#maiko is bad though. really bad

[eponastory]

If they are so in love then...

Why do they break up so much?!!!!

Because they aren't in love, and the writers did this so Zutara fans would shut up. There was ZERO setup for this pairing. ZERO! And you expect me to just jump on board with this very badly written bad relationship?

HELL NO!

I'll say it again for the people in the back...

This is the most unhealthy relationship I've ever seen on TV!!!

You know, besides Daemon and Rhaenyra, and several others that I can tell you straight up how they are bad/toxic.

Mai is a perfect supporting character for Azula. That's where she works. She's a foil for Ty-Lee, and she doesn't give a damn about Azula's toxic behavior. It works in that way. Mai is that one friend that's going to go with the flow, and you might need her to help you bury a body.

As for her relationship with Zuko...

Mai is apathetic. She doesn't communicate at all about what she wants, and Zuko just wants her to open up. She won't, because that's her character. She is also written with the worst backstory for this character archetype because at the same time Avatar was airing, Teen Titans was wrapping up on its final season, and kids loved the character of Raven.

Mai from what I can tell, was written to be like Raven.

Raven is an insanely popular character within the DC Comics and Media, so it makes sense that Bryke wrote Mai in to bring in some support from Raven fans. Except for the fact that Mai's story isn't compelling enough to fill in those Raven parameters.

Fans call Mai and Zuko the perfect Goth couple when Zuko isn't even Goth. Trust me, he isn't. I was Goth/Punk back in the day... Zuko was far from it. He isn't even Emo. He's actually going to take the role of the Loner.

Now, just because a couple looks cute together doesn't mean the work. Like I said, Mai doesn't like opening up because she's supposed to be Brykes' version of Raven (genuinely surprised people have not caught on to this) and be mysterious, Goth, and apathetic. Zuko is none of these things. He's frustrated and lonely, and none of his friends are actually his friends. They're Azula's. Zuko is also willing to communicate while Mai isn't. That is usually not a good thing in a relationship, fiction or real.

So their breakups make a lot of sense. And as of current comics, they are still not together, Mai having moved on to be with some other guy.

And no, I'm not going to go by speculation that they are going to get back together. Unless that comes out in comic form, they are not together.

Sorry... wait, not I'm not.

[missmyloko]

Hi Justine,

I had an encounter with a Japanese person who hates the geisha world because of Kiyoha’s tweets, and I feel I could have responded better.

Is it ok to ask your opinion/advice? If not, please feel free to ignore my ask and I’ll understand.

I was at a reading group and I’m reading Arai Mameji’s autobiography. When I shared what I was reading, the Japanese person in our group said she hates the geisha world because they sell young girls to powerful men. I said that isn’t true, not anymore at least, and then she brought up Kiyoha’s tweets.

I got really thrown off and wasn’t sure what to say. I said I did get really upset when that news came out, and that it’s hard when you’re in an industry where the clients include politicians and rich, powerful men.

But I also said I’ve been to maiko events where the owner of the restaurant was there at all times, the guests were a mix of men and women, and the maiko were perfectly safe.

I also said that at least thanks to Kiyoha’s tweets, girls who decide to become maiko will do so with open eyes.

The facilitator of the group asked me what do I like about maiko, and I was so thrown that I couldn’t articulate it properly. I said I admire how hard they work to perfect their craft, and i love the beautiful kimono they wear. But when I expounded on how hard they work, I realized I was describing an environment that makes it easy to cover up abuse—no cellphones, only seeing their families at New Year, so I felt awkward again.

So I left that reading group with an icky feeling, and I also felt misunderstood. Though the facilitator was still nice and said he hoped to see me next time.

So, if I have a similar encounter, how can I respond without feeling like I’m defending abuse? 😰

Their environment is traditional, which can make it seem like it's an "easy" place to hide abuse, but that same environment is one that looks out for its own above all, which makes it much safer than one would think. Being in the karyukai really is like being in a secret club, whether you're a geimaiko or a customer you're vetted thoroughly before you enter, and if you go against the grain you're shown the door. It's also a world run by women who truly treat their charges like their own daughters (in 99% of cases anyway), so you know that they don't take abuse or the accusation of abuse laying down. The biggest thing to remember is that, unlike in the past, girls are free to choose the life of a geimaiko and can also leave at anytime without the fear of repercussions, so no one is going into the profession as a slave or has to endure any abuse of any kind. The girls who do this kind of hard work (and it is hard, which is why it's so admirable) are dedicated to the arts and improving themselves, which makes them such bosses. The girls who enter just to wear pretty kimono are quickly weeded out as they can't keep up with the training, but those who triumph have names that are known the world over. As to why you probably admire geimaiko, that's a fairly easy thing to articulate once you sit down and realize what they do. These women buck social norms as they say "no" to traditional gender roles and become the ones who wield power over men. They study the arts that they want, keep schedules that are pretty steady (and can then make their own schedules when they become jimae), and eventually buy whatever they want (and even when they live at the okiya they pretty much want for not). Not only that, but they are power brokers and diplomats for some of the most powerful people on the planet. It takes a special kind of strength to be a geimaiko, and those who succeed in living that life are bad asses. I mean, where else can you be a single mother earning a six figure salary, wear the best clothing, and meet people from across the globe on a nightly basis? In a society where traditional gender norms shape so much of what people can and can't do, geimaiko basically say "screw that" to everything. What happened to Kiyoha was horrible and can't be ignored, which is why the karyukai is starting to take action against that kind of behavior happening again. The good eggs look out for their own, like the events that you've gone to, and this is true in the vast majority of cases. I mean, no system is perfect and there will always be bad apples, but you can't look at Kiyoha's experience and say that the entire profession is like that or that it's tainted beyond repair because of what one girl went through. Anything worth fighting for requires effort, and it's up to people like us to put in the effort to help dispel the myths surrounding geimaiko so that this wonderful profession can continue to thrive in the future, hopefully with the necessary changes being made to ensure that it becomes a safer environment for all involved ^^

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Both of them were trying their best and I can't fault them for their behavior but I always find it funny when Zutara shippers make Mai to be a bad girlfriend when it was really Zuko who came off the worse in their relationship (which again, can't fault him for).

So every time Zutara shippers bring up 'toxic' Maiko moments it's always where Mai is in the wrong, and never Zuko. The cherry-picking annoys me very much.

Same with Kataang, now that I'm thinking about it.

Most importantly: they love ignoring that both of the conflicts between these pairings were RESOLVED on screen. They focus on the fights and act like the characters just moved on with the relationships without taking about it, secretly holding a grudge, like a huge narrative bulding to a messy break up with them throwing those past disagreements on each other's faces, when in reality they were usually on genuinely good terms again by the same episode and put the issue behind them.

And lets not forget that they also make a big deal out of things the characters themselves were not bothered by at all (acting like Katara resented Aang's playful child-like nature instead of that being what made him so endearing to her in the first place, or like Zuko was deeply offended and hurt by Mai's "I just asked if you were cold, I didn't ask for your whole life story" even though that boy immediately let her kiss him - almost like he didn't take it to heart).

Also, I'll remind people yet again that Zuko canonically saw his girlfriend yell at him, at Ty Lee, and at Azula because she was sick of their shit, and he didn't react with anger or sadness - boy got horny. He literally tried to make a move on her because, in his words, he likes it when she expresses herself. He loves that moody girl even when they're arguing.

[ginjithewanderer]

[Tetora Nagumo] What I Like 4☆ — The Back of a Man Among Men

Writer: Nishioka Maiko || Season: Winter Character appearances: Tetora, Arashi

"What about you, Tetora-kun? Have you found anything you like yet?"

Translation under the cut

Tetora: Hmhmhmm…♪ I’m back~

Arashi: Oh? Tetora-kun, welcome back.

