Ppl still be calling Sasuke abusive, it’s crazy to me-

robot oneshot, as requested VwV

The lab was dark, save for the dim neon light filtering in through the curtains and a singular work lamp in the corner of the room. Every few minutes, a train passed overhead, making the ceiling groan with the weight, but it was otherwise quiet. The lab's only two occupants sat without speaking, one in maintenance mode on a table and the other wearing thick, elbow-length rubber gloves and wielding a variety of delicate tools.

The Mechanic worked diligently and in near silence, save for softly humming a tune and occasionally blowing their hair out of their face while they worked on SN-0407-67. The only sounds coming from 67 were the hum of its fans and the occasional buzz of a wire being put in the wrong place, quickly corrected by the Mechanic.

After about half an hour, the Mechanic said, in a voice rough with disuse, "Exit maintenance mode," and a line of small lights blinked to life on the back of 67's neck. Its shutters flicked open and it turned its head right around to face the Mechanic.

"Is there a problem?" it buzzed.

"Well, I don't wanna catastrophize, but I'm lookin' through your lower back complex and I'm seein' some stuff that looks an awful lot like buzz bug eggs. Can you run a diagnostics check for me real quick?"

"Affirmative." In a blink of its shutters, it received data from all of its main systems and most of its secondary and tertiary programs and responded.

"Small loop errors in primary memory arrays. Minimal damage to recursive power wiring. Buzz bugs may be a possibility. Suggestion: analyze sample of offending material."

"Will do. Wanna go back to sleep?"

"Negative. We are almost done, correct?"

"If this don't turn out to be an infestation, yeah. What's got you so eager to leave?"

"Nothing. I simply do not enjoy being in maintenance mode for extended periods of time."

"Oh? Why's that?"

67 turned back around and allowed the Mechanic to pry open its back panel and delicately reach through its wiring with a pair of tweezers.

"I dislike being unaware of my surroundings for so long. It is against my purpose."

"It's necessary though, ain't it?"

"As is sleeping. But you are avoiding that now."

"Fair 'nuff."

The silence returned for a few minutes. The Mechanic extricated some pieces of material from 67's wiring and the gaps in their chassis while it sat perfectly still and nearly silent.

Abruptly, a small yellow light on their shoulder lit up and they said, "Your heart rate and breathing have increased."

"Huh?"

"Are you in distress? Is the infestation worse than you expected?"

"Oh, no, nothin' like that. If this is buzz bugs, we caught 'em real early. I could probably get all of this outta you before dawn."

"That is good."

They continued without speaking for a few moments more, the yellow light still turning on and off rhythmically, before 67 spoke up again.

"Your heart rate has not decreased."

"And I suppose I can't ask you to ignore that?"

"Negative. It is against my purpose."

"Right. First aid robot."

The Mechanic pursed their lips and tried to continue their work, but 67 kept talking.

"You hands are shaking slightly. Allow me to check your blood sugar content."

Before the Mechanic could respond, 67 had already completed the check.

"Blood sugar content within healthy range. Brain scan indicates higher than normal levels of oxytocin. Heart rate and breathing rate are increased, but have plateaued."

"Can't keep anythin' secret from you, huh?"

"Negative. You have poor control over your responses to emotion."

"Well, can't say I didn't try."

"Correct. You are still avoiding telling me the reason for your heightened emotional state."

"Would it hurt so bad to let this one go unmentioned?"

"A key to maintaining healthy relationships is communication between constituents. I am curious why you are acting differently."

"It's... complicated. It's a human thing."

"Mechanic, "human things" are my area of expertise. I will understand whatever you tell me."

"I just..." They sighed, but set their tweezers aside and brushed their fingers along a piece of 67's circuitry. "Can you feel this? When I'm workin' on you?"

"To an extent, yes."

"And does it... hurt?"

"Not unless something is damaged. It feels almost the same as when my exterior is touched."

"Almost?"

"There is a level of... trust involved. I trust that you will not break me, you trust that I will not close myself or shock you to injure you."

"When I do this..." the Mechanic traced the column of 67's spine with their index finger, "what is that like?"

"I fail to see why you are asking me again. Did I not just explain it?"

"I know, I know, just.. tell me what you feel me doin'."

"Alright."

A moment's pause.

"I feel you touching the outer shell of my spine. It holds much of my central processing power, which is why it's covered by thick metal plating. But I know you will not try to damage it."

"And now?"

"Now you're moving towards my power cell. It's a very powerful battery, and very fragile. But you will not damage it."

"Now?"

"You're reaching up through my chest cavity towards my transform arrays. This is where most of my proprioceptive senses are processed. It's also highly sensitive to touch. But you will not damage it."

The Mechanic let out a shaky sigh. The blinking yellow light on 67's shoulder began flashing more quickly. They noticed it was in time with their heartbeat.

"Your breathing and heart rate have increased steadily. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

They abruptly pulled their hand out of 67's back and stammered an apology.

"Sorry, I'm - sorry, that - that was kinda weird. I shouldn'ta -"

"It was not unpleasant."

Their words ground to a halt and they stared at the back of 67's head.

"You... motherfucker, you knew this whole time, didn't you?"

67 made a beep that sounded like a laugh.

"Negative. I only realized when I scanned you."

The Mechanic leaned their head against 67's shoulder with a clunk.

"And I couldn't get you to delete this whole interaction from your memories?"

"Negative."

The Mechanic sighed again and leaned back, rubbing their temples.

"Well, that's about it for your checkup anyways. We should probably get goin'."

"Mechanic, I would not refuse if you wanted to take this further."

The Mechanic froze. "Whuh?"

"I do not have the capacity to feel it the same way you do. But I understand it would be enjoyable for you. My purpose, after all, is to ease suffering."

"Wh - but - I - I'm not sufferin' about it, I just -"

"Mechanic."

67 rose and walked around the table, standing very close to the Mechanic and resting a careful hand on their hip. They swallowed thickly.

"We are the only ones in here. We have time."

The Mechanic let out a nervous, breathy chuckle. They raised a hand to 67's face plate and brushed their thumb along it.

"You're amazin', you know that? Just... incredible."

"I know," 67 replied, a playful lilt in its voice. "Tell me if you want me to stop at any point."

"Alright."

67 stepped even closer so that one of its legs was between both of the Mechanic's and they had to lean back against the table. One of their hands rested on 67's shoulder and the other settled on its hip.

67 hooked a thumb over the Mechanic's waistband and tugged down. Its other hand worked its way up their shirt and cupped their chest. It leaned its head down and bonked it gently on the top of theirs.

"Was that supposed to be a kiss?"

"Affirmative."

"You're such a dork."

67 hummed. Its movements remained smooth and steady, but the Mechanic distinctly heard its cooling fans pick up when it tugged their underwear aside.

"Could it be you're enjoyin' this too, 67?" they purred, lifting the hand that was on its shoulder to the back of its head, where they brushed over some of the exposed wires there. Its lower shutter twitched upwards.

"You do look... very nice. Under me like this."

"Mmm. Kinky." They spread their legs further and gasped when 67's searching hands found their bare skin.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah. It's just been a while. Go slow."

"Understood."

Gently, 67 started working its hand, and the Mechanic let out a quiet groan. They rolled their hips into 67's touch, grip tightening on its neck and making its shutter twitch again.

"Is - fuck - is that hurtin' you?" they asked.

"Negative."

"Want me to - to stop?"

"Nnegative."

At the stalling of 67's voice, the Mechanic raised an eyebrow. "Is it gettin' you off or s-something?

"N N N N - Unsure. My proproprocessor has encountered an error."

Experimentally, the Mechanic chose a wire and tugged on it - not enough to break it, but with enough force to pull it partially out of line. 67 jolted forward, making a buzzing sound the Mechanic had never heard before, and its hand dug harshly into their flesh, making them gasp.

"Arrre you alright?" it asked, stopping all motion. The Mechanic whined and pushed against its hand.

"Don't stop," they pleaded.

"One moment. I nnneed to check -"

The Mechanic tugged on the same wire again, creating the same reaction, and sighed with satisfaction.

"Memememechanic," 67 scolded, though the effect was somewhat lost due to the skipping in its voice.

"Keep goin'. I didn't tell you to stop."

"Make me."

The defiance caught the Mechanic off guard, but only for a moment. They glared up at 67.

"Y'know, you're real disobedient for a robot," they growled, finding a different wire and wrapping it around their finger. 67's shutters closed completely this time, its entire body jerking randomly for a moment before the Mechanic let the wire go again. "I thought you were s'posed to follow directions?"

"Youyouyou haven't said the magic word yet," 67 replied, though their hand had begun to move again.

"Make me cum, 67. That's an order."

"Affirmativvve."

The Mechanic cried out at the dizzying pace 67 suddenly set, hips rocking helplessly into its touch. Its name flowed from their lips like a hymn. 67 bore down on them, chest pressed to theirs, free hand supporting their back so they didn't fall.

"Yesyesyesyes, just like that, yes -!"

With a drawn-out moan, the Mechanic came hard, slumping back so that 67 had to adjust its hold on them, completely at its mercy as it kept up the harsh pace of its hand. It slowed to a stop the moment the feeling became too much and their groans of pleasure turned into whimpers.

The pair stayed like that for a moment, the Mechanic struggling to catch their breath and clinging to 67, whose fans were still going at top speed. It stared adoringly down at them, privately recording a short clip to replay later.

"Holy shit," the Mechanic finally breathed, pushing themself upward off of 67's arm. "That was... wow."

"I trust you enjoyed yourself?"

"Yeah. Jesus Christ. Are you... can I - is there anythin' I can do for you?"

"Negative. No part of me can experience anything close to sexual arousal, but I appreciate the consideration."

"So, just outta curiosity, what were the wires doin' to ya?"

That gave 67 pause.

"I'm... unsure. It's not a sensation I've ever felt before."

"Was it bad?"

"Negative. It was... novel. I'm not sure what to make of it."

"So what... would it be okay if I did it again?"

Another pause.

"...Affirmative. Please be careful."

"You know careful's my middle name."

The Mechanic lifted both of their hands and rested them on 67's neck. One slid its fingers over the exposed wires, still slightly out of place, making 67 beep and twitch.

"Why don't you try tellin' me what you feel?" they purred, finding a wire and winding it around their finger. 67 took a moment to respond, its voicebox making nonsense sounds before it could gather it to something intelligible.

"I I I I feel... dizzzzy? I think that wiwiwire has a role in proprioceptive data transfer. It's hard to to to to rrrecall at the moment."

"Mmm. And what about now?" the Mechanic asked, parting the wires and reaching deeper into 67's neck. They felt their finger make contact with cool metal, and 67 made a long, low tone until they lifted it.

"My my my my my centrrrral spinal casinnnnng. It's very sensensensitive to touch, which is is is why it's underrrrneath everything ellllse."

"You're startin' to sound pretty rough, 67."

"Hard to to to prrrocess speech at the momoment. Unsure how to parrrrse sensory dadadadata."

"Still don't want me to stop?"

"Affirrrmative. Want you you you touch furrrrther in me."

"Fuck, that's hot."

The Mechanic moved upward this time, under the plating on the back of 67's head with a muttered "keep your head down." 67's head briefly dropped limply downward, chin hitting its chest with a dull thunk, before the Mechanic hastily removed their hand and it looked back up at them.

"Why did you you stop?"

"That wasn't bad?"

"Negative. Want morrre."

"Oh, I see how it is." They resumed their probing, 67's head falling again, its voice struggling to express exactly what it was feeling.

"Hannnds in my in me touch ch ch ch mind feel I feel your hands," it managed, and the Mechanic bit their lip, looking up at it with adoration in their eyes.

"God, you sound fuckin' wrecked. I wish I knew I could do this to you sooner," they confessed. 67's optic flickered.

"Want want hands want touch morrre so so so much so want want want wannnnnnt -"

Abruptly, its voice dropped so low it was almost a buzz, its optic blinking out, hands in a vise grip on the Mechanic's hips while the lights on its body turned off all at once. Its fans continued on high for a moment more before they lowered to a more normal level and a noise like a dial-up played.

"Shit."

The Mechanic waited nervously while 67 rebooted, slowly releasing their hips before its optic blinked back to life, immediately zeroing in on them.

"Are you okay? Did I touch something I shouldn't've?"

"Negative. I am still processing. Please give me a moment."

After a second or two, 67 spoke again.

"Last sensation recorded before shutdown: foreign object inside cranial casing. Pressure applied to central tactile nerve. Systems overwhelmed." It blinked. "No memory lost. I am in no pain."

