to wear casual clothes, many people still donned a yukata for these events despite the difficulty and time it took to dress in them.

The clicking of geta on the hard pavement rang in Haruhi’s ears as they followed the path of paper lanterns, worried that they had kept the others waiting for too long. They noticed their group of friends standing at the entrance, their faces so recognizable at this point that it was near impossible to not pick them out. Haruhi waved to their friends and slowed their pace, drawing the Host Club’s attention.

“Sorry I'm late! I had some difficulty tying my obi.” Haruhi shouted as they tried to catch their breath, stopping just short of the gate.

“Wow Haru-chan! You look amazing!” Honey-senpai was the first of the group to run up and greet them, bursting with excitement as always. “The floral pattern of your yukata is lovely!”

“Thank you, senpai. You brought Usa-chan along with you tonight I see?”

“Mhmm! He wanted to experience the festival too!”

“Hey Haruhi.” Hikaru greeted. “If you were running late we could have met you halfway.” He spoke as he and his brother approached Haruhi and Honey, soon followed by the others.

“I wouldn’t want you guys to get lost somewhere.”

“That’s true. Maybe we all should have met at your place?” Kaoru chimed in.

“Showing up in limos in Haruhi’s small neighborhood could potentially cause another scene like last time, remember?” Kyoya remarked from behind the twins.

“Mhmm.” Mori agreed, his short and simple contribution causing Haruhi to smile. It was good to see everyone again during summer vacation.

As the group continued to idly talk, Tamaki stood silently towards the back with his cheeks burning bright red, holding onto Kyoya’s arm for support. Haruhi looked so pretty in their blue floral yukata, matching barrette clipped into their bangs and a beautiful flower decoration behind their left ear. His crush on Haruhi was no secret amongst the other members, and as much as they teased or joked they only wished him the best. Kyoya pinched the top of his hand to bring him back to reality and gestured to the festival behind them as an idea. Once Tamaki had managed to recover from the initial shyness, he decided to make his presence known, jumping into the conversation with his dramatic, sing-song voice.

“Well everyone, shall we head in? There’s lots more to do than just stand here and chitchat.”

“Yeah! Let’s go everyone!” Haruhi enthused, the other boys nodding in agreement as they all made their way inside.

Taking their first steps onto the cobblestone path, the sights and sounds of the surrounding festival reminded Haruhi of the few times they had attended when they were younger. Back then they attended Obon with their father to honor their mother. While now was certainly no different, Haruhi thought it was reassuring that their mom would see them having fun with their friends tonight.

All around was laughter and chatter from the other festival-goers, while off in the distance Haruhi heard the steady rhythm of a drum. Everyone had agreed to participate in the festival dance later that evening, but until then, they would amuse themselves with the various stalls that lined each side of the walkway.

“Hey, why don't we play a game to pass some time?” Hikaru suggested, Kaoru following his brother’s gaze. The younger of the twins pointed to one stall as he finished the thought.

“How about goldfish catching?”

Everyone thought it was an excellent idea, cheering in agreement as they headed to the stall. They were all handed both a paper scooper and a bowl of their own upon paying their 100 yen, everyone helping one another roll up the sleeves of their yukata before giving the game a chance. The rules were simple: be quick and catch as many fish as possible before the scooper disintegrated in the water, and no standing in the pool.

Catching fish was much more difficult than Haruhi recalled from their childhood, their paper scooper breaking after only a few submerges into the water. The boys seemed just as unlucky, unsuccessful in their attempts to catch even a single fish. However, Mori appeared to make up for their bad luck, finding a rhythm and capturing goldfish after goldfish before his paddle eventually broke. His bowl nearly overflowing with fish, he was forced to carry the plastic bags of his winnings in his arms. The group was now in quite the dilemma, for Mori would be unable to participate in the festival dance with his arms full of fish.

“Your goldfish are all so cute, Takashi! Look, this one here has orange speckles!” Honey pointed out as he watched the fish excitedly.

“But it will be impossible for Mori-senpai to navigate through a crowd of people with all these bags in his arms.” Tamaki frowned and tapped his index finger to his chin.

“And we can't exactly take them either since they’ll get jostled around while we dance.” Kyoya thought aloud, allowing the rest of the group to ponder on their next course of action.

“Maybe the stall would take them back?” Hikaru suggested.

“Or perhaps we could put them on a bench and hope someone takes them home?” Kaoru proposed and looked around to see if there was a bench nearby.

As the others discussed the possible options, Mori set his sights somewhere off into the distance, leaving the group so he could carry out his own solution. A little way down the lane stood a group of girls who had noticed the Host Club, recognizing their pretty features and charming air. The Strong and Silent Host made his way towards the group of girls alone, wearing a smile on his face. Haruhi happened to notice that he had taken off, watching the scene unfold out of the corner of their eye.

“Would you like one?” Mori shrugged his arms, gesturing to the many goldfish he carried. Each of the ladies was thrilled to receive such an adorable gift from their upperclassman and thanked Mori generously before they departed to enjoy the rest of the festival.

“Well that sure got all those fish off your hands, huh, Mori-senpai?” Haruhi asked as he returned to their group. He nodded in typical Mori-fashion and watched as the group of girls showed one another their fish in excitement.

“Yeah, they seemed really happy about it too.”

The group continued to wander around the festival, browsing the stalls and bravely trying a bit of the food. They each bought something different, allowing everyone to try out the various tastes and flavors. Haruhi had decided to purchase taiyaki, cutting the fish-shaped cakes into smaller pieces for sharing. The twins had bought ikayaki and dared everyone to at least try a small bite of the grilled squid on a stick. While they all stepped up to the plate, not everyone agreed that they would like to have a second bite.

“Say Haruhi, when is the dancing supposed to begin, again?” Hikaru asked as he threw out the stick to the chocolate covered banana he had been eating.

“It begins at 8:30. What time is it now?”

“According to my watch, it’s about twenty after eight o’clock,” Kyoya reported.

“Already?! It doesn’t feel like we’ve been walking around for that long!”

“Is something the matter Haruhi?” Tamaki asked, sensing concern in Haruhi’s voice.

“If we dawdle for too much longer we’ll be stuck in the back of the crowd for the dance. And that’s no fun since we won’t be able to see the performers.”

“Well, if we’re all done eating, why don’t we head on over? We came out tonight to dance, correct?” Kyoya suggested and nodded towards Haruhi. “Lead the way and we’ll follow close behind.”

“Come on then guys, let's go!” Haruhi motioned towards the gathering crowd.

The group soon found themselves encompassed by people on all sides, everyone full of excitement and cheer as they waited for the dances to begin. A few feet away stood a two-level yagura; the lower level serving as a stage for the dancers, while on the second level stood a nagadou-daiko, which a performer was already drumming away steadily on. Lanterns decorated the stage, bathing the area with enough light for everyone to see where they were going. Haruhi’s eagerness continued to build as the crowd grew. They turned to look at their friends, who wore expressions of nervousness.

“Is something… wrong?” Haruhi questioned. “You were all so bubbly a few minutes ago.”

“Well, I believe what everyone is thinking here is—”

“—None of us know the actions for the dances.” The twins spoke in turns, the others nodding in agreement.

“You're kidding me, right? None of you know the movements?”

“I would keep in mind that the last time many of us visited a festival was when we were children. And even then, I'm certain our parents would have taken us home before it had gotten too late.” Kyoya answered as everyone else agreed. Haruhi sighed as they thought about their next steps.

“Well, I suppose this time I will be the one instructing you guys! You all better watch carefully and not miss a beat!”