Arashi: Are you done with work already? You're back surprisingly early. Didn't you say you might be late? I thought for sure that you wouldn’t be back until late at night.

Tetora: Ossu. That's what I thought, too, but I got done earlier than I expected~

Arashi: I see. Well, I'm glad you got done without any troub—

Arashi: Kyaah!

Tetora: Woah!? Wh-what's wrong? You startled me just yelling all of a sudden, y'know?

Arashi: Tetora-kun, this is bad! Your ear! Your earlobe!

Tetora: Huh?

Arashi: Your earlobe is bleeding!

Tetora: Hm…?

Tetora: Ah, it really is. My piercing hasn't healed all the way yet, so I guess it might be bleeding because my earring got caught on my clothes or something.

Arashi: Uh-uh. You can't just wipe it off so casually like that! What if it gets infected!?

Arashi: Okay. Come here. I'll give you a hot soak.

Tetora: H-'hot soak'…? What's that? It sounds kinda like 'hot soup' in English, so I guess it's something yummy?

Arashi: Nope. A hot soak is when you use warm salt water on the affected area to help it heal better.

Arashi: Piercings are delicate, so you can't use regular disinfectants.

Arashi: Don't worry, this won't hurt. Come on, come here and sit still.

Tetora: Ossu. I'll take you up on that, then.

Arashi: Dab, dab…And, there.

Arashi: Oh? This earring…It's not the one you usually wear, is it?

Tetora: Ah, yeah. Today's work was kinda formal, so I wore this clear one that isn't really visible from a distance.

Tetora: I wonder if this piercing is even worth it for me if it’ll keep getting caught in my clothes~. It probably started bleeding because it got caught on something in a weird way.

Arashi: Hmm, that is strange. I wonder if it keeps getting caught on things because you’re not used to it yet.

Arashi: You can’t take the earring out until it heals up, though, or the hole will close up…

Arashi: I know. How about we go shopping for new ones the next time we’re free? I’ve been meaning to look for some small ones for myself, too.

Arashi: I can recommend you a shop, but would you be okay with that?

Tetora: Oh. Can I? If it’s one you recommend, I wanna go, too!

Arashi: That’s decided, then ♪ Let’s go out the next time we’re free.

Arashi: Kyaah ♪ All of them are so cute. With this many choices, I’ll never be able to decide.

Arashi: Oh, well~. Even though there are so many cute things, I want to save money this month…They’re all so tempting.

Arashi: Ah, I can’t get distracted and have fun on my own like this. I’m not here to shop for myself today.

Arashi: What about you, Tetora-kun? Have you found anything you like yet?

Tetora: U~myu. Let me think…Ah, these are nice and simple.

Tetora: I like this kinda thing, but I don’t know how fashionable they are…

Tetora: I don’t really have much of a fashion sense. That’s why I wanna hear your opinion. What do you think of these?

Arashi: Hey. You don’t need to worry about every little thing like that. After all, the most important part of fashion is wearing what you like!

Arashi: Besides, it’s not like you don’t have a good fashion sense. These earrings are nice, aren’t they? I think they’ll suit you.

Tetora: You think so? If they have your seal of approval, I’ll get them~♪ That said, which ones do you like, Narukami-senpai?

Arashi: Me? Well—

Arashi: I like these, and earrings like these are nice, too…Ah, these! I like these ones. Mmm, it’s too bad I can’t buy them. I’ll have to come back when I have some more money.

Arashi: Oh, well, that’s okay. Our main goal today was to get you some earrings. We did achieve that.

Tetora: Ossu. I’ll go pay for these, then!

Arashi: Okaaay, see you in a bit. I’ll go look around that clothing store over there. Please do call out to me once you’re done.

Arashi: I’m so glad you could find something you like.

Tetora: Ossu! It’s just as I’d expect from a store you like. All the accessories there were designed really well. It was really neat.

Tetora: I wanna go there again. Thank you so much!

Arashi: Hehe. Just hearing you say that makes it feel worth recommending it to you.

Tetora: —Also, here.

Arashi: Huh? What’s this package?

Tetora: It’s thanks for today. I’m sorry it’s so small.

Arashi: Huh!? You don’t need to thank me, though!

Arashi: But…thank you. I’m glad. Is it okay if I open it?

Tetora: Of course!

Arashi: —Oh, my! These are the earrings I liked from that store! When did you…

Tetora: Heheh. I’m not great at giving presents, so I wasn’t sure what would be good enough as thanks, but…

Tetora: Obviously, you’d want to give anyone something they’d like, right? That’s why I didn’t buy anything beforehand. I just quietly did my research and bought these earlier.

Arashi: …You’re amazing, Tetora-kun.

Tetora: Huh? Did you say something, Narukami-senpai?

Tetora: Ah! Are these not good enough as a thank you!?

Arashi: Nope. Not at all. I’m really happy with these. Thank you so much. I’ll treasure them ♪

Tetora: I’m really glad you like them! Let’s go home, then.

Arashi: (Mm~…And I thought you were still just a cute junior. I really look forward to what the future holds for you…♪)

Tetora: ? Narukami-senpai, what’s wrong~? You almost got left behind, y’know~?

Arashi: Yeah, yeah. I’m coming, Tetora-kun!

[maikingsenseofit]

The problem with Zutara: Katara through the lens of Zuko

In this last part, we debunked the claims that a lot of the symbolism and imagery in the show represented Zvtara, when they very clearly paralleled Kataang. The next part of this meta addresses claims that Zuko and Katara knew each other and cared for each other more than their canonical partners, and I couldn’t wait to get into this. You see, on a surface level and with very cherry picked scenes, anyone can try and make that case. And I’m not going to deny the significance of their eventual beautiful friendship. However let’s analyze how much Zuko and Katara really understood each other, and if they really cared for one another or made a better fit for each other more than Mai or Aang. I’ll be referencing common Anti-Maiko/Anti-Kataang arguments here.

During the Crossroads of Destiny episode, we witness something remarkable. Two people, torn apart by a war, brought together by circumstance. And Katara does something even more amazing, for the first time she sees Zuko not as an enemy, but as a boy whose circumstances have taken a great toll on him too. He’s not just the face of the enemy. He lost his mother too. And she does something even more incredible, she offers to heal Zuko’s scar with her precious spirit water, even though he had wronged her and her friends, chased them relentlessly, almost killed them sverral times, taunted her over a precious token from her mom, you get the story. So despite having no obligations, she reaches out and takes a chance on him.

They’re eventually pulled apart. Katara later realizes that her efforts and empathy did not mean anything to Zuko, as despite it all, he still sides with his sister in an effort to gain his precious honor. Meaning, contrary to popular belief, that at this moment he did not care enough about Katara to choose her amity over his personal quest. Hell, he thought betraying his own uncle was worth it in the quest for honor. So why is this important?

Because not once when Zuko returns to the fire nation, does he express any guilt over betraying Katara personally. Not once do we see him take the second to remember the pain he inflicted upon her, which is even more poignant because she was the first person to trust him, to broach that divide across enemy lines, and to offer something so precious to her to heal him. We see Zuko agonize about betraying his uncle throughout his time, but not Katara. Sure, he was in anguish over trying to be someone he wasn’t in the fire nation, but the audience never once sees Zuko remember or mention the water tribe girl through the lens of her significant act of bravery and compassion. Even more, he only remembers their interaction in the context of how the Avatar could be alive - and how this further jeopardizes his position as Ozai’s son.

So much for thinking about the water tribe girl who put herself at risk to help you, huh Zuko. (Btw I’m not actually hating on him and nor do I think this makes him a bad character or bad fit with Mai, I’m just pointing out some glaring misconceptions about how he thinks of Katara)

And this becomes all the more evident when Katara doesn’t immediately accept him into the group. Zuko is actually bewildered by the fact that she doesn’t become friends with him as immediately as the rest of the Gaang. But the cherry on top is when Zuko has the audacity to get upset and frustrated with Katara, exclaiming

“This isn't fair. Everyone else seems to trust me now. What is it with you?”