"So that tactile nerve thing -"

"I felt... everything. It's hard to explain."

"I think I get it. Don't worry."

"It was... good. I felt good. I would like to do this again sometime."

"Is right now a good sometime? 'Cause that was fuckin' hot."

67's optic widened slightly, disbelief creeping into its voice.

"Causing a temporary shutdown... made you aroused again?"

"It was more like making you get there. But yeah."

"Interesting. In that case..."

67 opened the maintenance panel on its chest, exposing a crisscrossing maze of wires and circuits to the Mechanic, who practically drooled.

"Help yourself to me."

★ Main Story | Act 13 - Budding Spring | Chapter 5 - The Curtain Rises on a New Era

momo has entered the chat.

momo: Isn’t it like so awesome and fun to have the Fleur Award decided via voting!? Iv: need help w/ voting? i can set my followers off for u momo: Hmm, it’s fine. I don’t think the troupe members would be happy with votes gotten like that, promoing the performances would be fine tho. Thanks

shiki: I’m sure it’ll all be okay. MANKAI Company can definitely make it to the top of the rankings. momo: IKR? All of their fans have said they’re gonna vote for them, so it’s time to show them our power. We’ll be so so so fine Iv: cheering for u Kar: Good luck momo: I’ll do my best

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Kazunari: Ah, there’s another notice on the theater forums about the launch of a new troupe.

Tsumugi: There’s more on the bulletin board on Veludo Way too. Usually, there’s only one or two of them, but there were about ten last I checked.

Tasuku: There’s a lot of recruitment for new members going on too. And a lot of troupes that went dormant have come out of hiding again.

Banri: I mean, with anyone bein’ able to enter and a fuck-ton of prize money like that, who wouldn’t think of givin’ it another shot?

Sakuya: And with live streams of performances counting for votes, it gives non-local troupes a chance too.

Sakyo: Even though the Board of Directors used to go around to different regions, it was still just limited to well-known theater companies.

Taichi: Student theater groups from famous colleges have announced that they’re gonna participate, and I’ve heard that performers and influencers are announcing the launch of new theater companies too.

Yuki: Theater companies started like that are bound to get a lot of SNS Votes.

Citron: We are truly entering the age of core between the theater fractions!

Tsuzuru: Are you trying to say “war between the theater factions”?

Omi: It’s just like what Yukio-san said at the press conference, it really is bringing life to the theater world.

Izumi: It’s really starting to feel like the new Fleur Award has actually been put into motion.

Homare: The flow of change is necessary to keep the waters from clouding. Too strong of a flow, however, would leave us in a calamity.

Muku: A calamity…!?

Kumon: What are we gonna do if everything goes downhill…!?

Sakyo: Up until this point, the limited number of theater companies meant we all had to compete to catch the attention of the Board of Directors, but now with this, we’re going to need to change the way we fight drastically.

Azami: Maybe we need to start thinkin’ up a new game plan.

Itaru: The OGs, like GOD-za, Hyakka, and Yuzo-san’s troupe, don’t seem like they’re pulling out any special moves towards the Newborn Fleur Award, though.

Itaru: They’ve pretty much just been seeking out votes online.

Chikage: I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.

Guy: With all that said, the votes cast online during the pre-voting period do not affect the final election. It would be better to just remain calm and observe what’s happening around us, would it not?

Azuma: Right, if we don’t plan our strategy carefully, we won’t be able to make any moves even if we want to.

Izumi: That’s true…

Kazunari: Director-chan, what’s going on with that Spring Troupe workshop you were planning?

Izumi: A-Ah, right, that!

Sakyo: I don’t think that’ll do much for us given the current situation.

Yuki: Why not have it after the pre-voting is done and things have calmed down a bit?

Izumi: Right… we’ll put it on hold for now, then.

Kazunari: ‘Kaykay~!

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Muku: Ten minutes left…

Juza: Ten minutes, ‘leven seconds, if anyone’s countin’.

Yuki: The more I watch, the more they start looking like statues.

Misumi: Muku and Juza are like rocks that won’t move~.

Tsuzuru: It’s not like this is going to decide who wins the Fleur Award or anything, so just calm down, okay, you two?

Banri: Think you should be tellin’ yourself that given that you’ve gotten up to aimlessly check the fridge about ten times already, Tsuzuru.

Izumi: Well, I mean, you can’t help but wonder.

Izumi: (Today’s finally the day they announce the pre-voting results… even though it’s not going to affect the real thing, my stomach’s in knots just thinking about it…)

*Door opens*

Itaru: We’re home.

Chikage: Made it just in time for the announcement.

Homare: Seems like we’ve all managed to wander in here, one way or another.

Azuma: It is best to receive information like this in a group, after all.

Tasuku: If the outcome’s good, we can all be happy together, and if the outcome’s bad, it’ll be just a little better because we’re not alone.

Citron: It is kind of eggciting, like waiting for exam results~!

Kumon: C’mon already… ah~, I can’t take it anymore…!

Hisoka: …Ah.

Izumi: !?

Citron: Are the results in!?

Hisoka: I ran out of marshmallows…

Taichi: Don’t confuse us like that…!

Omi: Well, we’ve become a pretty well-known theater company, so there’s no need to be so worried about it, right?

Tenma: I mean, we did win the Fleur Special Award, plus our ticket sales have been pretty consistent lately.

Taichi: Right! And all we need is to be in the top ten to get nominated!

Sakuya: And even if we’re a little below the top ten, we can work on improving our rank throughout the year!

Kazunari: Ah! The pre-voting rankings are in~!

Azami: The total number of theaters that entered was 6333…

Kumon: This is way too harsh to trace back from the bottom…!

Muku: But if our name shows up too soon, that’d be a huge shock.

Itaru: --Found it.

Sakuya: S-Seventieth…?

Taichi: WHAT!? I thought for sure we’d at least be in the top twenty!

Izumi: This is…

Tsuzuru: There wouldn’t happen to be a theater with the same name as ours, right…?

Chikage: No, I checked who was in first place, just in case, but this is the only MANKAI Company.

Itaru: At least we’re in the top hundred, but…

Sakyo: Considering only the top ten are nominated, it’s low.

Sakuya: Does this mean we won’t even get nominated as we are now…?

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

I think it's noteworthy how Sn*ly is all about Sn*p* changing for/because of Lily and how a lot of Jily fans don't like the idea of James changing only for/because of Lily. [I just saw your post talking about James and Lily in sixth year]

Hello! This is something I've thought about a lot.

As I said in the post (here it is), there is a substantial difference between changing for yourself and changing for someone else.

Now, there's nothing wrong with someone inspiring you to change for the better: people can and should be a positive influence on you, especially the ones closest to you. This is not Snape's case in my opinion. Lily tried to stop him from pursuing the dark arts, she showed there was an alternative, but he refused to listen. When she made the choice to cut him out of her life, he didn't accept it and kept harassing her. When he found out Voldemort wanted to kill the Potters, he asked him to spare Lily, and only Lily.

Did he behave differently after she died? You'd think he'd learn a thing or two from the love of his life, like compassion and kindness. Like being good without an ulterior motive. But no, he heavily bullied kids - and not just any kids, we're talking about his students - and was incredibly biased towards Harry because he was his enemy's son. He criticised James' bullying but he did the same thing even as an adult. Sounds a bit hypocritical to me.

It can be argued that Snape was just pretending to be horrible because he couldn't let his cover be blown. And it can also be argued that he grew fond of Harry but never showed it. Let's assume all of this is true... Am I right in thinking that being so hideous came way too easily to him? And what's more important, are we sure he didn't want Voldemort dead purely because he had killed Lily? After all, we have plenty of evidence that he's extremely prone to holding grudges. It makes sense that he'd want to get revenge against the man who didn't spare Lily's life.

We do not know if he had other reasons, but even the memories that Harry sees in the pensieve reinforce my theory. I'll play devil's advocate and not take into account the things he said or did as a Hogwarts student because many people think that he was just being an immature teenager. So let's see what we have:

“If she means so much to you,” said Dumbledore, “surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?” “I have—I have asked him—” “You disgust me,” said Dumbledore, and Harry had never heard so much contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to shrink a little, “You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?” Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore.

And then:

“The Dark Lord will return, and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does.” There was a long pause, and slowly Snape regained control of himself, mastered his own breathing. At last he said, “Very well. Very well. But never—never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear... especially Potter’s son... I want your word!”

But this is when the pain is still fresh, right? Maybe he wasn't thinking clearly. Let's see another passage, ten years later, during Harry's first year, where Snape is 31:

“—mediocre, arrogant as his father, a determined rulebreaker, delighted to find himself famous, attention-seeking and impertinent—”

This is how Snape describes Harry to Dumbledore, the one person he didn't need to lie to, the only person who knew he was a double agent. But then again, this is just at the beginning, he didn't know Harry that well. Maybe he'll change his mind in the future? Let's take a look at the scene where Dumbledore asks him to kill him:

“If you don’t mind dying,” said Snape roughly, “why not let Draco do it?” “That boy’s soul is not yet so damaged,” said Dumbledore. “I would not have it ripped apart on my account.” “And my soul, Dumbledore? Mine?”

Sounds like he doesn't want to be the cause of yet another person's death. Understandable. Snape isn't being selfish at all, no. He's worried about his poor soul, who cares about the soul of 16 year old Draco, am I right? Maybe this next passage will redeem him:

“Why? You aren’t trying to give him more detentions, Severus? The boy will soon have spent more time in detention than out.” “He is his father over again—” “In looks, perhaps, but his deepest nature is much more like his mother’s. I spend time with Harry because I have things to discuss with him, information I must give him before it is too late.” “Information,” repeated Snape. “You trust him... you do not trust me.” “It is not a question of trust. I have, as we both know, limited time. It is essential that I give the boy enough information for him to do what he needs to do.” “And why may I not have the same information?” “I prefer not to put all of my secrets in one basket, particularly not a basket that spends so much time dangling on the arm of Lord Voldemort.” “Which I do on your orders!” “And you do it extremely well. Do not think that I underestimate the constant danger in which you place yourself, Severus. To give Voldemort what appears to be valuable information while withholding the essentials is a job I would entrust to nobody but you.” “Yet you confide much more in a boy who is incapable of Occlumency, whose magic is mediocre, and who has a direct connection into the Dark Lord’s mind!” [...] “You refuse to tell me everything, yet you expect that small service of me!” snarled Snape, and real anger flared in the thin face now. “You take a great deal for granted, Dumbledore! Perhaps I have changed my mind!”

Let's see... He's comparing Harry to James again, calls him mediocre and he's jealous because Dumbledore trusts Harry more than Snape. Oh, and he threatens to turn to the dark side if he doesn't get what he wants. This is a 37 year old man. Perhaps he's just upset because Dumbledore is dying? Yeah, that's it. Let's give him another chance:

Another long silence. Then Snape said, “I thought... all those years... that we were protecting him for her. For Lily.”

[...] “You have used me.” “Meaning?” “I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter’s son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter—” “But this is touching, Severus,” said Dumbledore seriously. “Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?” “For him?” shouted Snape. “Expecto Patronum!” From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe. She landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office, and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears. “After all this time?” “Always,” said Snape.

I don't know, maybe they should protect Harry simply because he's a kid and he doesn't deserve to die? Isn't that enough? He doesn't have to be Lily's son to be worthy of staying alive. And when Dumbledore insinuates that he cares about Harry, Snape makes it clear that no, it's not for him, and after all these years... It's still for Lily. Because he's asking for her forgiveness. Noble, right? It's not as if you should do good things because it's the right thing to do.

Snape took the page bearing Lily’s signature, and her love, and tucked it inside his robes. Then he ripped in two the photograph he was also holding, so that he kept the part from which Lily laughed, throwing the portion showing James and Harry back onto the floor, under the chest of drawers...

Oh look! He's stealing a letter that wasn't addressed to him! And he's stealing the photograph as well! Well, not all of it, why would he care about James and Harry? Totally normal and justified behaviour from a man who's nearing his forties. Not possessive at all. He definitely deserves to keep that photograph of Lily more than Harry does.

... Sarcasm aside, Snape didn't change his ways. He didn't change his morals.

(Also, in the book Snape never says 'You have your mother's eyes', which, along with Alan Rickman's wonderful perfomance, greatly contributed to Snape being considered a good man. He does ask Harry to look at him, though, implying he wanted to see Lily's eyes one last time. Which makes me think that even up until the end he only saw Harry as an extension of Lily, and not as his own person.)