With minimal space available, Haruhi did their best to explain and demonstrate the actions to the dances they could remember as the others paid close attention. They practiced as the opening taiko performance played, Haruhi giving key pointers as well as warning them that they might become separated during the dances.

“I think I’m going to mess up these actions big time. Was it a step with the left or right foot first, again?” Tamaki looked to Haruhi for help, feeling a tad silly that he couldn’t keep the order straight in his head.

“The right foot, Tamaki-senpai. Don’t worry about messing up the steps too much though. Remember, it’s all about having fun!”

Haruhi’s smile made Tamaki’s heart skip a beat as they spoke and blood rose to his cheeks, painting them a nice, bright red. The ever-outgoing Host Club King could only bring himself to nod as Haruhi tried once more to explain the actions. Though he listened carefully, the tutorial was cut off by a very loud man announcing that the fun was about to start.

“Is everybody ready?” came a booming voice, pausing to give the crowd a moment to cheer in reply. “Alright! Here we go everyone! 3 - 2 - 1, leeeeet’sss begin!”

Enthusiasm surrounded the yagura as Haruhi and their friends danced together, the atmosphere amplified by so many others also enjoying themselves. The first few songs were slower in tempo, the crowd moving in a circle around the yagura as they danced. Everyone watched Haruhi as they led the group at the front, doing their best not to hit anyone in the face with their sleeves or step on someone’s toes. After some time there was a bit of a free dance, which allowed everyone to jam out as they liked. Although standing in the middle of the crowd was quite warm, everyone held it together, having a good time as they danced and laughed to the beat of the music.

To start, the group had managed to stay together, but they were eventually separated as the dances became more hectic, Tamaki finding himself amidst unfamiliar—albeit exuberant—faces. He had met a few of his friends so far, matched up with Kyoya as well as the twins during the group dance. He was honestly having fun, watching the demonstrators so as to not mess up the actions too terribly. That was, until Tamaki switched places with his dance partner, turned around, and realized who his new partner would be.

“H-Haruhi?!”

“Oh hi Tamaki-senpai! Looks like we’ll be partners for a bit!”*

Tamaki could feel his blood run hot as his cheeks flushed red, his actions turning clunky and disjointed. He was too worried about messing up big time in front of his crush, of all people, though he did his best to keep on dancing to cover it up.

“Are you enjoying yourself so far, Tamaki-senpai?”

“M-mhm.”

Haruhi’s expressions of delight as they moved along to the music eased Tamaki’s nerves immensely, allowing him to enjoy the moment too. Even though he was certain that he had made a few mistakes, he had forgotten all about trying to be perfect and let himself smile and laugh.

“Sha!” They shouted in synchronization, laughing together as they continued to dance. This moment was the most amount of fun Tamaki had experienced in a long time, apart from club activities. As the night progressed, he was truly thankful that Haruhi had invited them to the festival that night, because he was making priceless memories with the people he felt happiest around.

As the dancing continued, people joined in and left as they pleased, each Host Club member making their way out of the crowd once exhausted and convening at the meetup spot they had decided upon earlier. Now only waiting for Haruhi, the other members talked amongst themselves as they did their best to keep cool in the humid evening air.

“Sorry you guys! Every time I tried to leave, the crowd kept pulling me back in!” Haruhi panted, relieved to have escaped the suffocating air of the dances. They quickly opened the bottle of water they had run to buy once free, taking a long swig to rehydrate themself.

“You wouldn’t think it, but dancing around like that sure builds up a sweat!” Tamaki said as he wiped his brow with a cloth. Kyoya and the twins did their best to beat the humidity by waving fans in one other’s direction. On the other hand, Mori and Honey seemed to be the only ones who were not tired, their endurance built up from martial arts training preparing them for such high-energy activities.

“Well, should we make our way over to the fireworks?” Haruhi prompted as they finished quenching their thirst.

“It would be best to get going before it becomes too congested.” Kyoya tucked his fan into his sleeve, the twins continuing to bask in the cold air provided by their own.

“Where’s the best place to watch from, Haruhi?”

“The fireworks happen over the river, right?” Kaoru explained, answering his brother’s question. “If we get close enough to see its reflection it’ll be a beautiful show.”

“You’re right, Kaoru. Follow me! I know just the spot.” Haruhi began to walk down the gravel path towards the river, followed close behind by the others. A few lanterns lit the way, but for the most part it was dark, the sun having set a while ago. Given that it was a clear night, it surely would be an excellent fireworks show under the stars.

Haruhi did know of a great spot to watch the fireworks; however, it appeared they weren’t the only ones to have that idea. A small crowd had already started to form along that section of the river, forcing the group to stand back, away from the river bank.

“Ooh I can’t see, everyone’s too tall!”

“Here, Mitsukuni.” Mori moved before Honey could respond and hoisted the boy up to sit on his shoulders. Now he towered over the crowd and had the best seat in the house.

“Thanks, Takashi! Look Usa-chan, now we’ll be able to see all the fireworks!” Honey cheered as he rested his chin on the plush rabbit’s head.

Off in the distance the dances continued, the music adding to the already excited air as people chatted with one another. The group talked amongst themselves, discussing how fun it might be to hold a summer event like this for the Host Club. However, as the wait was drawn out, the chattering wavered almost uneasily. Now and again a small child protested, questioning or upset with the nervous energy. Haruhi could see the anxious anticipation in the set of the twins’ eyes and the way Honey-senpai slouched atop Mori-senpai's shoulders. Even Kyoya and Tamaki seemed a tad restless, the vice president cleaning off his glasses with the speed of a turtle as their King looked out over the river in a daydream-like state.

Just as the feeling of impatience started to feel too heavy, the first firework rang out with a bang, immediately drawing the eager crowd's attention from the dark where they’d been waiting. It lit up the sky and created a beautiful reflection in the lake below, leaving everyone breathless as more and more fireworks were set off.

“Look at those ones Hikaru! It’s like they’re sizzling!”

“Fireworks sure have become fancier since we were little, huh Kaoru?”

“I wonder how much a show like this would cost to have for the Host Club… hmm…” Kyoya mused to himself, making a mental note to jot down later.

The fireworks glistened over the water with every loud bang, lighting up the sky with sparkles and excitement. Haruhi let a gasp fall from their lips as an especially high firework burst in the sky, changing colors from yellow to blue as it dispersed. Amazed at the sight, Haruhi leaned so far back to see it that their head brushed against Tamaki’s arm, pulling the other’s attention away from the show. He looked down at Haruhi, watching as their eyes lit up at every firework, wondering what they were thinking.

“The fireworks sure are spectacular, aren’t they, Haruhi?”

“Yeah… I’m glad we could watch them together. It was fun to hang out with everyone outside of our Host Club activities.” They paused for a moment, trying to collect their feelings as a rainbow of color exploded before their eyes. “I really appreciate you all coming out tonight, too.”

‘I think my mom also had a good evening.’ They thought to themself as they watched every color imaginable dance across the dark canvas of night sky. Haruhi’s previous comment drew Tamaki’s attention for a concentrated moment before he looked back up, watching as the sky was decorated with bright oranges and fiery reds which were very reminiscent of the festival. He almost missed what Haruhi said as the grand finale started, their voice drowned out by the loud booms and cheers from the crowd.

“We should all definitely hang out like this more often.”

Despite the surrounding darkness, there was just enough light from the spectacle above that Tamaki could make out the smile that bloomed across Haruhi’s face.

“I think that’s a great idea. What do you say, you guys?” Tamaki looked at everyone around him before lifting his gaze, his next words unheard as the other members remained absorbed in the firework show.