It’s here. Plain as day and written in text. Zuko could not even remember the most pivotal aspect of the start of his relationship with Katara, the one that shippers claim has even more poignance and development than any scene from the canon ships. What Katara is so clearly hurt and impacted by, so much so that she was the only one to initially remain distrustful of Zuko when everyone else wasnt, and constantly verbalized that distrust - did not even hold the same weight to Zuko. It was a fleeting moment to him on his journey to find and redeem himself, but represented everything to Katara. And it shows on her face and in her words when she says this next:

And the cherry on top of the cherry on top of this is that when Zuko enters Sokka’s tent, he STILL can’t fathom why Katara hates him.

Zuko: Your sister, she hates me! And I don't know why! But I do care what she thinks of me.

WAIT. DIDNT Zuko JUST hear Katara when she said he betrayed the precious trust she placed in him? How his actions led to her witnessing the death (and revival) of her best friend? How he relentlessly attacked her in the cave after almost immediately forgetting her compassion? And it must be asked at this moment why Zuko cares about what Katara thinks of him. Because even At this point, he still fails to acknowledge the extent that his actions had on her.

Had Katara never taken the chance to verbalize her feelings, Zuko would have carried on with the Gaang, not being aware of or having more remorse over his personal betrayal to Katara. Would Zuko have come to this realization himself if Katara never explicitly told him? If it didn’t impede his ability to form a strong alliance with everyone in the Gaang in order to work together to take down Ozai?

And that’s when I become puzzled over statements like “Zuko cared about Katara and understood her on a way deeper level than Aang ever did.” Because what we see her is quite the opposite of that. Zuko only remembered Katara’s spirit water and how it put a wrench in his plans, but couldn’t remember Katara herself. He couldn’t couldn’t recall his betrayal of her in the cave, couldn’t understand her initial hatred even after she pointed it out, and used the opportunity to hunt her mother’s killer to redeem himself in her eyes. Something that would have never happened until the narrative called for it.

Speaking of the last part, the other common Zvtara argument I see is “Zuko understood Katara’s pain and allowed her to feel it. Aang shut it down.”

At this point it’s becoming a game of selective ignorance. Because the shippers will claim that “Aang compared something as serious as Kya’s death to the trivial temporary loss of an animal” without acknowledging the literal next thing he says, which is:

“How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?”

Which IS a fair comparison. Aang mentions the genocide of his family to empathize with Katara’s loss of her mother.

And they also pretend that Aang shut Katara down completely in order to force his values down her throat and discourage her from going on the trip, which is in blatant ignorance of when Aang says this:

“I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. [Katara situates herself on Appa's head.] But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.”

And Yeah, Katara chose not to forgive her mothers killer. As she should. But let’s not forget what she does at the end, which is to let her anger out and then let it go. She ultimately did not choose revenge. And Aang knows this.

Because Aang witnessed Katara cry in regret when she learned about blood bending, something Zuko never witnessed. And he knows the toll that killing a person would take on Katara, someone who is inherently compassionate and wishes to see the good in everyone. Who was willing to put aside the injustices she faced at the hands of the Fire Nation to truly help the enemy she had every right to hate, like how she helped the village as the Painted Lady and reached out to Zuko in the cave. Something else Zuko never truly grasps till much later, because why else was it so hard for him to remember her poignant compassionate act?

And lastly, when Zuko blocks Azula’s lightning strike directed at Katara. While a lot of shippers claim, as they are free to do so, that Zuko did this because of his profound and undying love for Katara and that he couldn’t fathom living in a world without her, I can’t help but think back to this post where Zuko would have done the exact same thing if it was any member of the Gaang in her position. Much less that, but do you think he would hesitate to throw himself in front of Azula if it was Mai in Katara’s position?

Because it doesn’t matter who it was. As part of Zuko’s final act of redemption, he realizes that true honor comes from doing the right thing, not for personal validation. The reason for Katara’s presence isn’t romantic - but it exists narratively because this is the same girl he betrayed to join his sister in order to validate himself in his father’s eyes. Emphasis on HIMSELF. But after this entire journey, it doesn’t matter whether Zuko lives or dies. Because at this moment, Zuko realizes that saving the world and doing the right thing is worth more than a trivial Pat on the back from his father. There is a lot of poignance from the authors choosing Katara to be there, instead of Toph or even Momo. But to say that this act is because Zuko had this undying romantic love for Katara that was never fully realized is undermining his whole arc.

As I’m writing this I realize that my qualm isn’t about people shipping Zvtara in the first place. I too have such ships. But it’s the fact that people who ship them use this a tool to further the agenda that Zuko never loved and cared about Mai as much as he did Katara or Katara with Aang . I remember reading this post from a blog called the crooked pen when I initially joined the fandom, who attempted to upholster Zvtara through this argument:

Now literally replace that second sentence with Katara. Not once does Zuko mention Katara after Ba Sing Se during the time he was at the fire nation. He only remembers their interaction as an obstacle preventing him from reaching his goal. He obsesses over his betrayal of Iroh for a great deal, however. And This is after Katara willingly put herself at risk, knowing the consequences, by extending the olive branch and almost giving him her spirit water to heal. And people want to convince me that he had this unfulfilled, undying love for Katara that he never had for Mai, despite him taking the extra precautions to protect her physically through a letter, even if it meant hurting her and himself emotionally, and literally giving us the biggest smile we had ever seen from him when he mentioned her?

Which makes this second part even more frivolous because there’s a reason why he cares about the opinion of water tribe girl, and it’s not because he’s deeply and irrevocably in love with her and has much more to do with it being the last piece of the puzzle of a strong alliance, built on trust, to take down evil, once and for all.

Also please refer to @thethiefandtheairbender’s post about him “forgetting” her in prison, when in reality she was freed before everyone formally was at his coronation.

Anyways, this is one of the reasons why I personally never saw the potential in what people claim to be infinitely better than the original canon ships. The next part is Zuko through the lens of Katara. Let me know your thoughts!

[landofzero-archive]

Ibara Saegusa - Private Room Chapter 1

Writer: Nishioka Maiko

Season: Autumn

(Location: CosPro Conference Area)

Ibara: ………

This is probably the best time to contact the other party. Even though the other person is of higher rank, I don’t like humbling myself too much and being criticized.

Now, what’s the next matter I have to work on? Oh? What on Earth is this stack of paper?

…… Ah, is that the photogravure gallery of Eden I took the other day? Hmm…… At first glance it looks like there’s no issues. (1)

Well, I think it’d be better to check in with each person.

His Highness is particularly sensitive about his appearance, especially when it comes to visuals. I’ll check with him to be sure—

Hm? An electronic sound coming from my tablet……?

(Ah. Is it that alarm that sounds when the stock price fluctuates?)

Uum……?

Huh? What on Earth is this……?

(The price of the stock I bought the other day plummeted……?

It’s common for stocks to fluctuate when investing, but I had read that this stock was pretty solid……)

…… Did I read it completely wrong? What a shame…… I ended up paying for an expensive life lesson.

(Location: Starmony Dorms (Exterior - Night))

Ibara: Fuu…… (Turning his head to relieve his stiffness)

(I’m tired…… No matter how many things I settle and finish, the work just keeps coming one after another. Today was a really busy day.

I found out I double-booked a shoot, was unable to get a hold of the other party, and was told they lost the documents I had gone through great lengths to create.

To top it all off, how on Earth did I only discover this evening that there was an unprocessed matter due today……!

Even though things went well in the morning without any major trouble……

—That’s right. It was around the time the stock price fell. Problems kept occurring in tandem.)