Unfortunately we don't have nearly enough information about James, but we do know that he saved Snape when he went after Remus to the Shrieking Shack when they were in school, while Snape was perfectly happy to let Lily's husband and son die if it meant she could live. James wasn't a saint when he was younger, and Lily reminded him all the time how much she despised his behaviour. But as I said in the other post, the incident at the lake was eye-opening for both Lily and James. It's clear that he hadn't realised that his actions could have hurt her prior to that. He was a sheltered and ignorant kid, but we know from canon that he grew up. He became responsible enough to be appointed Head Boy without any previous experience as a prefect, and then he joined the Order. Sounds to me like he proved he could grow. Personally I think that Lily wouldn't have let James into her life if she didn't truly think he had changed. Saying that she was brainwashed into marrying James is an insult to her intelligence. It's as if she has no will of her own, no choice, no autonomy. Which is simply no true. This is the same woman who refused to join Voldemort after being offered to, who refused to step aside when Voldemort arrived at Godric's Hollow.

Snape's love - if you want to call it that - for Lily is conditional; James' love for her is selfless. He could have lived a long life but chose to fight and die for the cause. And he made this choice long before they were together, by befriending people like Sirius (a traitor), Remus (a monster) and Peter (an outcast). And after Snape stops poisoning Lily's mind - insulting and judging James and his friends - Lily is free. When he is removed from the equation, Lily is allowed to grow.

In conclusion: Snape did not change and become a better person, and even if he did, it was for selfish reasons.

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 13: Budding Spring - Episode 15: Ketchuped Thoroughly

Employee A: I apologize for the inconvenience.

Employee A: We are doing relatively well in English-speaking countries and Asia, but this region is difficult and not a lot of people within the company can help…

Employee A: I’m considering out-sourcing, but I have yet to receive approval. Please at least correct the parts that don’t make sense through machine translation.

Chikage: I can do this much quickly, it’s alright.

Chikage: …

[Keyboard keys clicking]

Chikage: (Is this the last one?)

Chikage: — —

Chikage: (... Same last name? I’m starting to develop a bad habit of reacting on reflex.)

-

Tsumugi: It’s been a while since the voting period started, but the notifications for debut performances don’t seem to be letting up.

Kazunari: There are still a lot of announcements about new theater companies being formed and member recruitments~

Kumon: Oh yeah. A kid in my class also said they wanted to try acting.

Tsumugi: As more people are exposed to theater, more of them want to try it out.

Tenma: And because of the SNS voting, more and more companies are focused on online distribution.

Omi: While working on a photoshoot the other day, I met someone who works in the video industry, and they said they suddenly got a lot busier.

Yuki: There’s also comments from overseas on online reviews.

Tasuku: As they said in the press conference, the New Fleur Award is revitalizing the world of theater.

Azuma: That’s amazing, considering it’s only just begun.

Sakyo: Yukio-san’s the kind of person to be smack-dab in the eye of the storm when it comes to theater. 

Guy: He has gotten busier as the award gains more attention. He has been doing a lot of interviews together with Kamikizaka.

Sakyo: Well, I’m sure Reni-san’s handling that part just fine.

Yuki: The reviews on En.com are also increasingly rapidly, but there’s a lot of bad ones.

Yuki: Even plays by famous troupes and screenwriters have comments like, “They spoke too fast, and I didn’t understand a thing, the costumes were cute tho”.

Yuki: There’s also, “I didn’t understand why, but they suddenly broke into contemporary dance. It was interesting overall, however.”.

Azami: Honest but harsh, huh.

Sakyo: They probably don’t understand the artistic beauty of theater and are just sharing their first impressions of it.

Tsuzuru: They’re interesting to read, but it’s scary to think how that might be us next time.

Sakuya: I wonder what they’ll say about us…

Izumi: Don’t think about it so much and get discouraged. We’ll be fine if we do things as we usually do.

Itaru: Tru. If we worry about it too much and worry our fans, we’ll be putting the cart before the horse.

Yuki: It’d be a good idea to keep review checking in moderation.

-

Yuzo: Good morning.

Tsuzuru: Good morning.

Sakuya: Good morning! Thank you for today!

Izumi: Sorry for calling you here when you’re also busy with your own troupe.

Yuzo: I don’t mind.

Itaru: Have you thought of any strat for the New Fleur Award, Yuzo-san?

Yuzo: We’re just gonna do what we usually do. The pre-voting stung, though.

Izumi: MANKAI Company came up 70th.

Yuzo: We got 103rd.

Sakuya: Lower than us!?

Tsuzuru: Even though you sell out all your tickets and have a loyal following…

Yuzo: Most of our fans are pretty old.

Yuzo: There’s probably people who didn’t know about the pre-voting, or they just didn’t know how to participate.

Yuzo: It seems like it’ll be an uphill battle, but all we can do is be ourselves.

Yuzo: Well, this round ain’t over. We’ll go at our own pace, with no rush.

Yuzo: Still, Yukio-san threw a curveball at us like he always does. I’m always amazed at what he can come up with.

Izumi: Haha… You can say that again.

Yuzo: Alright. If you’ve finished getting ready, let’s start.

Sakuya: Yes! Thank you very much!

-

Yuzo: …

Izumi: What do you think…?

Izumi: (It’s been a while since I last felt this nervous…)

Yuzo: Hah… As rough as ever.

Yuzo: Since it’s a sequel to your debut performance, your interpretation of your characters is good. What you’re lacking on is spirit.

Yuzo: And Tsuzuru, you’ve still got your doubts about the script, so you can’t concentrate on acting it out, yeah?

Tsuzuru: … Yes.

Yuzo: The rest of you guys are too caught up in wanting to put on a good show in order to produce good results for the ranking.

Yuzo: Having to put on a good performance is common sense. I’m sure you guys understand that by now.

Yuzo: So, you need to think about what you want to convey and achieve through this performance on top of that.

Yuzo: Do you want a better place in the rankings, or do you want to show how much you’ve grown…

Sakuya: — —

Yuzo: It’s not a bad thing to want the audience’s reception to be positive, obviously. But if that’s all you’re aiming for, then this is all just a way to earn points.

Yuzo: All your thoughts will be things like, “if we do this we’ll get more popular and get more points” and “if we do that we’ll get extra points”. But what we’re doing here is theater, not a competition.

Yuzo: What is you guys’, what is the Spring Troupe’s acting all about? Who are you doing it for? For what purpose?

Yuzo: You’re doing a sequel for your debut play. What did that debut mean to you guys?

Yuzo: If you’re going to go through with this, wouldn’t it be a good idea to discuss and re-evaluate your origins?

Yuzo: …Heh, but do so with some self-discipline, yeah?

Izumi: (I wonder if Yuzo-san also has various concerns regarding the New Fleur Award?)

Izumi: (No, I’m sure troupes other than Yuzo-san’s do too… It’s not just us.)

Izumi: (What role should our theater company have in this world of theater that is rapidly changing in front of our eyes…)

Izumi: (We may have to re-evaluate the direction we’re headed in.)

-

Citron: It’s been a while since he ketchuped us so thoroughly~

Masumi: Criticized us so thoroughly?

Itaru: But he’s upped his kindness levels recently.

Chikage: Doesn’t that mean he approves of us?

Masumi: But the parts that are no good have become much harder to fix.

Sakuya: That’s true… We can’t come up with an easy answer this time. Our acting… Our origin…

Tsuzuru: It’s surprisingly difficult to just be ourselves.

Chikage: Probably because we’re the ones who understand ourselves the least.

Izumi: We chose to make a sequel of our debut performance with the intention to go back to our roots and remember our beginning…

Izumi: So, what do you think was the best thing about the original RomiJuli?

Sakuya: Honestly, I think I was pretty bad at acting. All I had going for me was how badly I wanted to act.

Tsuzuru: Though those feelings of yours haven’t changed.

Sakuya: Yes! If anything, I love and treasure acting even more now.

Masumi: So, we have to find what our current selves are “lacking”.

Itaru: I do feel like my current self is more absorbed in acting than I was back then.

Chikage: Our bonds have deepened, and we’ve all leveled up.

Citron: I can not think of anything we’re lacking~....

Masumi: But I understand what Yuzo’s saying.

Tsuzuru: Right… He’s also right about me still doubting the script.

Chikage: A difference from our debut performance, huh… For better or worse, it’s no longer our “first time” acting.

Itaru: You mean, like our freshness has disappeared? I guess a writer’s debut work always has a certain kind of oomph to it.

Sakuya: A “beginning” only comes once, so it’s not something we can replicate…

Tsuzuru: So in a sense, we’ll never be able to surpass our debut performance…?

Itaru: Sad but true.

Masumi: Something that can’t be surpassed despite our growth…

Itaru: A “first time” and the image of innocently rushing forward both have a certain kind of impact.

Sakuya: Hmmm…

Izumi: …

Izumi: (Everyone’s mood dampened.)

Izumi: Let’s put this on hold, think about it individually, and then have another meeting.

Tsuzuru: ‘Kay.

Itaru: … Good idea.

[Phone vibrating]

Sakuya: Oh–

Izumi: The meeting’s over, so it’s okay if you go out.

Sakuya: I’m sorry, please excuse me.

[Sakuya walks out]

Sakuya: — —Hello, This is Sakuma speaking.

Sakuya: Ummm, I’m sorry. About that…

Iv: long af maint shiki: i’ve got a test tomorrow, so i might not be on much Iv: we start on thurs Kar: gl Iv: aren’t you also starting soon Kar: been at it since the day before ytd Iv: oh you already did shiki: you’re so chill about it momo has entered the chat Kar: sup shiki: you’re late today Iv: have your tests started too? momo: i ran away from home Kar: sudden mood shift lmao

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I would like to get something off my chest and you seem like one of the only mature people out of this fandom that can handle hearing it. I love sns to death, they’re my favorite ship and most likely always will be. But Jesus Christ, this debate with “top” and “bottom” is getting on my nerves. Like why the heck does it even matter??? I just don’t get it at all??? Why do people care about their sex life so much??? It’s so ooc, it’s disgusting. I’d say the people that are SUPER deep into that stuff are no better then the crazed sasuaku fans who only care about the sex as well. Like Christ people, they don’t freak each other in every alley way, every parking-lot, every doorway, every public restroom, or every crack on the sidewalk. I can’t go anywhere without being hit with Sasuke getting his back end tore out, or Naruto getting his back end ripped out like PLEASE give me a break. I would love to see a normal picture of them, on the beach, eating freaking ice cream, playing chess, maybe a light kiss, THATS ALL IM ASKING FOR. I’m so sick and tired of the dumb debates— “Omg, Sasukes such a twink!!!” Or same vice versa. It’s just all mind boggling and annoying.

Like please. Grow up. Sex is not the only thing in this world. It is so ooc and gross to fetishize them. It’s not them, they probably don’t even give a flying crap tard about sex in canon. Maybe once or twice a month, but even that’s a lot for that. Like please, appreciate them for what they are. Go find other characters that can actually match your fantasies. But then again, I’m just overacting, venting, I apologize. It isn’t anything I should get worked up about, it’s not even that serious. I’m sorry you had to see this, but please, share your thoughts.

Top/Bottom fixation exists most of the time because shippers are mostly women and they project heterosexual dynamic into a gay couple. It used to be Seme/Uke, now it's Top/Bottom but it's basically the same thing most of the time.

This wouldn't even be that bad if people didn't change characters personalities based on who they see as Top and who they see as Bottom. Which is why the IG baddie infantilized Naruto in fandom content exists. It's not about him being bottom, it's him being completely ooc. Kishimoto's Naruto is not like that. At all. Actually pretty much the opposite, rough around the edges, punkish, messy, rude, not girly by any chance. Yet people go to ridiculous lengths to "prove" Naruto is actually girly and feminine, even to say he created oiroke no jutsu as a kid because he wanted men (reminder, all the men he used the jutsu towards were his mentors, including his father figures lol) to desire him. They try to insist Naruto and Sasuke are actually two moons and not sun and moon because the idea of Naruto being a sun/yang (which is the masculine side) bothers them. They use some crack filler as proof Naruto would love to wear makeup and be Sasuke's thot girlfriend or whatever. All this mental gymnastics because they don't like how Kishimoto wrote Naruto. And it does happen to a lesser extent with Sasuke too. He's not frail either. Also a lot of shippers just slap the same dynamic and characterizations onto every m/m ship they like. It’s boring and doesn’t do justice to the characters.