“Let’s make lots more memories together in the future.”

Thank you for reading! This project was an absolute delight to be a part of and I will hold this experience near and dear to my heart!

Definitions for some less familiar terms!

Geta: A Japanese wooden shoe. Obi: Sash worn around a kimono. Obon: Summer festival originating in Buddhist customs. Taiyaki, ikayaki: Popular Japanese foods. Yagura: Wooden tower structure often found in Japanese castles. Nagadou-daiko: Elongated taiko drum.

[wolvesdevour]

How Not to Write Gay Stories

I’m very torn between writing two different posts and there’s a chance these may combine, so we’ll see how this goes. There are two topics that are in my mind a fair amount: gay fetishism by women authors (both in fanfic & professional writing), and how to translate fanfic writing skills to professional writing (and how it can fail). Miraculously, perhaps, the book I just read, How (Not) To Ask a Boy to Prom by SJ Goslee is a fairly good example of both of these. 

The problem with addressing gay fetishism among women authors is that when is it fetishistic versus well-meaning? It’s hard for me to say why the originators of gay slash fic wrote the way they did, but its hard to miss that when fanfic especially grew prominent, over 80% of writers were women. In Star Trek fandom, the first gay slash fic was published by a woman in 1974: A Fragment Out of Time. By 1973, 90% of ST fan writers were women. 

To clear the air a little: women writers can write good gay stories. One of series I am currently read, The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, includes many gay men, some of which are centered POVs. I will not say she is a perfect author, but I deeply enjoy how she writes men. For a good portion of the series, she shows a man growing up: he starts as a young boy, and we see how the men around him teach him to be a man. A very good portion of the lessons stray away from toxic masculinity. He is still taught to be a man, and there are certain “this is a manly trait” aspects (although when she features women as forefront POV, she often includes very similar lessons: ultimately nothing is exclusive to one’s sex, but society is what it is and they may learn lessons differently or overcome different hurdles).

She addresses writing gay men in this interview: Here’s the thing - when I meet a person, their gender identity is most often not the most important thing about them. If we become friends, it’s not because my first impulse is, “I will be friends with you because you’re female.” I mean, there’s a lot of women I can’t stand. There’s a lot of men that I absolutely can spend hours talking to. There are a lot of people on the whole gender spectrum and whether I become friends with them or not has nothing to do with that, so when I am writing these characters, although in some ways gender can influence a plot - for instance, if you want the prince and the princess to get married and live happily ever after in a medieval setting, gender is going to influence that - but for the most part, gender is not much more important than who has blue eyes. What’s more important is who is a skilled navigator, who is tough enough to survive a bad situation, who can think on their feet and find the creative solution to a problem they haven’t encountered before, and that’s got nothing to do with gender. So it was not that I said, “Gee, I will write a book with gay characters.” It was, I’m writing a book, this character has stepped out onto the stage, he’s told me about him- or herself, and this is who they are. As I said: I’m not here to say that women cannot write gay stories. But there is also gay fetishism. I am both a gay man and a trans man; I get a lot of “OMG, you’ll love this!” and cis or straight people presenting me with things that appear inclusive or caring. I personally don’t find memes like “Steve Rogers is a transwoman!”** or whatever amusing. Am I, say, happy to see that Loki is canonically not straight nor cisgender? Yes. I love that. (Does that potentially make Victor von Doom not straight, uh, I like to think so.) I like reading LGBT+ stories, but a good portion of them may not interest me, especially if the writer isn’t part of that demographic and has a tendency to post a lot of art, writing, or discuss a lot of how hot, cute, or general appealing it is that a character or couple are LGBT. That creeps me out. I’m not alone. Very not alone. Absolutely not alone. Here’s another post, this time by a woman that I appreciate:

The worst thing,” one gay friend said, “is that [women in the slash community] aren’t listening to me. You’re not listening when I tell you that you’re being hurtful.”

What I find especially difficult to convey is the nuances to when women write gay men versus when men do. I’ve been trying to collect “gay stories written by gay men” although due to publishing bias, this can be very difficult: As a queer, trans reader, I looked forward to seeing myself in their pages. But I was surprised to find that some LGBTQ-focused stories were reflecting not me, but a straight person’s imagination of me. [Link 1]

The current transman story I like is seen in Early Riser by Jasper Fforde. The character utterly blindsided me in a great way: he never appeared “omg trans” until it was forced to come to light. I appreciate him as well, as a character, because in a harsh survival world, he is a man who survives well. I especially see a lot of “transmen are soft uwu such boi” and I despise this. I did not survive everything in my life to be diminished to pastels and cute/sweet and childish-boyish characteristics.  Similarly, as a gay man, I am not there to be pretty, to serve as a fashion guru for straight people, to be soft and pretty and welcoming. And that’s not how gay men write themselves. This isn’t how transmen write themselves. As a writer, I struggled a lot on how to depict trans characters, and my largest lesson (and I certainly hope to published one day, but who knows) is that I never saw good examples of myself because most typically they are written by straight, cis women.  So what is so wrong with Goslee’s How (Not) To Ask A Boy to Prom? (There will absolutely be spoilers.) The main character is a teen boy who has long hair, loves succulents aggressively, loves narwhals, and has no male friends. His school is supportive of gay men: a very popular football player is gay and has supportive friends, another gay teen (who becomes his boyfriend) has very supportive friends. For some reason, this gay teen is incapable to do anything for himself. He loves art, doesn’t do sports, doesn’t really connect with his foster parents, and seems overly attached to his sister. He is effectively a very flat and “soft” person. Some guys are, of course. Some gay guys are more art, less sports. But the other men? Si & Bern? They’re equally soft. Si is described as soft, beautiful, kind, sweet. He has zero personality. He is described the same way, every time, and is overly described as soft, all men are soft, it’s like they bathe in fabric softener. Bern, the “bad boy” is barely... That. He is supposed to be gruff to the main character, but for the good portion, he is like the main character (Nolan), and Si. They are all the same person, ultimately. 

Bloom might be a good comparison to How (Not) To Ask a Boy to Prom. This is written by a man (Kevin Pancetta) and illustrated by a woman (Savanna Ganucheau). I don’t like the character design. Most of the gay men I showed it to asked if at one of the guys (or both) are women. But it is a story about a frustrated kid who wants to move out of his small town to Baltimore (okay: as a Marylander who grew up in a very small town and eventually moved to Baltimore, I kinda.... Get this), but meets another man who is older, but not creepily too old for him, and its a romance & vague coming of age story. If you grew up in a small city as LGBT+, it’s hard to find your sense of self. You miss out a lot on life; I think Ari reflects that: he wants to be himself.  A lot of this enters into my point 2: The problem of being a fanfic writer, or the pitfalls of translating fanfic writing skills to professional writing. Nolan is not a person; he has no strong characteristics. We’re told he likes narwhals and succulents, he is a foster child, he’s gay, and I have trouble quantifying him the way I do Ari because he’s so devoid of personality. Si is probably the least developed character at all, as the “perfect, Apollo-esque gay football player.” Bern is maybe the most developed, going from gruff-mean guy to gay softy--a motorcycling math nerd.  The problems with fanfic writing is that it is based on knowing characters. As fanfic writers, we don’t have to nail down reality, because there’s a whole piece devoted to who they are. We’re just filling in those blanks. The author seems to primarily be a Teen Wolf fanfic writer (her bio lists “werewolves,” but her tumblr blog is very devoted to Teen Wolf, so well). This brings up another creepy pitfall, which is beyond slash fic writing, there is the aspect of word usage. If you’ve been following my vague live-reading, I’ve been posting about the massive references to “puppy” and other trends. It is creepy to read out of context. 