Haah. I’m not lucky at all…… Oh?

Natsume: Hm?

Ibara: Ah, hello. Are you heading out at this hour? Thank you for your hard work.

Natsume: I was just trying to go to the nearby convenience stoRE— More importantly. Fuuun…… HeEH?

Ibara: …… What is it? I’d like you to stop staring at me so intensely. 

Natsume: I sense you weren't feeling very ambitious toDAY. What's wrong with your conditiON?

Ibara: Huh……?

Natsume: It feels like you’ve been constantly exposed to the negative energy of a malevolent stAR. You’re down on your luCK. It’s a pretty rare conditiON, Ibara-kun. 

Ibara: What? It’s true that there were quite a few incidents today but I didn’t think there were that many.

Well, I suppose today just happened to be that kind of day. Statistically speaking, it’s normal to have bad days even if you’re lucky.

Natsume: That’s riGHT. It’s normal to have good days and bad dAYS. But your situation is differeNT. As I saID, you’ve faltered.

Sometimes it’s no exaggeration to say that there are people possessed by malevolent spirITS. That’s exactly what your condition is nOW.

It’s rare to come across such a caSE. How about it? I’ll tell you your fortUNE.

Honestly, I don’t care about you, but your condition is interesting because of your jOB.

Ibara: No, that’s quite fine. I don’t wish to hear such troublesome talk. I don’t believe in any of that spiritual stuff.

To begin with, if all fortune-telling was correct, then no gambling would take place and no one would fail in their investments.

Natsume: You don’t understAND. Fortune telling is not predictiON. General fortune telling is based on “observation” and “deductION.”

There are fortune tellers who claim to be 100% accurate, but they’re not fortune tellERS. They’re swindlERS.

Well, think about what I’m about to say as just small tALK. All I'm saying is that you can make the ingredients into whatever dish you want them to BE.

Ibara: Good grief. Well, I’m fine. I’m not interested at all, but I decided that it would be more reasonable to just listen rather than have a debate here.

So could you please hurry up and finish your fortune telling quickly?

Natsume: AlriGHT. I sometimes get asked to read fortunes by people I meet for work, so I usually keep this with ME. It all worked oUT.

Ibara: What did you just pull out? A pendant?

Natsume: No. This is a penduLUM—Hmhmmm…… I see. As expected, the rotation of the stars has worseNED.

Ibara: Even though you were talking to me in an insinuating manner, you were being very casual. What could you possibly understand about me at that level?

Natsume: I’m not trying to get into technical matters here, but taking more time doesn’t necessarily improve accurACY.

That’s right…… Maybe you could turn your luck around by reclaiming something familIAR.

Ibara: What? Even if you say that……

Natsume: Whether or not you believe it is up to you, Ibara-KUN. Like I said, just think of it as small tALK. Well, keep it in the back of your mIND. Then, I’ll be OFF.

Ibara: …… Good grief. I would like you to say what you want to say and not leave immediately……

---

TL NOTES:

1. A photogravure is an intaglio print process that was sometimes used to produce high-quality reproductions of photographs in ink. Traditionally it involves a copper plate being etched and then coated with light-sensitive gelatin that was exposed to a film positive. Fancy black and white photos. This instance was more than likely the digital version of the technique, which involves the masking and printing of various light values that have been etched, building up its values over time.

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[sukirichi]

WAIT I JUST READ THIS (fucking notifs) nah its just really my app being shitty lately and not giving me notifs unless i open it. Before it would have like a number hanging on top of the app so i would know there was a notif without opening the app now it just doesn't and it sucks.

BUT WAIT NO BFHDHDJJSJS SUKI ILL CRY IN CHAPTER 11 MAIKO HAS A FUCKING PORTRAIT OF HIM IN HER ROOM, ITS EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED SHES OBSESSED WITH HIM

SHE EVEN MANAGED TO FORCE HIM TO MARRY HER AGAINST HIS WILL AND LIVE A MARRIAGE HE DESPISES!

Yo i dont mind if he forgives her and stuff you know forgiven not forgotten shit but 😭😭😭 dunno if its my toorufucker mode activated but i want my boy to end up with someone he deserves and actually loves him in a healthy way and he loves back than be stuck with her and just make peace with it and live in an ultimately toxic marriage 😭😭😭😭 i dont even care if shes 'sweet' like no he deserves better like me 😔 fuck maiko

why am i not surprised dumblr at it again 😭

ABDJWKSO but yes maiko really was deeply infatuated with tooru 😭 the marriage was not (technically) forced though 👁 it went like this: maiko was obsessed with tooru so she told the queen she wanted to marry him, and the queen was like ‘okay, we can discuss that’ and proceeded to tell tooru about it. although ! tooru didn’t really have much of a choice, there was barely any room for discussion. tooru being rejected by his mother’s clan meant he knew he was in a bad position, and this marriage would benefit him + secure his position and future. he saw how keiji was mistreated and looked down on for not having a wealthy mother so he was afraid he’d go through the same thing. that’s why he ‘agreed’ anyway, big oof, ik. but i feel you, this could be hard as a tooru fucker because that should be me lmaooo

[ragecndybars]

Persona 3 characters who do not interact but i think would have very fun and interesting dynamics if they did:

Minato + Rio. autism gang. both of them are bad with relationships/social cues, so people can think of them as rude, but they're just blunt and say what they mean, so they would get along swimmingly. they also both have dry senses of humor and would tease each other a lot i think. also Rio would call Minato out for being a bit of a pushover, and Minato would be able to tell Rio when she's being a little pushy without being an ass about it. it's a mutually beneficial relationship. even when they aren't both just complaining about weird social conventions.

Shinjiro + Chihiro. i've said before that i think Shinji doesn't end up graduating for two more years, which puts him in the same class as Chihiro. they would never interact under normal circumstances but he's a renowned delinquent and she's student council president so like. i feel like Chihiro keeps approaching him, sometimes to call him out for skipping, sometimes to offer help and such. he assumes Mitsuru put her up to it, but really she just has a strong sense of duty as student council president, even if she's also kind of scared of him at first. and after a few months of pestering, he finally has to admit to himself that he's kind of fond of her and genuinely respects her, whereas she has no trouble admitting that she's come to care about him as a friend, not just a random classmate, and also his dry remarks crack her up

Junpei + Maiko. honestly I want to see everyone interact with Maiko because she's perfect in every way, but i think Junpei in particular would get along great with her. he can't calm her down, but he can definitely cheer her up. he's good at indulging her without seeming put-upon. meanwhile, Maiko genuinely thinks he's cool, which does wonders for his ego. and as much as people might think otherwise, Junpei could really REALLY use an ego boost. having someone just like him and rely on him like a big brother would genuinely be great for him.

Theodore + Akinari. i genuinely think that i'm not capable of summarizing the incredible, life-altering conversation that they would have. give them sixty minutes on a bench together and they will uncover philosophical truths not even God understands.

Saori + Yukari. my ideas for their friendship are kind of incomprehensible but basically: both feel very isolated from their peers for different reasons, which leads to them acting somewhat distant and aloof. in Yukari's case, she has trouble relating to peoples' petty problems. this is both an issue of trauma and in my opinion some sense of judgment/superiority that Yukari feels. Saori, on the other hand, struggles to relate to other students because of her age, past, and upbringing. again, an issue of trauma compounded by her handling of the situation (where her becoming passive and something of a pushover just opens her up to harassment). but even though they're similar, Yukari is extremely popular and well-liked at Gekkoukan, whereas Saori is bullied to the extent that she can't even attend the Kyoto school trip. i think they wouldn't interact organically, but if they were to, they would clash at first. Yukari would be annoyed by Saori's passive attitude, whereas Saori would feel unfairly judged by her (and also somewhat jealous that Yukari is liked while she's bullied). but, at the same time, they could easily grow to understand each other, not just because of the surface level similarity of their situations, but because they both just feel disconnected from their peers and only really want to be treated well and have friends they can relate to. also, while i think Yukari might act judgmental of Saori, i also think she would stand up for Saori instantly the same way FeMC does, and would genuinely encourage Saori to do the same. and i think Saori could honestly be a mature and level-headed friend for Yukari who is able to have serious conversations with her beyond the petty conversations that she feels restricted to with other students. even if that includes telling Yukari that she's being a little judgmental. (yukari haters don't touch this post btw i will block on sight)

oops. babbled about saori-yukari friendship too long. my b. moving on.