I’m also tired of the constant jokes about Naruto’s hole and the constant obsession on the possible size of Sasuke’s dick. These women are straight (or maybe bi) and don’t even get that big dick doesn’t have the same advantage in gay sex as in hetero sex because surprise surprise butthole doesn’t work like a vagina, it is not as flexible. But like I said they operate from the perspective of a het relationship, because that’s what they relate to.

I used to ship SNS but have sort of moved away from it as I just lost interest. I kind of even dislike it now if I'm honest, and I think it's because I see it as evidence that Kishimoto is terrible at writing meaningful relationships between men and women. Not coding. There are interviews out there about how SS and NH were always going to be endgame, and it's easy to see this build up in Naruto Part 1. I think Kishikoto's execution was just terrible in the end, which made people feel the relationships were rushed. The reason SNS is beloved can be boiled down to Kishimoto fleshing Naruto and Sasuke out more than anyone else in the story. Nevermind the fact that he was only ever going to end the series with them as just friends. So, Kishimoto's misogyny and at times mediocre writing is to blame for SNS more than fans misinterpreting the work.

Sorry for getting back to you so late. I wanted to chew on this idea more since I couldn’t make up my mind on how to respond when I first saw this. I’ve come to the conclusion that I agree.

See, even when I did ship Sasuke and Naruto forever ago, I never bought the idea that Kishimoto secretly wanted it to be canon no matter how it was peddled to me. I can’t tell you with any certainty why I used to ship it, but I know part of the appeal is how interconnected the two of them and their stories are. What you said makes me think that Sakura was supposed to be similarly interconnected to them (to make a sun, moon, and earth dynamic, I guess), but she wasn’t well written enough/given enough relevancy for that to work. This would explain why she’s given so much panel time even when she isn’t doing anything and why she’s often added to Naruto/Sasuke’s thoughts and thinks about the two of them a lot rather than Kishimoto fully committing to Naruto and Sasuke alone being the focus.

It’s kind of like her character’s failing draws attention to how much more interesting Naruto and Sasuke’s dynamic is, especially since she’s meant to be the corner of a love triangle. From there fandom is gonna fandom and the two boys get shipped.

As for why she’s so poorly written, I’ve already said that I think that whole conversation is speculation (speculating is fine, I do it myself, I just don’t think I’m gonna take a hard stance on any conclusion right now). When it comes to whether or not Kishimoto is a misogynist, I won’t go as far as saying he is one, but I will say that if he is revealed/confirmed to be a misogynist, I wouldn’t be surprised.

I want to genuinely thank you for the ask, by the way. It’s not everyday that my mind’s changed, much less by some else (whether that be from my stubbornness or having spent too much time in certain parts of the fandom, hearing the same ideas/arguments over and over again is anyone’s guess), so it’s a nice treat whenever it happens. Again, I really appreciate the ask ‘cause I probably wouldn’t have considered it from this angle otherwise.

Oh, Tame, Tame, i saw first (colored) page of that h….

It is harder than I thought it will be. They try to repeat Kishi style in the best way they could, they put E(I don’t remember her name properly) in the same place in the note “author “ right after Kishi, make them equal somehow. You know, even sns fans who try to find some sns-ish moment on this panels make it even worse because they know it will be ss related and ss fans know it’s their territory and now they’re like bosses in comments like they know this time they’re right… it was physically painful to see this, and since it will be manga it will last for a long time. And even if I’m far away from fandom (twitter and insta), those things will catch me anyway. I know, it’s hard time overall ( to me), so many things happening in the world and I shouldn’t even pay attention to such little thing, I knew this manga will came, but still… I just don’t want to go through the same thing i was into during gaiden and 700 again, why didn’t I learn anything since that time?

Sorry for that, I just wanted to push it away

I feel your pain (๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭!!! 

Even worse.. They place her name after Kishimoto’s behind “Original Story by:” as if Kishimoto is the one who wrote it and Esaka just helped him with it or something. 

Well.. they did that on the original cover too. But that’s not even true. This story, this SS-fantasy fanfic Wattpad self-insert is only from Esaka. She said so herself:

“My story.”

“Original story” can mean many things. It can also mean ‘Naruto’. That’s a great loophole because the tweet isn’t tied to legal matters, but the cover is. Which then in this case it’s the best marketing strategy. Make people believe Kishimoto actually wrote this shit so it looks Canon? Make his Twitter account that isn’t actually his Twitter account tweet about it excitedly? Genius. I’ll give em that.

But then.. just treat the damn thing for what it is, right? A fanfic. 

Yet SNS-fans are fueling SS-shippers by fighting them... why?

How is Naruto clutching his chest in pain and staggering his feet forward to Sasuke begging him to wait and not leave the village.. romantic?????? How is Sasuke ignoring Naruto’s pleas and this copy of Sasuke and Sakura’s scene where he left her on a bench- but worse, a SNS-moment? Of course SS-shippers are mocking that. Saying “Naruto wants to be Sakura so bad 🤡” It hurts, but I can’t even blame them. It is actively MOCKING SNS. THAT IS THE WHOLE GODDAMN POINT. Esaka wrote many moments mocking Naruto in that stupid novel. This won’t be the last time this happens- are they going to try and defend every single thing? Are they going to depict every original SNS-moment that Esaka gave to SS and tweet “they wanna be SNS so bad 🤡” because that would be a full day’s worth of work I can tell you that. You can start with the cover. 

I do have to say that the adaptation is infinitely better story-wise than the novel. Prisoners for example had no reason to hate Sasuke and I already talked about this before. I said something along the lines of them needed to start a fight or something and they did. Also them needing to leave out the sob-story of the first prisoner and they did. All the critique I had in the first bit from the novel they fixed. So story-wise at least they agree with me that Esaka can’t write. 

At least that’s a win lmao. 

But you know what is most funny about it? Their ship gets a novel revolved around them.. or two actually even aside from the “official” marketing bs that already existed. A whole-ass Manga-adaptation and an official English translation for said novel on the way.. and what do they do? Enjoy it? Nah. They immediately run to Twitter to start make fun of SNS. 

Now can anyone tell me why that is 💀

Could it be that they feel like they need to prove something? Could it be that the need to make Naruto or SNS look inferior in that moment is more important? Why would that be?! 

😂.

To me that says a whole lot. And even though, yes, that fanfic might be their territory.. it’s still SNS-month 😎 The month is ours 🎉🫶🏻

uhm.. should i say hi?

i hope you enjoy the holidays in the remaining days of the year.

it's been only a week but the mixed emotions i'm having right now still remain here. anger, disappointment, sorrow, distress, despair, and grief... all that i can't even explain in words.

i actually could not do anything after Christmas. i almost barely eat or do the things i used to do. i still can't believe what happened to Eru, to be honest. i still can't understand why such unexpected things had to happen in an instant. it felt like i was feeling the same feels again on the same day, 2 years ago. you wouldn't imagine how it felt like losing a loved one just a few days before Christmas. been crying my heart out for days. no, for a week now. i'm still bothered by the fans' harsh comments. it's like hell! as if the person is being cursed by them a lot. they want to drag him down for what he did. i'd felt like blaming myself coz i was the only one who did the postings for him, and introduced him to people who got to love him for his works. i knew i did nothing wrong but still...

i knew what he did was wrong, he already apologized. however, people didn't know what the person has going through lately. and to tell you one truth, he is actually dealing with personal issues lately. a friend of mine (she's a fan & a friend of Eru) told me that. if you had noticed his posts & stories, then that was it. he was not really okay. i can't tell you the rest of the details because it's personal. whatever the struggles he doesn't tell to us, i hope he overcomes them.

as if they knew the whole story. if they don't understand what's going on to him, then they can just shut the FKKK UP! LEAVE HIM ALONE! he's now looking back & reflecting on himself. i wanted to defend but i knew what he did was wrong.

i even prayed for him during the 9 nights during the 4 AM mass. i also cried during the homily on the last day. it was said there that "You may not understand it all from the start. You may not get why things happened. But one day, there will be light in everything."

"Beautiful encounters become blessings while not-so-good encounters become lessons to learn."

perhaps some unexpected events tend to happen for a reason. i wish there would be a light to make things clearer in the midst of darkness. in that way, we can see the bigger picture of why things had to happen. and better things will eventually come in time.

i'm still not feeling okay. it's more difficult for me to do SNS. i know.. my feelings and your feelings are valid. it's okay to feel whatever you feel.

i know it's such a pity to grab that BIGGEST opportunity but we can't blame why Eru's fate has to turn like that either. however, I hope he will use this time to look back & reflect on himself, for healing and focus to oneself. and the Lord perhaps has better plans for him even if it would bring him at risk. i hope he comes back stronger with better purposes and show his bashers with greater performances and actions, and to restore his clean & good image as well. may the Lord always guide him to the right path & give him courage, strength and wisdom... to move forward and go on, and to overcome the struggles and trials he is facing this time.

to the people who are still there to support him, thank you. but those who keep on throwing harsh words to the person, well anyway, God bless you.

may the remaining days be happier and memorable for you. enjoy the rest of 2022 and start 2023 with a bang. happy new year!

I wasn't entirely sure what naya's side of the story with I don't fuck with you was so I went back and reread that part.

"My one request was that he not put my name in shit. Do not write songs about me, I begged, because people are already going to assume you’re talking about me, so just downplay it as much as possible. He promised me that he would never do that, and assured me that he was not that kind of person.

At this point, I’d heard the beginnings of “I Don’t Fuck With You,” which was just a beat and a chorus. I actually thought it had the potential to be one of those awesome LA songs that really defines a summer. I was a fan of it, but I had to bring it up.

“Please don’t make the lyrics about a relationship.”

He was aghast that I would even suggest such a thing. “That song’s not even about a relationship,” he said. “There are plenty of things people don’t fuck with. Some people don’t fuck with steak, some people don’t fuck with pot roast . . .”

What the hell was he talking about? “Are you kidding?” I asked. It can be about how you don’t fuck with kale, just please, please, don’t let it have the words “ex” or “girl” in it.

He agreed, 100 percent.

The song dropped a few months later.

“Bitch I don’t give a fuck about you or anything that you do / I heard you got a new man, I see you takin’ a pic . . .”

What the hell?

Once again, the gossip sites were churning out headlines and my mother was calling me and yelling into the phone, “Why does that fool’s name come up every time I google my kids?”

Dammit—so I was an adult who had dated a child. I learned from that.

And now I have a rap song about me. That’s almost as good as a star on the Walk of Fame, right?"

So I guess he had the beat ready before they broke up but wasn't initially going to make the song about her? And the phrase I don't fuck with you could be used in a million contexts, especially in the rap world. But who know what the truth is.

Sidenote, I love the beat of Sorry, I really do, and I think Naya sounds great on it, the song is so damn catchy but those lyrics, oof, they flow so well and they're so fun to sing but the meaning of the words is just so awful and cheesy and I hate it haha i will sometimes sing along to it and have a lot of fun but cringe at the same time like I can't believe I'm saying words that are that awfully cringy. Maybe i should find some way to replace those words, instead of the girl names 'fresh and juicy broccoli, it just tastes so good to me' 😂 it fits, right? 😂 Oh and i had actually used audio editing software and cut out big Sean's part lol the song is much more enjoyable now.

I don’t fuck with you is pretty specific, if you ask me. He really tried to convince Naya it was about not fucking with kale?? Did he really think she was that dumb?? Smdh. I really can’t stand this pos. Not one person listening to that song would think, “man, I can really relate to this song cause I really don’t fuck with steak, pot roast, or kale.” It’s obvious that song is about an ex partner. And I don’t believe he intended for it to be about anything else.

Agree to disagree about SNS. Naya sounds great, always does when she sings, but I don’t think it’s catchy. The music isn’t even that good. Naya is the only good part of it, imo.

I love narusasu w all my heart but omg I fucking hate our stans sometimes. Especially in these areas:

1. The forced over-feminisation of Sasuke while ignoring or forgetting Naruto’s feminine qualities

2. Forcing heteronormative roles onto Sasunaru due to whoever tops or bottoms

3. Thinking that Sasuke or Naruto can ONLY top or ONLY bottom (of course it’s okay to have a preference, but omg u do not have to have a fit if someone thinks/prefers Sasuke as a top. Grow up)

4. Hating on Karin or Ino due to their past feelings towards Sasuke

5. Support Sakura’s relationship with either of them

And for #5 I would like to expand.