It seems, according to reviews, that Goslee has trouble with this in her other book, Whatever: or how junior high became totally f$@ked. She has a stream of consciousness that doesn’t explain the main character’s thoughts or the world very well. In fanfic writing, this would end up being a slow burn. “Oh, but are they really going to date?” etc. In How Not, Nolan fake-dates Bern, and googles this concept, finding fanfic works. This gets weird for me, because it’s supposed to be an inside joke, I guess? “Hey teeny nerds: fanfics” but most gay men I know have a difficult relationship with fanfic and with fan community due to fetishism. We get pressed out of spaces a fair amount because of it. (One link above, the Mary Sue one, discusses how women do this.) Of course, this is meant to be a cute, happy book, right? Alright, it’s a cute, upbeat story. Except we don’t get a very good baseline for the world. Bern & Si’s friends are supportive. We get a form of negativity from Bern’s mother, who wishes he’d date his ex-gf, I think? (Bern is bisexual.) Or maybe just date women. So is there homophobia in this world or not? We aren’t given a good sense how Nolan’s parents feel that he is gay? It seems to wholly not discuss his foster parents barring “they are aggressively competitive, Tom makes crazy food concoctions and Marla talks to him about dating Bern.” As a whole, the parents are extremely unimportant other than they provide a home and food. Are they unusual for the area? (And knowing PA, that state can have some major issues.) Or is it common in this world? Is there a reason to not hand-hold? Do they every worry about homophobia when outside school? Do the teachers say shit? There is a lot to consider. The world-building is deeply lacking. Beyond the lack of world, we get a lot of fanfic trope writing. A lot of this I’ve seen from people on my dash who are Teen Wolf fans. I used to like the show & follow TW blogs; I’m not a massive fanfic reader (*ahem* a lot of gay fetishism), but I have read it. For series like TW, you may see what I consider “animalistic tropes;” such as tackling, growling, etc. There is a lot of this. A lot of people are tackling each other to the ground, growling, and there’s this weird moment when Bern grabs the nape of Nolan’s neck that while some men do this, it felt very strange in the moment, particularly aggressively? Because the author openly admits to writing werewolf fanfic, it feels like that is what it is. For authors who write both fanfic and seek to write professionally, this is a consideration. For a gay reader, it’s really weird for a guy to grab another guy’s “nape of the neck” affectionately. (As someone who has worked around large predators, albeit primarily felids, grabbing the neck is a sexual behavior, but that just makes this weirder.) Anyways, it really struck out as weird; just very very weird. Bern is mentioned to not be into PDA (which later in the book, they do it a fair amount it seems, that is also very weird? this happens a fair amount). 

Another part is that there is a lot of use of the word puppy. It is frequents so often that I’d have to stop reading because it was grossing me out. It sounds like that author is into puppy play. This isn’t to kink shame, but this is a YA novel and she writes werewolf fanfic. It starts seemingly, albeit weirdly innocuous with moments like “Bern was smooth and graceful while I was still growing out of my puppy paws” and “She tilted her head like a puppy” and “I followed him up the stairs like a puppy.” But it keeps happening. Then people start growling at each other and it just... Gets a very specific note. Mixed in with how smooth and hairless and Adonis-like the teens are written, especially by an adult woman fan, it feels... Well... It makes my skin crawl. I’m not saying that the author means to. I’m really not trying to be like ‘Hey, guys, sexual predator?” I really, really want to address that that is not my intention. My intention is that this compounds on itself. In the links about how the slash side of fandom can make gay men uncomfortable: this is the perfect example.  I’ve been to events with fans and found myself, barring maybe my fiance, to be the only gay man there. If I’m shipping two characters, such as when I went to a TAZ photoshoot, and my fiance and I are the only gay cosplayers, and almost the only men period, whereas a lot of women are screaming about how cute Taako is, that gets uncomfortable. It’s not about this one fandom. It’s all fandoms. Every single one has had this fetishization problem. It’s why I never entered the Lord of the Rings fandom. I was in middle school and found “my first” fandom, only to see all of the fanfic about Sam/Frodo ships and it grossed me out. As a teen boy, it creeped me out, that all these men had to be sexual to each other, and as I only came across women shipping men, it made it more and more ostracizing.  Maybe I should have addressed this earlier, but: Not all fetishization is sexual. It can be romantic, too. How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom’s relationships are about a teen boy who doesn’t want to date or go to prom. His sister makes him ask out Si, the big popular gay guy. Nolan/the author mocks the GSA (gay-straight alliance) club. While there are problems with some GSAs*, the author, a seemingly straight woman, is mocking an LGBT+ space. There is a chance she is bisexual; I haven’t managed to find otherwise, and that’s how this will appear to many people, as she has a husband. I will also note: a bisexual woman’s experience will differ from a gay man’s experience, and sometimes LGBT+ folks need to not speak for/over each other.  Nolan ends up fake-dating Bern due to a mistake, and there’s a bit of problem I have, with how for a good portion of the book, these gay teens “need to FAKE date”. Worse to me, is that Nolan, upon realizing he likes Bern, breaks up with him and ends up sleeping (non-sexually) in a bed with his sister, deciding to go to prom together. For a straight/cis-presenting women to write this, it’s... Got a lot of different baggage to it. Especially with how idealistic (but not for gay men) she writes the characters, it gets worse and worse. It makes the gay character seem just a little less gay. His relationship with his sister is odd. It’s not “cool” to really hang out with your sister at school; I know, I had a step sister & brother. We were all roughly the same age. If these two went to prom together in the real world? They would be mocked. Also, it really makes Nolan appear not actually gay. As a gay writer, I would have him, if not go at all, go stag. The message here is: it’s better to be straight than gay and without a boyfriend. Hence how it becomes fetishistic: Nolan’s sister, both of which are older teens (around 17-18 or so) sleep together in a bed. It may not be “coded as sexual” but it is ignorant of the history that “maybe gay men can be fixed.” They even dance at prom. This is one step below asking your mother to prom. She is still his sister. It creates a narrative that he, out of the blue, dumps his boyfriend to then sleep/cuddle with his sister and they go to prom. Again, this is seen more in fanfic: we often, especially with adopted siblings, see closeness that can become romantic or sexual. I have a fair amount of friends who are adopted and this trope style is infinitely horrifying to them. It makes them feel like that society doesn’t view them as actually family. It is also a real problem: adopted family members (especially kids) have been abused by their adopted family, as if “it’s okay, they’re not actually biologically family.”

While he does eventually get back together with Bern, it’s after prom that he does this. I don’t even know why Bern accepts him. Nolan has been truly awful to this guy. Goslee doesn’t seem to understand how tenuous gay men’s statuses are. This can be held against Nolan, if not for the simple creepy fact that he sleeps and goes to prom with his sister, that he goes to prom with a woman, he may get a lot of “But are you really gay?” comments. Especially because Nolan dates only one man before going to prom with his sister (and is the one to dump his boyfriend, who he was fake-dating).

Is there more on this I could write? Yes. I probably could, but I also have to get ready to go to a movie with my fiance. So uh... Maybe there will be a part 2? We’ll see. _______ *I personally was forced out of my college’s GSA because the group was actually gay/bisexual people having orgies. So, yea, there’s some problems with certain LGBT+ spaces and being actually open to LGBT+ folks. It was also extremely transphobic and ace-phobic.  **My point with this for clarification is that: I don’t want to be bribed with “lol this person is LGBT+ cuuuute!?” headcanon or otherwise. I am fine with that form of headcanoning, or AUs, but the idea of playing with gender identity and pulling it off as cute, especially by cis or straight people is skeevy and at best, ignorant, at worst, fetishistic.  Link List: LGBT Exploitation in Fandom: we are not here for your entertainment

Fetishizing Homosexuality

gbpt boys’ ask about women readers of mlm stories

The Mary Sue’s On The Fetishization of Gay Men by Women in the Slash Community

Why Are So Many Gay Romances Written By Straight Women?