FeMC + Kazushi. first of all they would get up to lots of shenanigans together. Kaz is a little gullible and Kotone would mess with him a lot, but they would also egg each other on in stupid fun dares, and they would be those friends who always have each others backs, y'know? on a more serious note, i think FeMC would be able to gently convince Kazushi to look after his own health first and foremost, without enabling him, in a way Minato lacks the delicate social touch for. and i also think Kaz would be a genuinely grounding presence for Kotone (because she sometimes needs someone there to say, uh, hey, hold on, i know it's all fun and games and stuff, but isn't the thing youre about to do like actually completely stupid).

Akihiko + Ryoji. yes yes hot springs escape scene, but genuinely think about it. Akihiko, in many ways, is the character who most strongly thematically represents stubborn resistance against death. his parents die, his sister dies, so he commits himself to becoming strong so that it will never happen again. but, of course, it's an impossible goal. people will always die. it doesn't matter how strong he becomes; that will never change. but he still finds his purpose in being a protector; he still finds meaning in this eternal, futile struggle. Ryoji is, at once, the very thing that Akihiko is so determined to stand against -- and he is also the only one who cannot fight. he is surrender. he has no choice but to surrender, since he will become the very thing that he wants to stop. and he encourages the others to give up as well, because he feels that a quiet death is the best that he can offer them. even when he tells he others how to fight back against Nyx, he himself simply wanders passively off to become Nyx. because he has no choice. in this, he and Akihiko are diametrically opposed. don't you want to see those two viewpoints, both from truly kind and empathetic people who want to protect others, clash? also Ryoji gives Akihiko very bad dating advice which Akihiko takes at face value and hijinks ensue. boom, gottem.

this kind of took a turn but hold on one more

Chidori + Mitsuru. superficially similar. red-eyed red-haired young women given powers and therefore responsibilities far beyond their age. but Mitsuru fully (and overzealously) embraced her newfound responsibilities while Chidori instead embraced apathy. Chidori is nihilistic and doesn't seem to form or even understand attachments to others, at least not easily, and doesn't seem to have much of a sense of duty or ethics, not even understanding others who do. all understandable, given her past and upbringing, mind you. Mitsuru, on the other hand, is first and foremost an optimist. she declares that there *must* be a way to make things right, and she decides it's her responsibility to do so, and forms a protective sort of bond with all the other members of SEES and a strong code of ethics. but in the end, both are very detached and isolated people who feel singled out due to their abilities and childhoods, and i think they could find companionship and understanding, and perhaps a broadening of their own horizons, in each other.

[atla-suki]

sokka’s treatment in lok was astonishing tbh but i’m actually glad he was dead by the time the series started bc toph being a cop??? aang being an awful dad???? they would’ve ruined him and suki’s characters lbr.

as far as any possible kids go idk we didn’t meet suyin till book 4 we barely saw izumi i think they just didn’t want to make the new series be a atla reunion plus lok was only meant to be one season so they were making that shit up as they went along lmao. and back in 2012-14?? they didn’t know themselves what happened to sukka lmao.

sokka and suki are definitely the type to break up bc of long distance but then find their way back to each other a few years later especially as they settle into their roles in life.

while bryke definitely neglect suki and sokka to some capacity also they do have a soft spot for suki after bringing her back. many don’t consider her to be team avatar but they’ve stated they do so idk ! she shows up a lot in the comics which have obv been created post-lok and it’s been said that they’ll utilise it’s plots and characters in shall see in future projects (crane fish town becoming republic city maybe??? where suki currently is working?? and sokka later lives!!)

i’m p sure suki will be in it at some capacity anyway and that there’ll stick with jennie as she’s one of the few asian og va’s. she’s doing a lot of work atm for avatar studios.

also random but i literally found out today that it’s not bryke-confirmed that mai and zuko end up together. it was a comment on a panel by the old comic writer. it’s not technically canon. izumi is the spit of mai anyway but hmm! interesting!!

btw btw suyin’s father was def a sandbending outlaw who toph had a secret relationship with that couldn’t be public bc of her role as police chief x

oo big ask ok let me break this up into different paragraphs …

fist point - one thing i will admit about lok is that it fell short in incorporating the original characters into the new series in an interesting way with enough verisimilitude (realistic-ness) that it didn’t feel like they were just throwing a popular character into an episode for the sake of it. such as the whole ‘aang is a bad dad’ thing because they under-utilised him as a mentor figure to korra and instead focused on his supposed favourite son (i have thoughts on this re. aang NOT being a ‘Bad’ dad but i will make another post on it if u are interested (or have i alr made one? i’ll make another one.))

i have to agree that they would’ve probably done something shitty to sokka or suki if they were included. especially with the entire first season of lok being about bender/non-bender equality… i can just imagine they’d make sokka say something dumb about the equalist movement being 100% Bad instead of him actually supporting some of their completely valid arguments. idk. i’m sad there’s no sukka but at the same time…. quit while ur ahead yk.

second point - sukka long distance relationship is so real ESPECIALLY during their first few years together. i can see them just kinda calling it off because of commitment issues due to their work, etc. but not ever really losing feelings. they’d be endgame tho🥰

i can absolutely see suki being in upcoming projects! especially since she and the other kyoshi warriors expanded their reach across the nations - it would be hard to ignore them completely if we’re assuming they’re including comic canon into the universe. i hope jenny returns!!

third point - yeah! how crazy that maiko as izumi’s parents isn’t canon confirmed… though she’s so clearly mai’s daughter. i wonder if mai’s role will be expanded in upcoming projects / if she’ll be featured more. hmmm.

fourth - would honestly prefer this to the theory sokka is her father lol. it kinda baffles me that TOPH became a cop.. not bc she opposes authority - there’s something different about enforcing it than there is having to follow it. i can see toph in authoritative positions, and she fits them well. but i think it baffles me moreso because why would toph even work as a COP? isn’t that boring as hell for her?? go do something awesome like probending or professional underground fighting (adult blind bandit anyone?? this would make a good fic) or literally just construction idk i feel like toph isn’t a Hard Worker type that would want to be stuck in such a rigid career.

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

Just finished watching Providence. I'll probably have some more thoughts to share about it after sleeping on it, and possibly later if I rewatch S3 again (😍).

Providence and S3 spoilers ahead!

The first thing I can't stop thinking about is that upon giving the Psycho-Pass subreddit a quick look before watching the movie, the only post I saw was about how "this movie should have come out before S3". I didn't read the body of the post in fear of spoilers, but throughout watching the movie, I kept thinking about how much I disagree with that. How insignificant would Akira be if you didn't know he was Kei's brother? How random would Atsushi be as a character if you didn't know what he meant to Arata? Imagine this random kid showing up. No one would react positively to Arata, Maiko and Kei. Akira would feel like a side-character we only cared about for a split second and Atsushi would be confusing in the wrong way. Season 3 wouldn't be the same without the mystery of Tsunemori's incarceration. Objectively a wrong take if you care about the storytelling and characters at all imo.

With that out of the way, while Providence answered some of our burning questions, some have been left unanswered, such as:

Did Gino change his haircut so drastically all of a sudden because he realised the wind blowing in his face meant he couldn't see shit?