Now anyone who enjoys SNS must obviously love and enjoy the characters. So tell me why you would support a girl who has not only severely abused and bullied one half of your ship from day one (Naruto), while also only viewing the other half of ur ship (Sasuke) as a trophy that needs to be won and in her possession in order to feed into her many complexes? It’s okay to like Sakura. But thinking that her relationship with either Sasuke or Naruto is healthy or develops into something that could be considered “better” and/or healthier”, or what either men deserve is gross. You can like a character that is flawed, that’s fine, but you have to admit to their flaws and understand why they’re considered flaws to begin with. Stop thinking that fandom Sakura is Canon Sakura. She isn’t.

2. Forcing heteronormative roles onto Sasunaru due to whoever tops or bottoms

3. Thinking that Sasuke or Naruto can ONLY top or ONLY bottom (of course it’s okay to have a preference, but omg u do not have to have a fit if someone thinks/prefers Sasuke as a top. Grow up)

Hmmm... Not Interested in this Discourse at all. Probably I'll never. Since the Author never made anything Explicit. Plus, Romance isn't my forte anyway.

Whether they are Top or Bottom can they atleast keep both of them in-character???

1. The forced over-feminization of Sasuke while ignoring or forgetting Naruto’s feminine qualities

Sasuke has Feminine Traits but making him into the Best Version of Hinata, AKA... Making him into a Vulneral, Meek, Insecure Girl under the disguise of a Boy. is a Big No-No. He is a Boy, for God sake. If Naruto punches, Sasuke also returns the favour. And Vice versa... However, I see either Doormat Sasuke or Doormat Naruto🙄🙄🙄

But Does Naruto has any Feminine Qualities??? Well, Yes, He cried a lot... But that alone cannot be said to be Feminine... I don't know... Whenever Naruto does a Heroic Landing, like he did in Pain Arc... He clearly gave a Super Hero Vibe... Like Thor did in Infinity War. Whereas with Sasuke, be it when he landed in front Of Naruto in the War Arc or When he landed in front of Madara.... Sasuke never gave that Heroic Vibe...

4. Hating on Karin or Ino due to their past feelings towards Sasuke

Probably they are Sakura liking SNS fans ???

5. Support Sakura’s relationship with either of them

What you said related to this point, I agree totally.

Fan Fiction is something where people want to get away from the Reality and explore more about the Characters they fell in love, with a Different AU set up, isn't it??

Then why is this Girl in Every Fiction which reminds the reality over and over again??? Why specifically in SNS fictions??? If She has no real impact on the Original Story... Then what impact will she have in the Fiction??? Why so desperate to add this Girl?

There was this One Chapter fic where Sasuke platonically kissed Sakura in the 3rd paragraph.

Like why???

That guy never even kissed her even after their Marriage... Then How could he platonically kiss Sakura?

Let's just assume, they want a self-insert who wants to be friendly with Sasuke... Okay, Nothing wrong with it... Why don't they create a Original Character by themselves and make her act as Friends with Sasuke or Naruto... What's the need for Sakura out of all people???

A3! Yukishiro Azuma | SR - Brilliance of Blooming | Translation

Special thanks to Noodles for helping me proofreading the backstage! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

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Disclaimer: Neither english or japanese are my native language, but I did my best with the translation. If you find any mistake, feel free to tell me. By the way, Director’s name will be Izumi.

Mankai Livestream! LIVE: Azuma /1

Izumi: Kazunari-kun will join our leader’s meeting today.     Kazunari: Thx~ Banri: So you thought something up again? Kazunari: Right on spot, Settzer! There’s a little something I wanted to try. Kazunari: Well… I thought about a project survey to know what our fans want us to do~. Sakuya: A project survey? Izumi: Yes. We did one for the fans following Kazunari’s proposal. Kazunari: Now, thankfully, Mankai Company recognition has skyrocketed!   Tenma: That’s right, the number of new fans has grown a lot too. Kazunari: Still, some of our first supporters seem to be sad because they feel we have grown apart. Kazunari: But no matter how popular we become, we want to be a troupe close to its fans, right? Banri: Got it. So you did the survey for that.   Tsumugi: What were the results? Kazunari: A lot of them wanna see more inste-lives and selfies from us! Tenma: Well, the frequency of our inste-lives varies from each person. Tsumugi: Same with the selfies. We tend to leave them to those who are good with SNS. 

Kazunari: And here is my idea! We hold a special proposal with personal inste-lives and a selfie festival for 24 days non-stop! Banri: A selfie festival? Kazunari: You take a selfie during the live that later you’ll post it on Inste to hype them up! Izumi: Sakyo-san said it’s okay as long as I watch over the streams to make sure there won’t be any problem.     Kazunari: Which means, it’s up to you guys… so what do you say? Sakuya: I want to do it! Of course, to make the fans happy, but… Sakuya: I’m glad to get the chance to talk with our fans even if is through the screen! Tsumugi: I would like to try it as well. I feel as if I’m understanding, little by little, more about inste-lives. Tenma: But we can’t just chat there, right? Kazunari: Yeah, about that. I thought to do another survey asking what they want to see each member doing. Banri: That would make it easier. Izumi: Each of your inste-live might be different and interesting. Kazunari: It’s decided then! Leave the form creation and the answers summary to me! Sakuya: Thank you so much Kazunari-san! Izumi: Leaders, please share about the inste-lives and selfies with your troupe’s members. Leaders: Got it!

Azuma: … Tasuku: Azuma-san, this arrived for you. Azuma: That box is…? Tasuku: Your usual coloring books. Azuma: Oh, thanks. But, why did you bring them? Tasuku: I was going back to my room, and Director asked me if I could do it. Azuma: Ah, that makes sense. Azuma: Fufu. You didn’t have to bring them to the balcony, though. Tasuku: Well, I saw you were here from outside. But I can leave them in your room if you want. Azuma: Ah, wait a bit, Tasuku. Can you put them here? Tasuku: Sure, are you going to use them now? Azuma: Yes, I want to check them a bit. They appeared in the survey for the inste-live I was reading. Tasuku: I see. Then… here they are. Azuma: Thanks.

Tasuku: But coloring books are a bit unexpected. I thought there would be more requests about beauty treatments. Azuma: Well, there are many of those. Some ask me about my cosmetics and others about beauty techniques. Azuma: But a few of them would like to see me coloring a picture. Tasuku: Did you talk about coloring that much, Azuma-san? Azuma: I did talk about it, but not enough to leave an impression… Azuma: I’m glad some fans remembered that small detail about me. Tasuku: I can see that. Azuma: Now, will I be able to find a design to color in the set time? Ah, this one might work. Tasuku: That means you’ll color it in your inste-live? Azuma: Yes, just like you said. Azuma: Would you like one of them? Tasuku: No need. I’m good. Azuma: Is that so? Well, feel free to ask me if you ever want one. Tasuku: …Sure.

Mankai Livestream! LIVE: Azuma /2

Izumi: I’m glad to work with you today, Azuma-san. Are you ready? Azuma: Yes, I’m ready whenever you want to start. Izumi: Then, the live is starting!  

Azuma: Can you see me well? Comment: Yes, I can see you! Comment: Hello Azuma-san! Azuma: Ah, everything seems perfect. Thanks for your comments. Azuma: Hello, I’m Azuma Yukishiro from Mankai Company’s Winter Troupe. Comment: You look pretty today~! Comment: What will you do? Azuma: I thought to color a picture for today’s streaming. How does it sound? Comment: Sounds good! Comment: It seems fun! Azuma: Fufu, I’m glad. Then, let’s get ready right away. Comment: Azuma-san’s coloring will be really pretty. Comment: What picture will you color? Azuma: I chose this bouquet for today. Comment: The outline by itself is pretty! Comment: A bouquet is a good choice. Azuma: Then, I’ll start painting this part with the little flower… Comment: You’re good! Comment: You don’t get out of the lines at all.  Comment: You are skilled at it~!  Azuma: Now, the tulips…? Azuma: Which color should I use for this tulip? Comment: Red! Comment: Orange? Comment: Pink sounds good~  Azuma: Fufu, there are many comments about it. I’m not sure which to follow. Azuma: But, lots of you say pink. So I’ll use it here. Comment: So cute! Azuma: If that’s pink, this one should be purple— Azuma: Now the rose. Any color suggestions? Comment: Red! Comment: I think yellow. Comment:  Blue might be good since the tulip is pink. Azuma: True, sounds good. Then, let’s use blue.

Azuma: Uhm, it’s mostly completed. Next is— Izumi (Choice): It’s almost time to end the stream! Azuma: Just in time, it seems. I’ll color the ribbon last and close today’s stream. Comment: The ribbon is important. Comment: Since it’s the last one! Comment: Will you choose the ribbon color, Azuma-san?   Azuma: Right… please, wait a minute.

Azuma: Thanks for waiting. A special guest has come. Omi: Hello. Comment: Omi-kun!? Comment: Hi~!  Azuma: He happened to be close, so I brought him with me. Omi: I’m Omi Fushimi from the Autumn Troupe. Comment: Wait, that means Omi-san will choose the ribbon? Omi: Ribbon…? What could that mean? Azuma: I was coloring a picture, and I thought you could choose the color for the last ribbon, Omi. Azuma: Look, it’s the ribbon for this bouquet. Omi: Aah, so it’s about that. Omi: A color for this ribbon… I’d say red. Azuma: Okay. Now, color the last ribbon. Comment: It’s completed, at last! Comment: Excited. Azuma: Then, the picture we colored together is now completed. Comment: Ooh~! Comment: I feel touched.

Choice 1: It’s really good

Your comment: The coloring is pretty good! Comment: You’re well used to it. Azuma: Fufu, thank you. I might be used to it. Azuma: Painting helps me to relax. Comment: I think I can relate. Comment: Maybe I’ll try coloring a picture too.

Choice 2: It’s pretty

Your comment: It came out really pretty. Azuma: You’re right, and all thanks to your help. Comment: The colors you chose are so beautiful, Azuma-san. Comment: The shading is pretty! Azuma: Fufu. Your compliments make me happy. Azuma: I was a bit worried that coloring would be plain for a stream, but I’m glad to have tried it.

Izumi (Choice): Please, don’t forget about the selfie! Omi: Ah, I guess it’s time. Azuma: Yes. Then, I’ll take a selfie to finish the stream. Azuma: Since we did it all together, I should take the photo with it. Azuma: I would like to know what you think about it, Omi. Omi: Sure. Omi: I think you took it pretty well Azuma: I’m glad. Well then, that’s how we finish today’s stream. Azuma: Thanks for watching until the end. I hope you had fun today. Comment: Thanks to you too~ Comment: It was fun! Omi: Thanks, everyone. Azuma: I hope you keep supporting Mankai Company. Until next time.

Izumi: Good job, you two! Azuma: Thanks, good job as well. Omi: Thanks for your hard work. Izumi: You surprised me when you suddenly went out, Azuma-san. Azuma: Fufu, I’m sorry for that. And, sorry for bringing you with me so suddenly, Omi. Azuma: I thought a surprise might be interesting for them. Omi: It surprised me a bit, but I’m alright with it. Azuma: Right. Don’t forget to choose a photo to upload on Inste, Azuma-san. Azuma: Of course, I’ll think which one.

Azuma: I feel relieved now that I finished my inste-live. Would you like to take a glass with me to celebrate, Director? Izumi: Sure! But before that… Izumi: Did you choose a photo to upload on Inste?   Azuma: Yes, I did. I thought to use this one… what do you think? Izumi: Ah, it’s really good! Azuma: Then, I'll add a comment and post it.

Azuma-Y: Our coloring stream was fun. Thanks for choosing colors with me. #MankaiCompany #OurCollaboration

Kaoru (DIR EN GREY) & Hazuki SPECIAL INTERVIEW 1/2 Translation

Notes before reading: This is the first part of the special interview broadcasted on Hazuki’s Youtube channel, you can still watch it there. The special interview is 45 min long, this part covers until minute 24. I will upload the second part in a day or two.

You can watch the interview here  Please watch and support Hazuki’s channel!