The Lack of Published Gay YA by Gay Authors? Let’s Talk About It

[tigerlover16-analysis]

Dragon Ball Super: Episode 1 Review

A first episode is often going to be the most important of any series. This is the episode that's intended to sell the majority of a show's intended viewers on whether or not it's something worth getting invested in.

For a series like Dragon ball Super though, a continuation of a beloved nostalgic series that millions of people love and has been a massive influence on their lives, the first episode has to make it clear to those people that the show will not only be enjoyable to watch, but that it will respect the series it's following on from. That's a lot of pressure, and while subsequent episodes can always drop the ball (And unfortunately, that did kinda happen in a few episodes), the first impression is the most crucial.

Dragon Ball Super is a long running show that had many ups, and it had it's downs. But did it succeed at that oh so important first impression? Well my friends, today that is what we’re here to discuss.

The series opens with a recap of the ending of the Buu Saga of Dragon Ball Z, and then cuts ahead an unspecified number of months afterwards. The story proper begins with series protagonist Son Goku having largely settled down to becoming a farmer after returning to life at the end of the previous series. A job that he's not exactly enthusiastic about, as he'd rather be training to get stronger in the event that the earth should be threatened by a new evil force in the near future, but he keeps at it for the time being in an effort to provide for his family like a responsible family man.

The focus of the episode shifts between the various members of the Son family, as well as new in-law Mr Satan, and while it does set up the direction the arc will be taking, outside of one scene early on and the ending it's pretty self-contained. It's difficult to talk about this particular episode without just recapping most of it's scenes as a result, so while I'll go into more detail in some future reviews I'll keep this one brief and focus on the important aspects.

The episode is well paced and for the most part, each segment flows neatly into each other. Everyone who appears is in-character and the episode does a good job of re-familiarising old fans with the characters and what they've been up to since last we saw them, while also giving potential newcomers tuning in a good enough first impression of who these people are and whether they might like them (Though newcomers might in turn be surprised at how small a role Goten and Trunks end up playing for the rest of the series, considering their subplot gets the most focus)

The tone of the episode is mostly light hearted, and has a nice slice of life feel throughout much of it with a focus on comedy and character writing, though also introducing us to the villain of the first arc, the mysterious cat-like being called Lord Beerus, and letting us know that things will eventually get serious.

It's a pretty pleasant experience overall. Almost all of the jokes land, in particular the scene with Goten and Trunks casually floating around the jewellery store and unknowingly freaking people out while looking for a wedding gift for Videl always manages to get a good chuckle out of me no matter how many times I watch the episode, and when the episode isn't being funny it's still full of cute moments. I don't think there's a single moment that doesn't offer up either a good joke or something to make viewers smile.

What helps with this greatly is the animation. I'm not an expert on talking about art styles and I can understand the overall look of Super not appealing to certain fans of the previous series, but the animation of the episode is pretty well crafted, and the nice colouring helps to enhance the pleasant feeling of a lot of scenes. In particular the scene near the end of the episode with Goku and Goten looking out into the sunset before Mr Satan stops by to offer Goku money for his heroic actions in the Buu saga features some very beautiful backdrops, with the orange and purple skies especially being a real treat for the eyes.

For a franchise well known and regarded for it's action scenes though, the episode only features a short minute long fight scene, and one that's pretty small scale since it just features Goten and Trunks being attacked by a giant snake (Which sounds like it would be dramatic in any other series, but considering Goten and Trunks can both destroy the entire planet by firing a lazer into the ground, it's really more of a minor inconvenience since the snake almost breaks a jar they needed to gather water). And while it's nothing too fancy, it's still pretty fun to watch and well animated.

Makes it a bit sad that the show's production would experience some major pitfalls a few episodes later, and we'll cover that later on, but needless to say the animators and director for this episode at least deserve credit for making the first episode very visually appealing.

While I don't have any major criticisms of the episode, I do have to comment that the scene introducing Beerus does end up feeling almost out of place. It's a good moment don't get me wrong, it gives a good first impression of the character and establishes him as someone who seems incredibly dangerous, but it has no bearing on anything else that happens in the episode other than the last few seconds before the credits, which just has the supreme kai and Old Kai looking out into space and noting that something bad is going on.

I get setting up the plot, and it does leave some intrigue to encourage viewers to keep watching. But with the scene taking place so early in the episode and then nothing coming of it, it feels almost like an afterthought. Needless to say the next two episodes would do a much better job both in establishing the characters personality and presence, and what his actual deal is.

Again, not a bad scene, but it feels weird in how quickly it's brushed aside.

Probably my favourite part of the episode though is the aforementioned scene with Mr Satan offering Goku the reward money for saving the earth. For one thing it's just such a delightful demonstration of how much Mr Satan has grown as a person as a result of his development in the Buu Saga. His character arc was always one of my favourite parts of Dragon Ball Z as a kid, and it's really nice to see the fruits of it here. He's still a somewhat arrogant showboat, but outside of showboating for the public Mr Satan here is a much more humble and considerate man than who he was back in the Cell saga, and seeing him being so insistent on offering Goku such a large sum of money that he could have easily just kept for himself as the person officially labeled as earth's saviour really makes me proud of the guy.

But apart from that, I really just love Goku's response to the whole thing. Outside of his over the top shock at the whole offer being amusing, I just love how humble Goku is shown to be here, only finally accepting the offer because it would go a long way to provide for Chichi and Goten, and give him the chance to train harder so he can be strong enough to protect everyone and not have a repeat of Raditz. It really says a lot about what kind of a person Goku is, and why he's the hero of this story.

So, yeah, all in all this was a pretty great first episode. It does a good job re-introducing us to Goku and his family, with the next few episodes gradually re-introducing the rest of the supporting cast, and it succeeds at being an entertaining, fluffy experience. If you were hoping for the show to hit the ground running with it's plot and for there to be more of a sense of looming dread, like how Z started out, then you'll probably be a bit taken aback by how nonchalant and wholesome the episode is. But personally I loved the approach the writers took with this episode, and early Super in general. It feels like a natural follow up to the events of the Buu Saga, while also being it's own thing, and I think the episode should give you a good idea about whether you're going to enjoy the first arc of the show.

All in all, I think I'll give the episode an A-

Not entirely perfect, but it's a charming, very enjoyable first outing for the series, and something I for one always enjoy coming back to.

Next episode, Vegeta enters the scene as he, Trunks and Bulma take a family vacation, and we get a better look at who our villains are going to be. Should be a lot of fun to talk about, hopefully I'll have a bit more to say, I feel like I kind of phoned this review in since I didn't know how to write out my thoughts in more detail.

[tigerlover16-uk]

So, how do you feel about Goten and Trunks getting sidelined so much in Super?

It’s annoying in Goten’s case, since I like his character and would like to see him develop some more and do some cool things. Trunks though… eh.

Personally I never cared about Present Trunks, he doesn’t really interest me as a character in any way and he can be a bit hard to like with what a selfish brat he can be, like convincing Goten to beat up Mighty Mask and steal his costume to compete in the adults division of the World Martial Arts Tournament. He’s probably the supporting character in Dragon Ball I’m the most indifferent too, though at least I don’t outright hate him like Oolong.