I'd be willing to buy that he just enjoys changing styles regularly, though.

Since I'm looking at her... do we know what Frederica's deal is, exactly...? I also can't help wondering - is there a reason why Shimotsuki hates her this much? While she's always complaining over petty things, she seems to hold a pretty specific dislike towards Frederica. Is it really just her personality? (I'd be willing to buy that, too...)

I feel like we have gained a net zero information about either Homura Sr. or Jr. Or Bifrost.

I feel like I had another serious question... before I started joking about Gino's hair. It'll probably come back to me. I guess there's always "can Shou's backstory get a Moment? Anyone else remember how S2 didn't give its new cast the same amount of time S1 did? Babyboy's still kinda just Here rn."

I'm still a bit confused about Jackdaw and Vixen, and the fact that I only just realised that Vixen is a woman probably does not help.

I miss Azusawa and Obata...

Oh right, I think I remembered what I meant to talk about. There are events that clearly happened between Providence and S3 that haven't been detailed, such as Gino leaving the Bureau to join Foreign Affairs, Kunizuka running the fuck out of there or even, I believe, Arata and Kei being appointed as Inspectors. We know that Tsunemori contributed to the latter - I wonder if we may learn more about her reasoning in the future. I think we can also infer that Gino, who stated in the movie that he intends on protecting Tsunemori, had to change plans one way or another due to her arrest.

I feel like we still don't know enough about Akira's relationship to his brother or to Atsushi, and I don't know whether that will be forever left in the air of if it will be detailed. The exact implication of Stronskaya Sr. and her relationship to her daughter are also vague.

Honestly, there's a lot going on in this movie. A lot of politics... a lot of religion... and a thick wall of the story's context. It's complex, and it's interesting how Psycho-Pass is continuing in this direction that already stood out in S3.

I'll just say I'm upset about Saiga. Evil evil bad. I'm really hoping for more content with Arata, Maiko and Kei in the near future because I seriously love them!!! And I want closure for them!!!! Akira was a pretty interesting character, though his quick death was frustrating - which I assume was not not on purpose. Though it happened maybe a little too fast due to the movie format (compared to an episodic format), the revelation of his allyship was set up pretty well. Like I said, details are definitely missing - Atsushi didn't explain why Akira was so willing, and he was interrupted before he could say who he was in his own words.

It was pretty nice to see Kougami be a little cringefail. I didn't enjoy his characterisation in S3, but in Providence, it feels a lot more sensible - like he can really feel that he doesn't have control. I'm satisfied with his and Tsunemori's dynamic in the movie, wherein they care about each other deeply - dare I say, Kougami might even care a little more than she does at this point? - how does that dynamic shift feel my guy? - but Kougami's wrongdoings have weight and the narrative doesn't force him back on her. You can feel that he wants to be back, you can feel that to Tsunemori he never really left, but like I mentioned in a more personal post, Gino's her source of comfort, her trustworthy teammate; Kougami isn't welcomed back by default. This feels natural. This feels like the writing cares about their feelings.

What else... Oh yeah... Did anyone else feel like Saiga was kinda................. hot?

[eponastory]

So I guess I'm going to talk about Maiko... again.

So, when there is an underdeveloped character like Mai who is literally put into a position to subvert expectations, it's actually bad writing.

It really is. It's not that Mai is problematic, it's that she is just a placeholder. This is the reason I don't find Maiko attractive at all. I'm an experienced writer (21 years now) that utilizes all the characters in a way that makes the story progress along. Mai doesn't really do this unless she is in the same frame as Azula.

Let me put it this way, she has a better relationship with Azula than she does with Zuko. Why? The only example of a relationship with Zuko we get is a flashback to where he's I'm a fountain with her. This is, of course, after we see them together on a ship. He is banished at 13, we don't see Mai before that. Then when he is allowed to return to the Fire Nation, Azula and Ty Lee set him and Mai up on a date. Its... lackluster at best. We are supposed to just fall in love with this ship when there is really no context given to us about how or why. It's a shoehorn. She is shoved into this relationship to subvert the relationship that the writers want to happen with two other characters. It's awful, I hate it, and it lacks development to make me really care about Mai.

It's a huge flaw.

We are given the line 'why don't we order a few servants around, that will make you feel better' is actually gaslighting Zuko into feeling the way she wants him to. That is the problem that people see. Not that she enjoys ordering servants around, but that she invalidates Zuko's feelings when he is really struggling internally with something that is ultimately a difficult decision. He's not happy to be home like he thought he would be. Zuko doesn't really fall for that, though, because he knows it now. It's been done to him all of his life by his own father. He recognizes it now. Which means he is growing. Mai, unfortunately, doesn't get that opportunity until later in the comics, and even then, her growth comes with realizing that her relationship is filled with secrets.

So, yeah... Mai isn't a well fleshed out character. If she was, then maybe I'd like her a little better and ship Maiko. But I don't see that as someone who is familiar with character development and dynamic. Mai is pretty static, where Zuko isn't.

Zutarians don't need to validate themselves to the Antis for not liking Maiko. We love what we love. And it's also pretty fun to write metas.

[leaderoffestivals]

GET ISLAND: Prologue

Nazuna: Fishing!? HOW are we gonna do that when we don’t have any fishing gear!? Besides, what we really need are weapons, right?! We’re facing a SHARK, you know!?

Season: Summer Author: Nishioka Maiko (With Akira) Characters: Nito Nazuna, Shiina Niki

<Sha~… … Shashaaaaa~…>

Nazuna: … … … … Siiiigh…

I can’t hear anything except the sound of the waves… …

Niki: … … … 

Nazuna: Uwaaah. To my right, there’s only the sea as far as I can see… … and to my left, there’s nothing but the sea, too! The sky’s clear and the weather’s fine … … Under normal circumstances, this would’ve been the most wonderful of locations, and yet—

Because we’re stranded out here, our situation’s the utter worst right now. I don’t even have the strength to move… …

Uuuuu… I’m soooo hungry… and thirsty, too… …

Other than that bit of candy I had on the bus ride here, I’ve not eaten anything for the entire day. That’s gotta be why I’m so hungry… …

Niki: … … 

Nazuna: Er... Speaking of which, Niki-chin hasn’t even twitched once in the past hour. Is everything alright with him?

Nazuna: Hauuuu… Oi~, Niki-chin… … Are you alright~?

Niki: … … …

Nazuna: Ahhh… Niki-chin? Seriously, are you alright over there? Ooooi~… …

——Auuu, this is bad. I can’t even muster up the strength to crawl over to Niki-chin’s side… … 

Nazuna: It’s about time for the sun to set. Soon, it will be evening, and night will fall, before long… …

Oh no... At this rate, things are gonna end really badly here... Can it be that we might actually die…?

Nazuna: Huh? What's that over there? There's a triangular shape sticking out of the surface of the sea. There wasn't anything like that earlier though… 

Ah! It's coming towards us at an incredible speed!

Hmmm. Somehow, this feels like something I've seen in a movie before—

Hehe! Of people having fun playing in the ocean, and a large shadow sneaking up on them from underwater, and then a triangular fin appears…

Da-dan, da-dan, dadadadada~—like that ♪

… … I say. THAT'S A SHAAAAAARK! EEEK!

Niki: HWAHHH!

Nazuna: UNYAAA! You—you scared the heck outta me! Niki-chin, don’t sit up so suddenly like that! I’m glad you’re still alive though! 

Or I should say—we’re in big trouble! There’s a shark heading towards us right now!

Niki: Shark… … A cartilaginous fish belonging to the subclass Elasmobranchii. Its meat is often dried, smoked or salted, and the large fins of sharks, also known as shark fins, are often used in Chinese cuisine and other dishes. 

Nazuna: Woaaah, that’s NikiPedia for you. I’ve learnt something new, huh?