Feel free to correct me if you spot any mistakes or any confusing parts. Links or credits to this post when the content is reposted or captured in other SNS is appreciated :) ----- Hazuki: Today’s guest is already here! Kaoru from Dir en grey! Kaoru: Thank you (laughs) Hazuki: Thank you for being here! (laughs) Kaoru: Well, somehow as the tension is different than usual, I got a bit surprised…(laughs)  *he means the program started suddenly* Hazuki: (The program started) In a single blow…I cut in with a single blow…. I’m sorry… Well, I’ve been on Youtube since last year….I already had Ryuichi Kawamura (Luna Sea’s vocalist) and an acquaintance who is a death metal/death growls instructor….being able to do talks like this it’s a bit special so I want to do more and more….like for example, telling everyone stories about Kaoru they’ve never heard before….I would like to see that more and more….I asked you (to come here) and you agreed immediately so thank you so much… Kaoru: No,no…you don’t need to (thank me)…. Hazuki: I’m really thankful…. Kaoru: But, the first time we talked about this was last year…. Hazuki: It was actually a while ago, that’s true… Kaoru: But somehow, I wondered if there was something good we could talk about here…. Hazuki: This time, “Oboro” will be released on 28th April….so I’d like to talk about that as well…there are also a few things here *pointing at the table* so it’s not just that…. I often met Kaoru but there are times we meet from the beginning but sometimes we meet in a second or third different stages…. Kaoru: After eating… Hazuki: There are some patterns about coming together, like sometimes it’s the two of us at the beginning…. Kaoru: Yes Hazuki: Or both of us staying until the end…..to this day, I haven’t get used to that situation at all….*laughs* Kaoru: At those times, you are a bit…..like this…..*starts imitating Hazuki, making awkward movements* Like this…..*Hazuki laughs, Kaoru too* At that moment I feel like  “ohh” *ego boost gesture lol* Hazuki: No,no…. (laughs) It feels exactly like that to me…..yes….I feel it…. So, before these talks, I get a drink for the guest that is here. I brought a lot of things but for the time being, let’s open a beer and after getting some alcohol in our bodies… Kaoru: That’s right… let’s start with this, right?.... because if you don’t drink, you won’t say anything…. Hazuki: I’m sorry….as there is a little distance between us…. I’m nervous so I need to drink alcohol…because you are a big senpai for me….cheers! Kaoru: Cheers! They both toast with their beer cans. Hazuki: It’s good…everyone is curious about one thing…. It’s really in the way….*Hazuki puts his hand on a bottle that it’s on the centre of the table, covered by a cloth* It’s really an object that stands out but,  the drink that I want to serve for Kaoru today is….well, for me this…..how long has it been?  I think 15-16 years… but in this long time there is especially one drink that left an impression in me…. Kaoru: Is something we drank together? Hazuki: We did….I get to know this type of alcohol/sake from Kaoru…. I couldn’t drink it at that time… Kaoru: I wonder what it is… Hazuki:I couldn’t drink it but as you were really into it and drank it….I was like….”I want to drink it with Kaoru”, so I tried  and it was delicious….so I was able to drink it that’s why today I brought it…do you know what is it?...*pointing at the cloth* Kaoru:*Laughs* I wonder… what can it be?.... Because of the size I would say it’s whisky… Hazuki: Ah yes the size…..but it’s not….it’s another thing…. Kaoru: Sweet potato shōchū? Hazuki: Ah, you are quite close….it’s a type of shōchū…. Kaoru: Eh? Hazuki: It’s not Sweet potato shōchū Kaoru: Is it Tantakatan? * Tantakatan is a shōchū made with perilla leaves. It is produced in Hokkaido, Japan. Hazuki: *screams* AH!...that’s it…..*Kaoru and Hazuki laugh* That’s amazing *Hazuki starts clapping* You knew it so well…*Hazuki takes off the cloth of the bottle* Kaoru: It’s been a long time! Hazuki: It’s Tantankatan…. Kaoru: This makes me feel really nostalgic…. Hazuki: How many years ago? Kaoru: A lot…. Hazuki: I think it was 23 years ago…. Kaoru: I used to drink this a lot…. Hazuki: Drinking this kind of alcohol on the rocks…. I was still young at that time, I’ve only drank beer, shōchū and highball shōchū. I thought “I should really try this”. When you asked me to join you, drinking this, I drank a lot and got really into it. After this, there was a boom in potato-fermented drinks *Kaoru laughs* But because you asked me to drink it together, I got to like it. *Kaoru laughs* *On the rocks” means serving an alcoholic beverage in a cocktail glass with ice. I think Hazuki means is “a fancy drink”. Kaoru: How nostalgic….I barely drink this anymore…. Hazuki: I drink it…. I thought “this is definitely the drink I want to share with him”…..after drinking this beer…. Kaoru: Let’s drink it….let’s finish the beers… Hazuki: You don’t need to hurry….we still have time…. Hazuki seems to be amazed by Kaoru’s reaction towards the Tantankatan. Kaoru: This makes me feel really nostalgic! Do they sell this at convenience stores? Hazuki: They do. Hazuki wants to know when Kaoru had the first chance to try Tantakatan. Kaoru: Maybe on tour… Hazuki: I see, because it was popular/a trend…to drink it with everyone… Kaoru:  Maybe the first time I drank it…. It was with Mr Ito, from the security company of X (X Japan)….that person’s face looked like a gorilla….*Hazuki laughs* when we started going on tour together, I started drinking it with him…. *Mr. Ito was popular for being in charge of the security of  X Japan and Luna Sea. He worked later with other bands like Dir en grey. He is said to be the saviour of many fans as he worked sometimes in the front lines. Hazuki: He gave it to you and you drank it together….I see…. Actually, it’s not the first time you appear in a program I’m doing…. Kaoru: You mean the radio one? Hazuki: Yes, the one called 「Weekly lynch」. When was it? 8 or 7 years ago. At that time, you were about to release “The Unraveling”. You were releasing “The Unraveling” so you came to the program. Since then, probably most of the people who are watching this haven’t heard that radio program, especially Lynch fans so, roughly I’d like to talk about how we ended up here….I would like to talk about this again…our first encounter….do you remember it? *Hazuki starts laughing softly but ends up laughing loudly when he sees Kaoru struggling to remember it* *Kaoru appeared as a guest in「Weekly lynch」in NACK5 FM on March 2013. Kaoru: It was because of Reo, right? Hazuki: That’s it, that’s it…. Kaoru: I remember it was Reo (Lynch’s guitarist)  who introduced you to me…. About where it was…..I think it was at some hotel lobby… Hazuki: That’s it, that’s it…at that time you were staying at a hotel in Nagoya…. Reo and I went to the lobby to meet you and we went to a shop…..I was really really nervous…I was thinking “finally I’m going to meet Dir en grey”,  as I knew the band since I was in high school…I was really nervous about meeting you for the first time but….at that hotel lobby there were many fans showing up as well…like waiting for the members….I was thinking “as expected from stars/famous people” when you were getting off quickly…*Hazuki laughs* Kaoru: I see….it was at a hotel…

Hazuki: That time we hardly talk…. Kaoru: That’s true….I talked to Reo mostly… Hazuki: But I was listening to you in the sideway….at that time I already liked to drink…. But Reo doesn’t drink right?...*Kaoru nods* I guess he can’t drink…. I don’t know though….but he didn’t drink…the next time you came to Nagoya, I find the courage to invite you, I was like “tonight I’m going to invite Kaoru!”, but at that time you have another plan with other person so you told me “I’m sorry”…so I went back home…. The next day, you contacted me by email to meet in the afternoon… Kaoru: Suddenly? Hazuki: Suddenly…I thought it was weird because it was your day off… I got super excited….and we went to “Mountain”… Kaoru: Aaaaaa Hazuki: (Mountain) in Nagoya….I want everyone to google it….it’s a pasta place among other things… Kaoru: I’m sure your fans know it well….I get to know this place from you…. Hazuki: Is that so?-….*laughs*.. I was the one who introduced this place to you… Kaoru: That’s it, that’s it…. Hazuki: Well….since that moment….. each time that Kaoru came to Nagoya with Dir en grey…we would usually drink together….it was almost like a perfect attendance award, right? Kaoru: Right…. Hazuki talks a little bit more about attending Dir’s live when they came to play at Zepp Nagoya even though he lived in a rural area. Hazuki: At that time, I lived at my parents house in a really rural area of Nagoya.  As going by train to Nagoya was hard, coming back was also hard, manga cafe… Kaoru: *cutting in* That’s it! They both starting laughing. Kaoru: I asked you if you were ok (staying there)…. Hazuki: The first  time after the live was over….at the first after party…..the other members were there….there were many people gathering there… every one was talking and I didn’t do much there… the second time you told me to wait for you….when we finished drinking it was past midnight….early in the morning…. There wasn’t a night bus and I didn’t have money to come back by taxi….so I came to the manga café, slept a bit and came back by train in the morning… Kaoru: That’s it…. Hazuki: For me, that you came to Nagoya and we could drink together….it was something really valuable for me….it makes me feel nostalgic….those days have kept going these 15-16 years….it might feel a bit like “why a vocalist and a guitarist *laughs* but you are really a big senpai that I respect…that’s right…this program….for this talk corner….nothing has been decided…*Kaoru nods* I really didn't decide anything….what could be the first topic?....mmm…I think we could talk about the moment you got into rock music…. Kaoru: Like when I started playing? Hazuki: That’s right….for example, I only listened to kayōkyoku ( Japanese popular music from Showa Era) when I was an elementary student….at that time it started to sound “Rosier” by Luna Sea and I was like “what is this?” so I got into the rock world…is there something like that for you? Something like “oh that’s amazing!” or so…. Kaoru: The first time I listened to something and thought “that’s rock” was BOOWY. Hazuki: Eh?? Is that so? Kaoru: I think it was a thing for my generation…..everyone listened to BOOWY. Hazuki: They were still active? Kaoru: Barely….it was before their disband.…. Hazuki: I see… Kaoru: But at middle school everyone listened to them….but the band I listened to before them was Seikima-II…. Hazuki laughs. Kaoru: Singles at that time were records (LP), right?.. Hazuki: Yes… Kaoru: I bought it and listened to it….even at that time, like when it comes to bands and rock music it was like…..something amazing and flashy… Seikima-II felt like “this is it”….that’s how it felt when I listened and looked at them….I didn’t listen to them with the image of “this is rock” or a “band”…. But when I heard that kind of band, the guitars, the bass….everything together I thought “this is cool”….as expected, BOOWY’s (activities) at that time were decreasing but there was also bands like Barbee Boys and Ziggy…. But among all those bands I listened to….when I was in middle school, a transferred student came to my school to my class….he looked  very serious…in that class he felt like the calm type….he sat next to me….and once we were going back home he invited me to hang out with him…even thought he was a middle school student….his room was full of records…..he had everything….an amplifier, record player, tapes…he also have CDs that were a recent thing at that time….he also had this huge speaker…of course he had a bed as well as it was his room…. Hazuki: But it was your friend’s stuff? Not his father’s? Kaoru: It wasn’t his father’s stuff, all belonged to him… Hazuki: Ehhhh Kaoru: It was amazing….it looked like an unknown world to me….I went to his house often to hang out after school…we would listen to the records that he had, he told to listen to the music he liked….one of the things he made me listen to was metal…. Hazuki: Western music? Kaoru: There was a lot of western music as well…like Iron Maiden and Judas…also Japanese metal and so but….it was like a “no way, no way” for me…. Hazuki: At time it wasn’t your cup of tea? Kaoru: At all…. Hazuki: Eh… Kaoru: I liked music in English….like Michael Jackson…I like Pop….music from the UK…..I listened to new wave bands for example….but that kind of hard rock or metal….I have this image of muscular guys playing in shorts jumping around energetically while playing….with those things in their shoulders that made them look like Saint Seiya….*Hazuki laughs* I had that kind of image… Hazuki: This is after BOOWY? Kaoru: It’s after BOOWY….I still was listening to BOØWY’s all the time….*Kaoru mumbles something about BOOWY’s CD covers?* Hazuki mentions Japan ( A new wave band from the Uk). They also mention again BOOWY’ and finally, X Japan appears. Kaoru mentions X’s Vanishing vision and that he didn’t like it at first because of the fierce and fast tempo songs. Hazuki: Eh? *laughs* I really can’t believe what you are saying right now… Kaoru: It was like a “no,no” for me…but among them, there were one or two songs that I liked… Hazuki: Yes, yes… Kaoru: Then, at high school…..I graduated from middle school and I started high school on April…and the 21st of April “Blue blood” was released…. Hazuki: Oh! Kaoru: At the bookstore and so there were X stuff there, I already knew them….and I preordered the CD…. Hazuki: *Laughs* How did that happen? Kaoru: I don’t know….I just did it… Hazuki: But you didn’t like them at that time….*laughs* Kaoru: But somehow for the first time, I was interested in them so I went the day of the release to buy the CD, I went back home,I listened to it at the radio-cassette and I was like “what on Earth is this?” *Hazuki laughs* Hazuki: That wasn’t too fast and fierce for you… Kaoru: It wasn’t….at all… Hazuki points out that the song called like the album “Blue blood” is fast and fierce but Kaoru seems to not care about that as he was amazed by the album. For Hazuki, it was too fast and fierce so it was a “No” for him at that moment. Kaoru: I was like “what’s this”?.... Hazuki: And because of that opportunity, even though it was fierce and fast, as you bought the CD yourself… Kaoru:  For me, it was the feeling of the whole “Blue blood” album….it was like listening to something amazing… Hazuki: But you got interested in that album when you saw that add (at the bookstore)…. Kaoru; That’s it, That’s it…. Hazuki: From there, you got into that world-view…. Kaoru: Certainly…that’s it, that’s it…at first, as expected, I didn’t know much about instruments and their sound….but the songs…and the atmosphere when I listened to the songs….I saw there was a live at the medium hall of the Kousei Nenkin Kaikan in Osaka but the tickets were already sold out. I feel like going to the venue at that moment…. Hazuki: But you didn’t have a ticket…. Kaoru tells next the story about how he got the ticket after walking around the venue. It seems  he was first offered a ticket by a old guy who asked for 5000 yen for the ticket (the real price was 3000 yen) but Kaoru didn’t have the money for it as he needed some for the train back home. Kaoru gave up about getting a ticket and he was wondering if he should buy some merch as people started to gather for the concert.  Then, another old guy guy approached him and offered him a ticket, that was a seat in the last row of the first floor, and Kaoru got it. Kaoru adds he was kind of careless for doing that? ( getting a ticket from a scalper) And Hazuki starts laughing nervously. Hazuki: Well, well it’s ok…..because  it’s an old story…. Kaoru: Then at the live I was on the right side…. Hazuki: That was Hide’s…. Kaoru: When I saw him….I was shocked…. Hazuki: Like it was something you shouldn’t see…. Were you a middle school student at that moment? Kaoru: A High school student…. Hazuki: Ah, you were in high school…. Kaoru: After seeing him, I just could see this person… Hazuki: But you are Dir en grey’s leader, right? Everyone…that fast and fierce songs were a “no” for you *laughs* Kaoru: It was really a “no-no” for me….for real….no way… Hazuki: And after that, the most intense and fast songs……but you didn’t like that at the beginning….but because of Hide…..X japan at that time was really fierce/violent….*Kaoru nods* With their hair up this way…*makes the gesture of the hair* Kaoru: All of them have their hair up…..but at the beginning, I was a little reluctant to get into foreign metal…. Hazuki: I understand that, it was the same for me….I was reluctant to it…. Kaoru: It was like it felt hard to get into it…. Hazuki: But when I was reading interviews of the artist I liked, they wrote about other musicians they liked, right? I wanted to try to listen to them, but I couldn’t really do it….because I didn’t like it…. Kaoru: That’s right… Hazuki: It was like that….was it the same for you? Kaoru: Like Alice Cooper with all that heavy black make-up…..he looked scary….when I listened to it, I didn’t really understand it… Hazuki: Like “X is better”, right?….it was like that for me too…. Kaoru: Hide was into pop music so I got into some artists because of him. Hazuki: I see… Kaoru: It’s stuff that I still listen nowadays….at that time he introduced these artist to his fans and I got into it. Now I listen to it and I think it’s cool...somehow it became like my roots….but at that time when it comes to rock, it was like “I don’t get it”…. Hazuki: I see….at that time, the members of Luna Sea would talk about Guns N' Roses or Nirvana….I rent some stuff from them but I was like “it’s not fierce, it’s not dark or bright, it’s just different”. Another time I listened to Korn and Slipknot and I was like “Oh, I like this”…until then, I barely listen to anything like that…. Kaoru: So since that time, you started to listen to western music…. Hazuki: Yes, I started to listen to it properly…..you already finished your beer… Kaoru: I did…. Hazuki: Oh, I’m sorry….*Hazuki grabs the bottle of “Tantakatan” to open it* That guy you talked about, the guy with the audio equipment, what happened to him after that? Kaoru: At that time, we graduated from middle school and…. Hazuki: Is that so? Kaoru: I don’t know what he is doing since then at all…. Hazuki: Eh??? Kaoru: Truth is….I would like to try to meet him…. Hazuki: If he is watching this…..if you see this, you can definitely contact us….so,  about music....this talk is because you are going to release  a single and it would be strange to not talk about it… Kaoru: It feels weird… Hazuki: It’s embarrassing for me because I’m not used to this. It’s a bit embarrassing but I really want to ask you about it…. “Oboro”, which is going to be released on 28th April… ....Tbc....