Honestly I feel like I got all I wanted out of him with his interactions with Future Trunks in episodes 59-60. If Trunks never did anything for the rest of the show I wouldn’t bat an eye. He’s like Chichi in a way, I can enjoy him well enough when he’s on screen and doing something genuinely cool or amusing, but I don’t miss him much when he’s off screen, I’d rather see the other characters I actually like doing stuff.

Goten I am kind of disappointed we haven’t seen him do much in Super either, since I do find him charming and think he could be an interesting character if he was allowed to develop… but, eh. I guess it’s not an absolute deal breaker either.

I dunno, maybe it’s just because them failing to beat Buu and not having a significant character arc in that saga, at least compared to other characters in previous stories like Gohan, Vegeta and Piccolo, makes me feel a little less attached to them than the other supporting characters that were around longer. Honestly, I feel a greater desire to see Yamcha get some more character focus in the future than either Goten or Trunks.

Heck, as far as a potential filler episode with the two of them and Marron fighting Poachers on 17′s island goes, I’m more interested in the idea of seeing Marron fight and being revealed to be able to control ki than I am in seeing anything of the boys, mostly since a cute little human girl fighting bad guys with super powers sounds more like a fresh idea for this franchise. Also because I’m a sucker for cute little girl characters, sue me.

This is mostly just me talking though. It IS incredibly lazy of Toriyama that he hasn’t bothered to think of anything to do with the boys, especially considering they’re Goku and Vegeta’s children and some very popular characters, especially in Japan. 

But, honestly, Toriyama shoved plenty of other characters gradually to the side throughout Dragon Ball and Z. This is the sort of thing I expect from him, in a way. I’m still salty that Launch hasn’t come back, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying Z and other Dragon Ball stories.

Goten and Trunks are just the latest victims of this trend in Toriyama’s writing, and while it’s annoying, we’ve been seeing plenty of other characters get moments to shine recently, their own breather episodes outside of the main sagas, Future Trunks got to be the star of a story, we have interesting new supporting characters like Beerus, Whis, Future Mai, Hit, Toppo, etc to watch.

I’m sure they’ll do something eventually, or maybe we’ll get another Dragon ball sequel post EoZ where they’ll be major characters in it (I will always hold out hope for that to happen. I know it will, it’s inevitable, I just hope it happens soon), so I’m not pulling my hairs out in frustration. Yet, anyway.

I was waiting for a hint of android 17 to come back since Super was announced, and I waited patiently through two whole sagas to see Gohan and various other characters do important plot stuff and character development in Super, and now that‘s paying off gloriously in the Universe Survival Saga (… except in Tien’s case. yeah, poor guy got the shaft. Ah well, at least he has his own dojo now. Still the most actual character progression he’s had since beating Mercenary Tao, so… it’s something?).

I’ve learned to be patient with Super. It’s not perfect and it does some things wrong, but it hits more than it misses and has delivered a lot recently. Maybe Toriyama actually does have a plan for Goten and Trunks somewhere down the line, and we’ll all be laughing about how we thought Toei had just forgotten about them a year or two later. Or maybe they’ll disappear into the background completely. I dunno, as long as the stories are fun I’m not losing any sleep over it.

I feel for people who are bigger fans of the character’s though, I do know how they feel and appreciate that the current situation is frustrating. I don’t begrudge people for being displeased over it. It’s just one of those things where personally I’m just shrugging my shoulders and letting things play out.

[fanfictionconnectionwordpress]

Hello! Can I request an MC who drags the RFA (plus the minor trio, of course), to an amusement park as a surprise?

***Of course you can! This one actually sounds super fun. Let’s see how that turns out for everyone. Starting with my favorite, Yoosung!

For the purposes of this lil blurby blurb, all of the canon characters have made it through their good endings, V has had an operation to restore *some* of his sight, Saeran has gone through a treatment program to make him more stable, and Vanderwood is my version of Vanderwood whom you can get to know in my Vanderwood Backstory fanfiction. The MC/you will also be implementing a blindfold because funsies.***

Yoosung:

‘Where are you taking me?’ Yoosung is confused, but also super excited/ His precious girl is taking him somewhere for a surprise! Blindfolded and everything?! Yes, please.

’You’ll see.’ You take off the blindfold and Yoosung’s violet eyes go wide. AN AMUSEMENT PARK?

Yoosung is all for this, sure he’s a little nervous when you want to go on a ride that goes upside down, but he takes a deep breath and does it anyway because HE IS A MAN DAMMIT.

You try everything especially trying to win some really cute matching stuffed animals, one for you and one for him so you can both hug them close at night. Yeah, he’s really cheesy like that.His depth perception isn’t the greatest thanks to his injury, but he manages to get you some really cute green bunnies.

Yoosung seems to have even more energy than you do and by the time he realizes you’re tired and not feeling well he goes into doctor mode, checking your forehead, pulse, anything at all to make sure you’re okay. “Yoosung, I‘m just fine, just tired.” Now he realizes he was being silly and blushes up a storm, apologizing and taking you home. He tucks you in and everything.

Jaehee:

Jaehee is super nervous. Surprises for her usually meant someone made a mistake in the latest office report or Jumin had a new cat project.

Why did she agree to this again? When the blindfold comes off, she’s just as nervous. Jaehee has never been to this kind of event because she was always studying and trying to advance her career, avoiding being a burden.

You assure her that it’s going to be a good time and take her around the fair, going through a house of mirrors and some of the other smaller attractions before you try anything more.

Finally, you manage to get her to go on one of the faster roller coasters and the adrenaline rush is apparently a little too much for her because now she’s clinging to you saying how you need to find a way to put that feeling into one of your specialty coffee drinks.

Maybe this was just a tad much for her first time at an amusement park because she totally passes out once you get home and you just snuggle up.

Zen:

If his cutie wants to take him somewhere, you can bet he wants to go. The only hard part was convincing the director to give him a day off and he maybe did one of his best performances and called in sick. This guy can fake a cold like no other. The only cold he ever has is one he pretends to have.

He’s more worried than anything when the blindfold comes off and he realizes where you are. There’s so many people and he’s pretty popular right now so he keeps getting recognized and it’s totally spoiling the fun whenever a girl tries to flirt with him.

You end up getting him a ‘disguise’ sunglasses and a hat, but you get to walk around holding hands uninterrupted with your babe for several hours.

Zen does take off his disguise from time to time to get a selfie with his favorite cutie in front of the different attractions.He simply insists, in the very least to post them to the chatroom and make the others jealous.

Alright, so you’re definitely ending up in the tunnel of love because Zen is just that guy but you can bet he doesn’t unleash the beast. He only does that at home.

Seven:

So, usually he’s the one putting the blindfold on you. Fufufu, but seriously, this seems like fun, and you know if Seven thinks it’s going to be fun, he is way more than in.

Once the blindfold comes off, he’s sweeping you into his arms and running off towards the nearest attraction. So, he said he wasn’t going to be Seven anymore and just be Saeyoung, but let’s be honest he’s shouting LOLOLOL the entire time he’s running with you.

So. Much. Fairfood. This boy eats junk food like it’s the nectar of the gods, but hey if you’re his MC you probably are enjoying it just as much as he is.

Seven tries to win you the biggest stuffed animal there. It’s bigger than you. He names it Sir Bearington.What a big goof.

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for you both to get on that rollercoaster after having all of that funnel cake, but hey, you managed to have a great time.