Niki: In other words… … THAT’S FOOOOOOD!

Nazuna: HAAAH? Wait, wait, WAIT! That’s impossible, right?! It’s impossible, so stop it!

Niki: No, no! Don’tcha stop me, Nito-kun! This is a chance for us to go fishing after all!

Nazuna: Fishing!? HOW are we gonna do that when we don’t have any fishing gear!? Besides, what we really need are weapons, right?! We’re facing a SHARK, you know!?

Niki: NYAHAHA! Weapons… …? If it’s weapons ya want, we have these babies with us right here! See! FISTS! Humans have been hunting with their bare fists since ancient times, you know!

Nazuna: OI! You ridiculous, nonsensical idiot! Your fists are gonna be toast, Niki-chin! There’s no way you can win this with your bare fists, there’re reasons why sharks are still feared by humans in this day and age, you know~!? 

Niki: NYAHAHAHA! READY OR NOT, HERE I COME~! MY FOOD~!

Nazuna: AHHH! LISTEN TO WHAT I’M SAYING! UWAAA~N! WON’T SOMEONE—ANYONE—COME AND STOP THIS IDIOT~?!

—————-To be continued——————-

Chapter 1

Translator’s Notes:

If you wanna learn more about  sharks, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasmobranchii

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

What do you make of the Zuts who claim that Kataang fans are mean to them? Every ship has toxic fans, so I'm not saying it didn't happen, but the worst vitriol generally seems to come from the ZK side of things and KA fans are more frequently defending themselves (and Aang).

They're absolutely right about the Kataang fandom having it's own bad apples. I have seen some of them attacking Zutara fans, unprovoqued, just for liking a popular fanon alternative to their OTP, which is very childish and pathetic.

Here's the thing though. Like you guys know, while I was never into Zutara, also wasn't always into Kataang. During four of my nearly six years of truly being part of the ATLA fandom, I didn't hate either ship, but I didn't really care for them, and I was not shy about saying it.

And not once did I get death/rape threats or "kill yourself" messages from Kataang fans, not even when I was saying stuff like "I don't think their romance would last" or "I think the show would still work if they were just friends" (and that last point I still agree with). Nor was I told I clearly only didn't like Kataang because I had internalized misogyny or was against interacial relationships - like a cartoon couple could have anything to do with real world issues.

Whenever I read a fic that happened to have Kataang as one of the main pairings (like some fics for Maiko, a ship I always liked), the author never went out of their way to make Zuko, or any other character except sometimes Jet, look like an absolute monster just to make Kataang look better, or force a pairing to happen just to "get Zuko out of the way". Same for the metas about the show.

Whenever I saw fanart or fanfics for ships like Toph X Aang or Haru X Katara, I did not see dozens and dozens of "Ew, gross! Kataang 4ever!" or "This is really pretty, too bad is for an awful pairing, it'd be so much better if it was Kataang instead." Not once was I sent a "Even if you don't ship Kataang, this other ship is just objectively awful" ask just minutes after saying "I don't like Kataang, but I do ship Katara with Haru and even Jet"

Not once was did I ever a Kataang fan repeatedly tell me I should stop writting about my OTP and replace it with Kataang, or write both together, after I had already said I didn't like that ship and was not interested in writting anything except my OTP. Not once was any of metas that were COMPLETELY unrelated to Kataang, often not even mentioning either of the two characters, derrailed into being someone's "If you don't support my ship, you make the story worse" post.

More importantly, I could criticize the bad behavior I DID see from some Kataang fans, and be met with support from other Kataang shippers that were also annoyed at it, instead of having them deny it ever happened, or going "But what about what Zutara fans do?" do deflect, or saying "Don't generalize, we're not ALL like that!" even though that was not what I said.

Meanwhile every single one of these things happened when it came to Zutara fans. Repeatedly. To me, to my friends, to friends or my friends, to people I didn't interact with much, to people I didn't like very much. To people that shipped Kataang, Maiko, Jetara, Toko, etc. For God's sake, these people call the showrunners pedophilies just out of spite for not having their OTP become canon.

The Kataang fandom has bad apples, and like any large group, it can sometimes have TONS of bad apples. But a very big portion of that same fandom clearly doesn't approve of it and tries to keep them in check.

The Zutara fandom meanwhile often seems to go out of it's way to have ONLY bad apples, to the point that I constantly get asks from shippers that say they can't engage with the fandom anymore because people "on their side" are a nightmare to deal with. All because they seem to believe they can bully their way into being canon.

The situations are not at all comparable.

[authorofthemoon]

Alright I wanna catalogue all my thoughts on Persona 3 Reload but it's gonna start with an info dump. I rescued Fuuka and about halfway though the revenge website arc. So first done teammate thoughts.

I think the protagonist is pretty boring I just feels like he's less present than Yu and Ren. All his answers are either boring, polite, or really mean. Not a lot of opportunities to be a silly goose at least so far. I get the feeling he's meant to be a little emo and possibly apathetic to others due to the game's themes.

Junpei is cool, really silly goofy guy. Sucks he falls victim to Persona idiot guy syndrome and is kinda treated poorly by everyone and is kinda perverted. It's not insane but it's their.

Honestly love Takebe so much. She is such a normal person and it's so refreshing. And I mean normal normal like she is trying her fucking best even though she's kinda lame (affectionate) at times. Like the Ace Defective line made me laugh solely because of her pause beforehand like she tried so hard. And her random beef with Kirijo is so good. It's probably explained later but day one she did not get a good vibe from her and is constantly like 'Idk she gives me the ick' is so funny to me.

Speaking of Kirijo. Love her. Queen shit. Mother. Actual group mom. She's trying her best and again she's so funny. Her thinking that someone broke into Junpei's room when he's simply a slob is peak to me. She is THE Empress.

Akihiko. We love a good gym bro himbo. Him and Shinji have messy exes energy. Not much to him yet honestly but I'm excited to know more.

Same with Fuuka she seems really cool. Normal shy girl character but I'm sure we get a lot more depth with her social link.

Speaking of which social link rundown.

Kenji had me questioning my sanity bc why am I so supportive of this guy getting groomed? I can say it's a bad idea to ask out your teacher but I can never be like 'hey, she's a pedo.' I literally have been speed running his link bc I need to know if she's a creep or if he's delusional. I'm at 9 so it seems to be delusional.

I took one look at Odagiri and went 'ah yes, he's a little bit fucked up.' only halfway through so curious where it goes.

Would die for the elderly couple I need to advance their link.

Miyamoto, go to a fucking doctor do you not know how injuries work?

Chihiro I would kill for you. Not that far into her link but her dad can catch these hands.

Maya is cool. Not that engaging of a link tbh.

Hiraga is very cute and sweet so I wanna advance his link I'm only a couple in.

Yuko is cool I'm only at 4 with her. She's funny and quick witted.

I will fucking kill Maiko's parents and adopt her myself. I'm only at 5. The moment I saw she was hanged arcana I was worried for her.

Pharos is cool idk how to advance his link I assume it'd natural.

Haven't done much with Bebe. Will at some point.

I just started the monk. He's interesting.

Suemitsu my sweet summer child go to fucking therapy. About halfway through and the tea is piping hot. Bro is literally like eating himself to death or something. I do think he's very sweet though.

That's about it loving the game despite a few nitpicks bc it's Atlus and my grudge against then is eternal.

[kouchabu-archive]

Koisuru Scramble - Chapter 3

Writer: Nishioka Maiko Translation by: Sophie // Proofread by: Mirei

NOTE: I EXPLICITLY PROHIBIT USAGE OF ANY PART OF MY TRANSLATIONS ON ANYTHING THAT RELATES TO AI.

This story is fully voiced in-game! You should read while listening to it~

Episode 14: Little Devil’s Gamble

Hajime: Haah…

(I didn’t expect that thing earlier to work…)

(After that, Nakaouji-kun didn’t spare me a glance at all... Well, I was the one who looked away first though.)