A3! Minagi Tsuzuru - Translation [SR] Brilliance of Blooming (1/2)

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

---

<Please note: the beginning part of the story for this set of cards is the same, so I have reused my own tl>

Izumi: Kazunari-kun is also joining in on today’s leader’s meeting.

Kazunari: Let’s do this piko~!

Banri: Have you come up with somethin’ again?

Kazunari: That’s right, Setzer! There’s a lil something I wanted to try. So you see… we held a project survey for the fans to find out what they’d like us to do!

Sakuya: A project survey?

Izumi: Yep. We did it for our fans as per Kazunari-kun’s suggestion.

Kazunari: Thankfully, MANKAI Company’s popularity is soaring through the roof right now!

Tenma: That’s true. We got a lot of new fans too.

Kazunari: ‘Cept some of the folks who have been supporting us for a while also voiced that they’re a bit lonely since it feels like there’s been more distance between us. But, like, we wanna be a Theatre troupe that’s close to our fans no matter how much our popularity rises, right?

Banri: I see. So that explains the project survey, eh?

Tsumugi: How were the results?

Kazunari: The most common answer was, “I wanna see more InsteLives and selfies from all the troupe members!”

Tenma: Well, the frequency of InsteLive streams varies from person to person.

Tsumugi: It’s the same for our selfies. We basically leave it to the members who are good at SNS.

Kazunari: Yep, and so! As a special project this time, I propose we hold a solo InsteLive and selfie festival for 24 consecutive days!

Banri: A selfie festival?

Kazunari: It’d be even more hype if we took selfies during the live and upped the pics to Inste later, wouldn’t it!

Izumi: We’ve also discussed it with Sakyo-san, and he said we can do it as long as I keep watch to make sure no trouble occurs during the streams.

Kazunari: And so, the rest depends on you guys… How about it?

Sakuya: I’d love to do it! Of course I want to make everyone happy… But I’m happy for the chance to talk with all the fans through the screen too!

Tsumugi: I’d like to give it a try too. I feel like I’m getting more used to InsteLives, little by little.

Tenma: Hey, but, we can’t just idly chat, right?

Kazunari: On that topic, I thought it might be great to send out another survey to hear what they’d like each troupe member to do.

Banri: Seems like it’ll be a lot easier to handle in that case.

Izumi: Every InsteLive will turn out differently. That sounds interesting.

Kazunari: ‘Kay then, it’s settled! Leave the form creation and tallying up to me!

Sakuya: Thank you very much, Kazunari-san!

Izumi: Alright then, leaders. Please share the InsteLive and selfie plan with all your members.

Leaders: Got it!

-pause-

Citron: Tah daaah!

Tsuzuru: Woahh. Wh… what’s what that huge load of French fries?

Citron: What, you ask? It’s today’s dinner.

Tsuzuru: I can see that! It’s just, that amount…!

Citron: There should be three times more than usual. Is this amount not enough for you, Tsuzuru? I guess I’ve got no choice. If you say so, then… Omi, more please!

Omi: Sure thing. They’re frying right now, so you'll have to wait a bit.

Tsuzuru: Wait, why are you making more! Or rather, don’t just listen to what Citron-san says so easily, Fushimi-san…!

Omi: But Citron got all the potatoes today from the shopping district.

Citron: Yes! Everyone always gives me lots of extras.

Tsuzuru: This many? You’re impressive as always, huh…

Omi: So, I got a request from Citron to make dishes with potatoes.

Citron: French fries are the only choice, right!

Tsuzuru: Uh, no, that’s not the only option! Well… I understand how things got this way now.

Omi: We’ve got lots of students with growing appetites, so this much will be no problem. Of course I’ve prepared other side dishes too, so don’t worry about it.

Tsuzuru: Thanks.

Citron: Dinner’s almost done, right, Omi? In that case, Tsuzuru and I will go call everyone!

Omi: Yep. Please do.

Tsuzuru: Got it.

-pause-

Tsuzuru: Ahh, I overate…

Izumi: Are you okay, Tsuzuru-kun?

Tsuzuru: I’m fine. I thought I could handle that much… But I've been so busy with assignments recently that I haven't slept or eaten. My stomach might’ve shrunk.

Izumi: Ahaha. But I felt a bit relieved seeing you finally eat so much again today. By the way, are your preparations for tomorrow’s InteLive going smoothly? Is there anything I can help with?

Tzuzuru: It’s alright. I got a request for a project that sounded interesting so I'm gonna do that. I actually hadn’t decided on what exactly I was gonna use yet, but the fries tonight gave me an idea.

Izumi: Oh, really…?

Tsuzuru: Yeah. Please look forward to tomorrow.

---

| next

Sakyo Furuichi SR (Brilliance of Blooming)

Read full translation under the cut~! 

Story Title: "Mankai Livestream! ~LIVE: Sakyo~

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ PART 1 ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Izumi: Kazunari-kun will join us in today's leader's meeting. Kazunari: Heya~! Banri: Up with somethin' again? Kazunari: Spot on, Setzer! There's something I want everyone to do. Actually, I conducted a project survey askin' the fans about stuff they want us to do~! Sakuya: A project survey? Izumi: Yup. Kazunari-kun suggested conducting it for the fans. Kazunari: Thankfully, Mankai Company's popularity has skyrocketed! Tenma: That’s right. The number of new fans have considerably increased. However, some people who have been supporting us for a long time said that it feels like we've become distant. Some say it makes them a little lonely. Kazunari: Still, no matter how popular we might become, we wanna be a theater company that's close to our fans, right? Banri: I see. That's why you came up with a project survey? Tsumugi: How was the result? Kazunari: Most of them responded with, "I want to see more Inste-live!" or "I want to see more selfies!”. Tenma: The number of our Inste-lives varies from person to person after all. Tsumugi: Same goes for selfies. It's basically left to the members who are good at using SNS. Kazunari: That's why! I suggest we hold a 24-day solo Inste-live and selfie fest as a special project! Banri: Selfie fest? Kazunari:  If we'll snap a selfie during livestream and up it on Inste later on, it'll be more excitin'! Izumi: I already consulted Sakyo-san about it. He said, it's fine as long as I'll watch over carefully to make sure there will be no trouble during the livestream. Kazunari: So~ the rest is up to everyone... What do you think? Sakuya: I want to do it! Of course, I want everyone to be happy but... I'm also glad to have the opportunity to talk to all our fans through the screen! Tsumugi: I want to try it too. I might get to understand Inste-live little by little. Tenma: But we're not just going to chat idly, are we? Kazunari: About that, I think it's totes sick to send another survey to check out what the fans wanted the members to do. Banri: That'll make things easier for us. Izumi: It's interesting because each livestream will be different. Kazunari: It's settled then! Leave the form creation and tallying to me! Sakuya: Thank you very much Kazunari-san! Izumi: Then leaders, please share the information regarding Inste-live and selfie fest project with the members of each troupe. Leaders: Got it!

Sakyo: (These requests are hard to do....) Izumi: Eh, Sakyo-san. Are you still working at this hour? Sakyo: No, I'm reviewing the surveys for Inste-live but the contents of their requests are a bit... Izumi: What kind of requests did you receive? Sakyo: ...I received a lot of "I want you to scold me for being useless" requests from the survey. Izumi: I-I see... Seems like a lot of people want to receive a scolding from Sakyo-san. Sakyo: You make it sound like a good thing. However, how am I supposed to give a scolding while livestreaming? Izumi: .....Um, Sakyo-san. Remember when we went to an art festival before? Sakyo: Yeah, you're talking about the Greek Mythology-themed festival, right? Izumi: That time, you unknowingly gave the visitors some life advice while playing as Zeus during the participatory event. Sakyo: Come to think of it. I have no idea how it ended up like that. Izumi: I think it's because they felt that Sakyo-san would give them good advice and give them the push they need if they talk to you about their problems. That's why the results of the survey came out like this. Sakyo: I see. If that's the case, then I should try listening to the viewer's problems, giving them a scolding or advice... Izumi: I think it's a great idea! Sakyo-san's advice is accurate after all. Sakyo: Well, I'd say it depends on the person. But if you say so, I'll go with it. Izumi: It's kinda like a radio advice corner! Sakyo: Fhm, you're right. Well, I think it's better to have a different livestream from those guys. My generation is more familiar with radio shows. I guess it'll be easier for me to think of it as one instead of Inste-live. Izumi: Would you like to pick comments and give advice on the spot? Sakyo: No... I don't want the livestream to become disorganized. It's better to ask in advance. It will spoil the contents of my livestream but we should accept mails in advance.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ PART 2 ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Izumi: Seems like we have received a lot of emails from people who are looking for advice. Sakyo: Yeah. Miyoshi also helped out. Izumi: Should we start the livestream now? Sakyo: No problem.