Jumin:

He thinks it is completely impractical for you not to tell him where he is going. Jumin had to call of a very big meeting for this surprise, although he was happy to do so if it would make his darling happy. Jaehee isn’t a fan of the fact that she now has to babysit Elizabeth the 3rd for the day, though.

Once the blindfold comes off. “Oh yes, I’ve heard of these commoner’s attractions. I’m almost certain the company has hosted an event very similar to this one.” He’s going around examining everything like it’s an art museum, and it’s actually rather cute.

Don’t try to get him to eat the fair food. “My nutritionist would advise against this. I’m sure it’s well over the 300 extra calories I’m allowed a day.” Maybe you can get him to have a bite of something, but he will most likely pull a face. All that sugary sweetness is too much for his sophisticated taste buds.

You do manage to get him to try a rollercoaster, but he sits there with his arms crossed? Afterwards he starts analyzing the adrenaline rush and sensations. “I see, when these coasters stop at the very top before a fall it’s to heighten the anticipation for the rider.”

Still, you love your sweet Jumin and have a good time, even if he doesn’t quite know how to shut off his constant need to acquire knowledge. He also buys an entire cart of stuffed animals after you mentioned that you thought that cart was cute. Excessive, but sweet nonetheless.

V:

The blindfold makes him super uncomfortable. He’s only just had an operation to restore the majority of his sight, so you decide that just not telling him where you’re going is good enough.

Once the amusement park comes into view, he’s squinting to make it out, but then realizes where you are. It’s not something he’s used to, but the opportunity to make new memories with you is something he wouldn’t miss for the world.

There’s actually an art competition in one of the buildings there, and you decided to check that out, even though it was mostly amateur submissions, it was fun and there were quite a few talented artists clearly. It was just too bad V had such trouble seeing all the little details.

After managing to get him on a rollercoaster, he’s maybe just a little freaked out, the ground was a blur for more than one reason, you apologized but he said it was fine and was back up and walking around with you in a matter of a few minutes.

He tried, really tried, winning you a prize, but you ended up having to be the one to do it thanks to his poor eyesight. He apologized profusely and you had to tell him at least a hundred times that it was alright, that your heart had absolutely melted just by his gesture of trying.

In the end you mostly walked around holding hands and enjoying each other’s company. Both of you were ridiculously tired and you hadn’t done very much, but sometimes just being in each other’s presence is what’s most important. V seemed to understand that more than anyone.

Saeran:

It takes a lot of persuasion to get him to allow you to put the blindfold on him. He’s been through a lot and still has some trust issues, but you’re working through them.

Once you take the blindfold off, you can see that he’s really nervous. There are a lot of people here, but you decide to take him to the back of the amusement park where there’s less of them, everyone else starts at the beginning.

He falls in love with the fair food, especially this weird frozen dot thing which is similar to ice cream but not quite ice cream and his eyes just go big and you know he’s having a good day now.

Saeran, very reluctantly, tries a mild rollercoaster with you and with how hard he’s gripping the bars at the end of it, you’re thinking, Oh, no, it was too much! But then he mildly asks if maybe you can go on another one? So, you do, and he seems to really be enjoying it, surprising you both completely.

The crowd does eventually get way too big and noisy for him so the two of you head home and to wind down you snuggle up on the couch. You’re so glad he’s actually letting you snuggle up with him for once, and he’s glad to have had a good day out with you for once. That’s how you fall asleep.

Vanderwood:

This is stupid. You want to put a blindfold on him and take him somewhere he doesn’t know where is? He needs to scan the area for potential danger! Once you promise him that you’ll take it off as soon as you get there and he sees how excited you are, Vanderwood concedes. You win. Blindfold him.

Once the blindfold is off, he’s not in much better of a mood. Crowds like this have a high potential of danger, but at least you’d be able to blend in, so that was a bonus.

Getting him on a rollercoaster was really difficult, mostly because he thinks it ridiculous that people do these kinds of dangerous things for a false high. Once he’s done it though, yeah no it’s fun. That adrenaline rush is totally worth it. Okay, so maybe not too many rollercoasters for him since he doesn’t need to relapse into his old ways.

The fair food was equally as difficult to get him to try. Vanderwood takes pride in taking excellent care of his body and watching what he puts in it. You manage to get him to try a smoothie, but that’s about as much as you’re going to get out of him.

For the fun of it, you try a shooting game and the person running it eventually asks the two of you to please leave his cart because he’s not going to have any teddy bears left if he keeps winning so easily. So, now you have a brand new collection of teddy bears. Nice. Vanderwood realizes  that it’s going to be a problem to find somewhere to put them all, having gotten caught up in the moment, but you’ll figure it out once you get home.

This guy is so OCD that he keeps picking up every little tiny piece of trash he sees. “People are so disgusting, the trash can is five feet away!” Yeah, he is not a fan of litterbugs. Vanderwood is definitely happy to be back to your nice clean place at the end of the day, even though he’ll have to admit that he did actually end up having a good time.

Check out my fanfictions and make sure to submit a request for blurbies! They’re currently open. NSFW accepted.

[moreracquetball]

you know one of the au's i've been thinking about? a modern day au where whizzer is a professional baseball player in his late 20's, and marvin's already divorced but he has to chaperone jason's little league trip to watch a big league game, and they somehow run into each other at a bar nearby after the game/trip and marvin has no idea who he is, which intrigues whizzer to no end.

Marvin drains the first beer in almost a minute flat, desperate to get the echo of eleven loud, shrill-pitched voices out of his brain before it eventually develops further into a headache. Jesus, he was lucky that the stadium was only in the next town over—the two hours trapped on a bus with sweaty, squeaky-voiced Jewish boys still being terrible, but any minute longer than that, and Marvin would have started drinking then instead of sneaking off after checking into the hotel and “turning in for the night.”

And it's all for some stupid baseball game—not an art museum or science expedition or theater production (you know, something educational that would actually be worth the money and missing work days). Bitterly, Marvin can't help but think of Trina and Mendel enjoying their peaceful day at home, probably drinking champagne and laughing evilly about how they suckered him into chaperoning Jason's little league team for some "father-son bonding." 

Yeah right. So far, Jason has sat as far away from him as possible and looks embarrassed any time that it's even mentioned Marvin is his dad. Great bonding time, Trina, so glad you guilt-tripped me into it.

It's only the first day of the weekend-long trip, and Marvin is already over it.

He nurses his second beer slowly and flickers his gaze around the low-lit bar, trying not to linger too long at the jawline of one man or the slope of another's ass. Even though it's been two years since his divorce—two years since he stopped with the lying and suffocating self-repression, Marvin still gets nervous about being here, about being noticed and identified as something that he tried for years to suppress. He still remembers high school, with the taunt fag being a slap to the face and getting shoved into a locker when he got caught looking at a cute boy's ass during homeroom. 

The memories make Marvin hurriedly avoid all eye contact and stare down at his beer, tensed and terrified and suddenly feeling like he's fifteen-years-old all over again.

But a distraction would be nice, after all. A pretty little thing to help Marvin edge out the headache, loosen the tension coiled in his shoulders, make him just forget everything except the slapping of skin and release of pressure.

He's picked up guys before, but it never gets any easier. It's always stilted, awkward. And if Marvin didn't look so rich and have at least a pretty decent face, he’s sure he'd barely get through the torturous small talk before the your place or mine?

He polishes off his second beer for some liquid courage and finally spots someone worth the effort.

He's just Marvin's type—with a fit, lithe body and soft-looking hair and a dangerous smile easily interchangeable with a sneer. He's seated at one of the bar stools by himself, sipping on one of those fruity cocktails that change the color of your tongue and make your mouth taste of sugar. And Marvin feels a want deep in his bones, the desire coiling hot and tight in the bottom of his stomach. 