(No, it’s just how it is. I mean, his other classmates were there, and the school bell just had to ring.)

(But… I thought he’d immediately talk to me like he always does...)

(There’s this part of me that… Well, maybe I am a bit sad over it? Just a little bit.)

Haah…

What’s up with me… I never really paid attention to these kinds of things before…

Hm? Oh… Right over there… Is that—

Mahiro: Haha~ So, shall we check out that cafe together this time around? Hm? I’m not playing around~ I’m always serious about you ♪

Hajime: (Gosh~ Even if he didn’t say that to me, I can feel my cheeks warm up...)

(It’s amazing how Asuma-senpai always goes at it everyday. Aside from the fact that I never see a day when he isn't surrounded by girls, I feel like his following just keeps on increasing everyday.)

Mahiro: Hm? He~y there, Hajime-chan ♪

Hajime: Eh? Ah, uh, hello. Good afternoon.

(Uu… All those girls are suddenly giving me nasty looks. I’ll quickly make my exit soon, so please don’t glare at me like that…)

Mahiro: Are you really that interested in me? I might melt with the way you’re checking me out. Well, I won’t say I don’t feel the same for you though~

Hajime: Hah?! Checking you out?! No, no, no! Definitely not! I wasn’t looking at you at all!

(I was looking at the girls flocking around you! Not you!)

(Ugh. Their stares just got uglier with what he said!)

(I should make my escape now…)

Well, I’m quite busy so I’ll be on my way. Goodby— gya?!

Hajime: (I’m gonna fall!)

Mahiro: —! Be careful!

Hajime: ………

(......? Huh, my face hasn't fallen flat on the floor?)

Mahiro: Got you just in time~

Hajime: (Is he carrying me bridal style?!)

Y-Y-You can let go now! I can stand on my own!

Mahiro: Hm~

Well, I don’t think I’ll get another chance like this though. Since we’re already at it, why not go on a date with me?

Hajime: Excuse me?! Please stop joking around and put me down already! I’ll really get pissed if you keep on doing this!

Mahiro: Tch. I’m quite serious about it though~ What a letdown.

There you go.

Hajime: Finally…

…But um, thank you for saving me there.

Mahiro: ………

Haha~ You’re very welcome. I’ll gladly accept payment through a date with you ♪

Hajime: Haha… I have something to do, so I think I’ll pass.

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Hajime: (Gosh. I can’t believe that just happened. Though I guess he’s popular exactly because he can be so smooth like that.)

(I don’t want to be at the receiving end of it though. My heart can only handle so much.)

Nn… (Stretching her body around.)

Hah… Being assigned to the cleaning duty is such tough work, but cleaning in front of the fountain this time of the year feels quite nice. It feels like going for a walk, so it isn’t so bad~

Hm..? Did someone collapse over there?! Oh God!

Konatsu: ………

Hajime: (Wait, isn’t that just… Nekomura-kun?)

Ah, and if I look closely, he didn’t really collapse. It looks like he’s just sleeping soundly?

(I’m glad that’s how it is…)

(But he might catch a cold if he continues to sleep here, so I think it’s better to wake him up…)

Nekomura-kun, wake up~ You’ll catch a cold if you sleep here~

Konatsu: Nn… Hnn?

…Oh, it’s you, Hajime-senpai. (Yawns.) Fuaah…

Hajime: Haha, are you that tired? I was surprised to find you sleeping here. I thought you’re not feeling well.

Konatsu: ………

…The truth is I do feel a bit under the weather. That’s why I ended up resting here.

Hajime: Huh, is that so? Are you okay?

Konatsu: Mhm, sort of. I thought I’ll feel better if I rest here for a bit.

Hajime: Then we should go and have you rest in the infirmary instead. We can’t have you feel worse by sleeping here. It’s still chilly around this time of the year, after all.

Konatsu: Mm, it’s alright. The wind isn’t that strong today. There’s also the sun to keep me warm and toasty.

— Oh. But if Hajime-senpai is so kind as to lend me her lap to be my pillow, maybe it’ll help make me feel much better?

Hajime: Huh?! M-My lap?!

Konatsu: Mhm. That way, I won’t feel the cold as much. I really feel like I’ll feel much better with just a bit of rest.

Hajime: …Alright. I guess I’ll give it a pass since it’s quite an emergency.

Here you go. Are you comfy?

Konatsu: Hehe~ ♪

Hajime: Just like your namesake, you really are like a cat, aren’t you?

How is it? Do you feel a bit better now?

Konatsu: …Pft… kuku…

Hajime: Hm?

Konatsu: Ahahaha! Oh my, you're gonna make me worry with how you're still believing my little ploy.

Hajime: …Ah, hey! So you were lying?!

Ugh. And I was taking it so seriously! I can’t believe you made me worry like that! If you’re not feeling sick then I’m taking away your lap pillow privileges!

— Hey. Make a move already, Nekomura-kun!

Konatsu: Don’t wa~nna. Not when it feels soooo comfy. The combo of the sun, Hajime-senpai, and her lap pillow feels so nice~

Senpai… I really want to stay like this for a while... Pretty please?

Hajime: …Geez. Fine. Just a bit more, okay?

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[dreamerwitches]

We're long overdue a merch showcase yaaayy! I've had a lot of great finds recently!

This is all my Madoka merch in my little shrine (plus some dolls and stuff that dont fit elsewhere :P my room is stuffed... ) I'm so happy to have everything I have, especially any witch stuff. Looking at it, you'd think homura was my favourite character but no XD its mami lol I've just happened along a lot of her stuff and I wanted to collect all her plaits figures. I have all the plaits homura kyun-chara now!!! :D

My recent additions are the nagisa nendoroid and school uniform homura cupoche and figma. The nagisa was £60 from ebay. Yes, its a lot and the most ive spent on anything but my god, she goes for over 100 usually, it was a steal (box and all). The homuras were £20 each from vinted which is even more of a steal, i am ecstatic about them because they also go for extortionate prices. (the only bad thing is that figma homu doesnt have a smiling face :( )

My favourite item is probably either my Lotte or Elly since they're both rare and I got them for good prices but also all of my Nagisa merch because damn she has nowhere near enough figure merch... Also the witch stage sets cause they're SO cute

The handmade stuff is (left to right): Elly figure, a human Elly doll made by my bestie for a doll trade, Charlotte figure, a Sasa doll from Oriko Magica, plush Candeloro at the top, Charlotte doll, Valentines charlotte figure, papercraft Oktavia (very top), back down is a Manuke figure, maid Lotte figure with custom Mami and Homura dolls above, swimsuit Homulilly figure and a Walpurgisnacht doll~!

Nagisa is certainly one I don't regret spending money on but I kinda do with the plaits homura dangler just right of Sasa. I got her because she was a good price (though still from america so the shipping was a lot). She's rarer so I thought she'd never show up again for a good price but then after I bought her I saw another listing??? So she's not that rare?! Like, come on... T-T I love her but I remember when she came, I didn't get that excitement spark from her. Maybe because she was smaller than I expected. I can't help but look at her and think 'eh, was she worth it..?' I guess I'm glad to have another plaits homura piece of merch...

On my wishlist is of course any witch merch and plaits homura as well as nagisa and cute mamis. Ones I'd really like are the school uniform mami nendoroid and maybe the maiko one (less so but she comes with charlotte :P ). Definitely the movic witch sets, though im less fussed about the familiars. My big wants are oktavia, walpurgis, patricia and elsa maria. Also the homulilly from the rebellion set but im sure she is way rarer... Nagisa's kyun-chara. I missed a good listing on ebay for that once and i regret it T-T The Mami and Charlotte stage set. It's the last one I want from the set..!