Sakyo: This is Autumn Troupe's Furuichi Sakyo. Can you see me properly?

Comment: I can see you! Comment: Hi, Sakyo-san! Sakyo: Looks like it's working properly. Today, I will listen to the problems everyone sent in advance. Actually, I received quite a lot more emails than I expected. I honestly didn't expect to receive this much response. Thank you for that. Comment: I sent an email! Comment: I hope you can read mine. Sakyo: I'm not sure if it's possible to cover all the emails you sent me but I will do my best to read as much as the time permits. Let's get started... The first one is from Blooming-san. "I started dieting but I'm losing motivation from time to time. What should I do?" I see...It depends on the reason why Blooming-san wants to go on a diet. Don't you think it's better to do it peacefully? It becomes stressful if you don't eat well even if you want to eat. As a result, losing weight is going to be more difficult for you. Rather than imposing a difficult task on yourself from the beginning, why don't you try doing simple muscle training? It's best to ask Takato and Sumeragi for muscle training recommendations. Comment: Nice advice Comment: It was helpful! Sakyo: The second one is from Mamitan-san. "I tend to take my frustration out on my family and I hate myself for it. Is there any good way to avoid being frustrated?" Well...Unlike our friends, we don't hesitate around our family. If you think you've done something wrong, you can apologize later when you have calmed down. They're your family, so I'm sure they will understand. You realized that taking it out on your family is not a good thing. That is why you sent me an email in the first place-- If you are aware that you should not do it in the future, I'm sure Mamitan-san will change for good too. Comment: Cut the knot Comment: Your message resonated with me! Sakyo: That's good to know. Let's see...Next one is...Hm? ----*chime sound* That sound…Could it be... Misumi: I got here first~! Ehh, Sakyo? Sakyo: Oi, I'm in the middle of livestream right now!

Misumi: Waah, I'm sorry! I’m sorry, everyone~! Sakyo: I'm sorry about that. Ikaruga might've entered by mistake. Comment: Sakyo-san's real scolding! Comment: This is gold lol.

Choice 1: "Is it always like this?" Comment: Is it always like this? Sakyo: The scolding? Well, it's not like I like doing it but... Since I'm older than most members, I get the most opportunity to scold the younger ones. Comment: What a respectable adult! Comment: Company's dad lol

Choice 2: "Scold me too!" Comment: Scold me too! Sakyo: Aah? What the hell are you saying? You know I can’t scold anyone who hasn't done anything bad, don't you? Comment: Sakyo-san is perplexed! Sakyo: And who's fault do you think it is? ---

Sakyo: We're almost out of time. I will be taking a selfie after this. As you know, I'm not good at taking selfies so please don't expect too much. Well, I think it's good enough as long as my face is visible in the photo. That's all for my Inste-live. Thank you for watching till the end. We look forward to your continued support of Mankai Company.

Izumi: Sakyo-san, good work! Sakyo: Director-san, good work too. Geez, why did Ikaruga suddenly barge in like that? Izumi: Just as Sakyo-san said, it might've been a misunderstanding. Ah, that's right! Please choose a photo to upload on your Inste. Sakyo: Alright.

Misumi:  I'm sorry for barging inside the training room during your livestream... I made a mistake in the training schedule. Sakyo: It's fine. I ended up scolding you when you suddenly entered. For some reason, I received a lot of response due to that. Misumi: Is that so? Did everyone want to see Sakyo-san's scolding? Sakyo: That's not the kind of image I want to show to everyone... Misumi: Ah, well, that's Inste-live for you! Are you uploading the pictures you took today? Sakyo: Yeah, I already had director-san check it. All's left to do is to post it. Misumi: I'm sure everyone will be happy to see Sakyo's photos! Sakyo: I hope so.

---End

NOTE: 

1) Unlike the other backstage, the choice lines from 5th anniversary cards doesn’t come from Izumi’s POV but from the livestream viewer’s POV so I opted to use “Comment”, instead of “Izumi” for the choice lines. 

Jimin is a pretty bOY

This is a continuation of our discussion on my last post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me, I think I agree with all of it.

Not sure how I feel about the calling eachother out bit or near scolding of others in the comments. Please let's be welcoming and respectful of others's thoughts regardless of whether or not we agree with it. It's ok to hold diverse views. We do after all come from different backgrounds and have accumulated different experiences and I think it plays out in how we see things. Everyone's opinion is valid. Plus, I purple yall.

Now, do I think he is trying to pack on muscles........? Yes. He said so himself in Festa when he said he would rush to the mirror when he thought he had gained some muscle only to find out his biceps looks like a muscled kindergartner.

He also said lately he's into exercising and staying in shape which is true because for quite sometime now since early this year he has been talking about how "weak" he is in their Vlives and have even given instances of him not being able to do certain things- certian simple and easy tasks- which is typical of him I'd say. He's always talking about how "weak" he is especially around JK and juxtaposing that with "but JK is so strong" which I'm sorry but I have to smirk at right now cos it's such a typical gay pick me simp thing to do. We've all been there.

Do I think he's trying to be a muscle bunny or revert back to his body shape around debut? Absolutely not. But I do think he is straddling the line of toxic masculinity which is what the conversation is about.

I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to stay in shape or even enjoying work outs. Last night I ran downstairs because I had left my stew on the stove and now this morning I called renew my gym membership because I discovered running can be actually fun to do... No. No it's not. The gym instructor would have to come for me kicking and screaming.

RM have said even though JM looks skinny and fragile he is one of the strongest within the group. Besides, this is not the first time he's expressed interest in working out and building his body- hello, on Era?

I remember people complaining he looked too buffed up in that period on SNS and PJMs quickly jumping in to clear the searches for it. The choreo for On required agility and endurance and required the members- not just JM build up some definition in their muscles.

We've seen them go through all that. So it's not simply a matter of black and white staying in shape or doing it because he feels pressured to do so. Especially, when you consider that he's undertaken some pretty unhealthy measures in the past in attempts to lose weight or soften out his body post these muscle building, weight gaining periods and we've always chalked it up to his dance and how as a contemporary dancer he has to look a certain way or this or that to try to justify and make sense of it. Next you, know there are six chapters of break the silence of him talking about all the dark places he's been, the pressures to look his best for his fans or for his job and all these other painful stories he's shared with us over the years. And it's like, but why? Why do this to yourself?

I'll never forget the look he gave JK when JK was talking about wanting to build muscles in one of the interviews for the promotion of Be- I think I made a post on it. When JK noticed JMs disapproving glare he backtracked saying he would want to stay skinny after gaining all that muscles.

I mean if I'm to be honest, he was bound to crack at one point. The signs were there being surrounded by all these men who adhere to the traditional aesthetics of a masculine body- from Namjoon to Taehyung.

I wish y'all will steer the conversation in this direction and make it more about gender norms and expressions and breaking stereotypes and diversity in the body aesthetics of men.

Jimin is a man too. He just isn't what people traditionally will label masculine. Androgynous is more an apt word in my opinion. How many times have I said, I think Jungkook hetero passes because his body aesthetics is quintessentially what most associates with a masculine man?

Breaking gender barriers is not just about embracing feminine apparels- that teeters on cross dressing quite frankly and can be a bit performative and baity. Then you have to consider their culture in itself has an inherent pro gender diversity feel to it.

Now, let me explain my problem with the Klout ad campaign a little bit.

Do you see how Tae stands out? And I'm not saying this to fuel the "Tae was their fav" debacle. It's the 007 feel... I'll explain in a bit.

Most often, alcohol advertisers as well as most advertisements intended to sell to men often try to appeal to men's internalized ideals of masculinity or try to shape and define what a man or masculinity should look like. These ideals are so often toxic and detrimental to men and mostly women too.

Take a look at these ads for example. All I had to do was google search ads for men.

Real men drink milk and look at the image they present as real men. This blatantly implies if you don't look like this, if you are not a strong cliff climbing man with abs you are not a real man.

The second image is subtle. I call it the 007 slash Kingsmen-esque ideals of masculinity. It portrays men as sexy cool badass- works out but isn't too buff, filthy rich or middle class, wears Rolex, designer clothes, is kind but has a mean exterior and is every 13 year old wattpad girls's dream of a man. In fiction, you see this kind of masculinity in characters such as Edward cullens to Christian Grey. And a lot of ads for men alternate between these two ideals of masculinity.

Do you see how they modeled Taehyung in these ads after this kind of masctheme? Tae looks the same in almost all the ads. 007 sexy cool badass.

Now, I may not be a makeup beauty guru or MUA or whatever, but one thing I've picked up on especially when it comes to makeup for men- BTS and Kpop idols mostly is that, they soften out the harsh features on their faces and make them appear more androgynous or effeminate to suit the Kpop look and they ditch it entirely in different settings.

So for instance, Tae and Kookie's natural hawkish eyebrows tend to get softened around the arch and edges- don't know how the fuck they do that- but it appears less in your face intense most times when they wear make up in kpop related contents.

However, in certain other contents that lean towards a certain gender theme those features are emphasized. Not to say hawkish features are masculine features. Just saying in men, Kpop idols, my observation is they soften those features out with makeup or surgery.

Now, take a look at JM in these ads and look at everything from his posture, make up, hairstyle and brows. It's as if someone took an eraser to his androgynousity and erased his feminine side. Take a look at his photo above and compare it to the ads.

I am not a man. But I feel the gender look they went for, intended to appeal to men, tapped into a rather outdated stereotype of what man and masculinity should look like.

What is a man?

What should a man look like?

What aesthetics of masculinity is Jimin gravitating towards now? And I'm not talking clothes, I'm talking the expression of his gender. Time and again, he's talked about how looking a certain way made him uncomfortable in the past because he was constantly fighting his feminine side. He is androgynous. Sometimes he leans more into his feminine side. Other times he leans more into his masculine side but this is the only time he's leaning into his masculinity that makes me uncomfortable to watch because like I said it bothers on toxic masculinity.

He's said whoever he was, the version fighting to look masculine, that wasn't him. So forgive me if I worry whenever i see him suppressing his feminine side and acting like 'one of the boys.' Him staying in shape is not synonymous with him erasing a valid part of himself or suppressing it. He can stay in shape, celebrate his masculinity and still be FILTER.

What I'm saying is, this not a conversation about him exercising. This is a conversation about an ad erasing his feminine side and boxing him into a narrow expression of his gender and how that might be affecting his view of himself especially in the way he's been gravitating towards a certain masculine aesthetics and how that could be toxic.

Tae has said the same thing and BTS have agreed the JM as of 2019 was the real JM according to them.They said he was that way- suppressing his feminine side, because there weren't much songs and choreos that suited him and so he had had to bend himself to fit with the others.

And so when I see him leaning a certain way I tend to wonder if his exterior environment is playing a role in that. I hope you can understand that.

He is a contemporary dancer and strength and flexibility are prerequisites for his craft. The company go out of their way to incorporate contemporary dance in their choreos for JM's sake which helps solve that problem of him trying too hard to look a certain way.

May be I'm projecting. May be my little brother is effeminate and I've always recommended Jimin as a role for him to tell him not to try to look different just because other boys look different. May be I've seen him try one too many times to kill himself in the gym trying to build on muscles and getting frustrated with himself because he ends up looking like someone else. You can't gym the queerness away. Society will never let you be who you want to be so you might as well flip it the middle finger.

These boys are being shaped by their environment. I hate to say this but the environment they are in isn't exactly progressive and the longer they stay in there cut off from the outside world...

Flying out helps. Meeting different people and being exposed to different cultures and conversations on gender expression helps.

Anywho, these are just concerns I have. Will have them till I see that's not where he is headed towards. But let's not act like these ad campaigns do not and can not psychologically impact these boys especially as these advertisers are not looking to tap into their own definition of gender and masculinity but shape it and redefine it to appeal to the demographic they intend to market to.

I think this is just a grey area for me. Rather than try to change JM to look a certain way in order to sell alcohol. I think the ground breaking thing would be to have a man who looks like JM show us how someone like him would sell a can of drink. I think that would be revolutionary.

Signed,

GOLDY