Shaking his nerves, he walks over and plops down in the seat directly beside him, ignoring the man's critical raise of eyebrow and ordering himself another drink. Marvin refuses to meet the other's expectant gaze and tries not to feel bereft by the man's clear exasperation.

"Let me guess," The man drawls out, arrogant and scathing, "You're in town for the game, right?"

The question throws Marvin off, so much so that he abandons his plan to play it aloof and look at him, "How'd you know?"

"All those empty bar stools," The man gestures with a slow loop of his finger, "And you chose the one directly next to me." The explanation doesn't really make that much sense, and Marvin feels his confusion clear on his face.

"I sat next to you to hit on you," Marvin informs him, the alcohol on his tongue making him blunt, "I wasn't going to make shitty small talk about overcompensating meat-heads with 'roid rage standing in a field for two hours."

The man's bored expression fades slightly, a slight crease forming in between his immaculately shaped eyebrows, "Well, that's a new approach. Can't say I've heard that one before."

Marvin tries his best flirtatious smile, hoping it doesn't look too much like a leer, "You've never been hit on before?" 

The man blinks at him, "You're a bold one, aren't you?"

"Not usually," Marvin admits, "I'm just trying to delay turning in for the night because when I wake up, I have to go to that boring ass baseball game."

"Boring?" The man repeats, looking almost offended, "Baseball isn't boring." And oh great, the guy's probably in town for the game too. Voluntarily. Without a son who he's desperately trying to connect with over anything at this point.

"You're not one of those super fans, are you?" Marvin asks with a groan, only half-kidding, "Because I'll be honest, that's kind of a deal breaker. I've heard enough about baseball today to save me a lifetime."

The man continues to stare at him, looking vaguely bereft and intrigued. And yeah, Marvin can work with that.

He sticks out his hand, "Marvin."

The man scoffs at the formality and ignores the outstretched hand, swishing his fruity cocktail around with one of those tiny umbrellas, "Whizzer Brown." There's an emphasis on the name, a pointed inflection. It goes over Marvin's head because he's too focused on the blue dye staining Whizzer Brown's tongue. Marvin licks his lips, waiting desperately to lean in and just taste.

"You're not a baseball fan, are you?" Whizzer Brown asks, still hung up on the subject.

Marvin tries to hide his eye roll, "Don't you want to talk about something actually interesting? Like whether or not if I kiss you, I'll be able to guess the flavor of your drink."

Finally, a smile twitches onto Whizzer Brown's handsome face. Without any response or further coyness, Whizzer leans in and kisses Marvin, filthy and deliberate. Marvin hesitates for only a few seconds—surprised that that actually worked—before reciprocating, pushing and licking into the man's mouth as his hand subconsciously goes to bury itself in the soft brown hair. When he reflexively tugs a little, Whizzer moans, breathless and surprised. 

Whizzer breaks the kiss abruptly, leaning back and cocking a challenging eyebrow.

It takes Marvin more than a few embarrassing seconds to remember what he had said, "Uh...Blueberry?”

"Cotton candy." Whizzer corrects, giving Marvin a thoughtful once over. Marvin tries not to preen nor shrink under the man's critical stare. Rather, he meets his gaze straight-on with the kind of courage that he certainly doesn't feel.

Finally, after a long moment, Whizzer Brown asks, "How far away is your hotel?" Marvin suddenly remembers Jason fast asleep in his room, finally crashing from that sugar high when Marvin was stupid enough to let the kids bring candy and snacks for the ride.

"Too far." Marvin says, which blatant lie but he can't necessarily say Actually, my son's in the bed next to mine, so we really can't. 

Whizzer doesn't question his answer, simply replying, "Bathroom it is then. Meet me there in five minutes."

Marvin snorts, "You don't seem like the type that likes to be discreet."

Whizzer fixes him with a crooked smile, saying wryly, "Well, I can't let any potential paparazzi see me lead a man into the bathroom of a gay bar, now can I?"

Marvin blinks at the word paparazzi, "That's a weird, self-absorbed thing to say."

Whizzer huffs a laugh, seemingly amused, "Five minutes."

Five minutes later, Marvin is slamming Whizzer against one of the stall doors, nipping at his neck and uncaring if he leaves bruises.

"So you're going to the game?" Whizzer says breathlessly, making small talk at a time like this, "Maybe we'll see each other there." Marvin thinks about the potential of seeing a bathroom hook-up when he's out with his twelve year old son and inwardly cringes.

Forgoing a reply, Marvin pulls harder on Whizzer's hair, effectively shutting him up.

:: - ::

In the stands, Marvin pays as little attention as possible, his legs crossed and chin propped up by his hand. Beside him, Jason seems equally as morose, though that has more to do with the fact that his team is losing rather than being bored by the whole thing in general.

"I told you, Jason," Some other kid (Kevin? Andrew? Shit, what is his name?) says with a smirk, "Nobody can't beat Brown's fast ball." Brown. Marvin is suddenly reminded of breathy moans and hands clawing at his back. Jesus, why did the guy have to have such a common last name?

"He's nothing but a head of hair. Even my dad can pitch better than him." Jason argues airily, rolling his eyes. Marvin is paying enough attention to feel a little insulted. 

"That's not what the score is saying..." Blocking out the bickering and staring down at his phone, Marvin looks anxiously at the added number, the name Whizzer glaring at him from the screen. He had been surprised when Whizzer had given it to him, even though Marvin was the one who asked for it (the sex, as rushed and crowded as it was being in a bathroom stall, was still mind-blowing—enough so that Marvin would suffer driving two hours into this town to have it again). Whizzer Brown. Weird, probably fake name, but the guy did have a tight— 

"Whizzer Brown has nothing on James Price!" Jason says, snapping Marvin out of his daydream.

"What did you say?" Because how could Jason have found out? He'd been so careful. Oh fuck, how did—

"It's true," Jason argues after a beat, looking suspiciously at Marvin for his sudden interest, "Whizzer is a great pitcher and all, but his batting average is—"

"Whizzer Brown?" Marvin repeats dumbly again, "How do you know him?"

"He's a player on the other team," Jason says exasperatedly, pointing into the field, "He's pitching, see?"

For the first time, Marvin looks onto the field, squinting and making out a familiar form with a fit, lithe body and soft-looking hair and a dangerous smile easily interchangeable with a sneer...

Oh.

"Whizzer Brown is a baseball player." Marvin says faintly, surprised he's able to get that much out.

"But we don't like him," Jason tells him hurriedly, "We're for the other team. The home team." After a pause, he squints at Marvin's stricken face, "What's wrong with you?"

I had sex with him in the men's bathroom last night.

"Nothing," Marvin persists with a cough, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's just the, uh—the pitcher's very...handsome."

Jason rolls his eyes, "Dad, come on. Gross."

"He definitely got some action last night." The other kid says, with a leer too old for him, "I bet she was smoking hot, too." Marvin follows the other kid's line of sight and sees purple bruises the shape of Marvin's mouth decorating the side of Whizzer's neck.

Marvin is torn between feeling shame for sleeping with a player from the team Jason hates, disgust at himself for sleeping with a baseball player period, and an odd sense of pride because after all, he is a celebrity, isn't he? Albeit a celebrity from a barbaric, boring sport, but. Still.

Marvin pays more attention in the last half of the game than he's ever had. He bombards Jason with questions about scoring and positions and just what the hell is happening right now, which Jason all answers with a confused but nonetheless pleased smile. Marvin doesn't have the heart to tell him that he's more interested in a certain player than the game itself.