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x0401x · 1 year

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Hello! I found a section of Tsurune volume 3 that says Masaki changed his name (the last name is changed, was his first name changed also because he mentions it as such despite it still being 'Masaki'? Just confused here.) And then it's discussed that the only time to tell someone your real name was when you're courting them, and so he asks Minato about an answer to his proposal, what was this about, just curious. Thanks! :)

Oh, you guys saw that? 👀 It’s one of the best scenes with Minato and Masaki in the whole volume.

Masaki did change both his surname and first name. His first name was originally 正樹 and became 雅貴. Same pronunciation, different writing.

Now, to give full context on this, I also need to explain some historical references. But first, the context of the scene itself (warning, this is insanely long):

It happens in Masaki’s apartment. He and Minato had bumped into each other by coincidence while doing some shopping on a weekend, so Masaki invites Minato over to discuss the matter of his yugake, as well as get a book that Minato had wanted to borrow but was lost in Masaki’s stuff. Some tooth-rotting fluff happens at the store and right after they get to Masaki’s place, but this post is already long enough. I can elaborate if I get another ask about this, though.

Whilst looking for the book, Minato also ends up digging out some school records containing Masaki’s birth name, which was Tamamori Masaki. Just a random observation while we’re at it, "Tamamori" is a weird surname. But in a good sense. Like, it means "soul protector" in a very not obvious way. "Tama" means "sphere", which carries the connotation of "spirit"/"soul" and "mori" means "protection"/"protector" (think of protection charms, "omamori", for example). It's not conventional at all, and damn, does it define Masaki well. As a Shinto priest, he is literally a protector of spirits. As a mentor, he's the protector of his disciples. And in general, he's Minato's protector.

Anyway, back to what matters. We’ve known since volume 1 that Masaki had changed his surname to “Takigawa” when he was a kid because his mother had gotten divorced from his father and remarried. We also knew that he didn’t have his grandfather’s surname (Yasaka) before that, because that’s his mother’s father. He originally had his father’s surname, and until now, we didn’t know what that was. And we also didn’t know that Masaki had changed his first name along with his last name. There shouldn’t be any need for that. In fact, there shouldn’t be any need for him to change his surname either. Just because his mother remarried doesn’t mean he’s obligated to have his stepdad’s surname. Something else is the issue.

The issue being that Masaki’s biological dad is on Trash Dad Team.

Volume 3 is the one where we get the most of Masaki’s past until this point, so be ready for one hell of a ride now. For starters, his grandpa’s family is special. Not just because they run a shrine, but also because the people of their bloodline have a strong sixth sense. They can see and feel certain things that normal people can’t. I’m sure everyone could already tell that from volume 1, though. It’s always been hinted that Masaki has some sort of connection with the supernatural and the mystic aside from the fact that he’s a priest. It’s been even more strongly hinted that the same goes for Minato, and in this volume, we get a confirmation of it.

So there you have it. Masaki is a descendant of important people who have a long-standing, intimate relationship with the “other side”. One of his ancestors has their remains enshrined within a forest in another town and is worshiped by the locals. And here’s where things get wild: his father stole one of this ancestor’s bones from the shrine and ran the fuck away with it. His goal was probably to sell it to the black market or something. That kinda shit gets you an insane amount of money in Japan. However, before stealing the bone, he had tried to have the remains exhumed and handed over to him from the local people, claiming that he was one of the descendants of whoever was enshrined in that forest. From what the text implies, the actual descendant wasn’t him, but rather someone who was related to him.

Who that someone was? Masaki’s brother.

No, not Ren. Masaki’s biological brother.

Yes, Masaki has a sibling. Or had, before their father kidnapped him.

Masaki’s brother is three years younger than him and his name is never revealed. All we know is that they were close and Masaki loved him very much. When his father left, he took his youngest son along without anyone’s consent and ran away. Masaki and his mother have not seen him since.

“But wait, Japan is a country where the law actually works. How is it that the police hasn’t caught this guy? Is this a stretch from the author? Perhaps just bad writing?” you might be asking yourselves. Sadly, no. The author is actually being realistic here (and likely providing an educated critique to how flawed Japan’s law is when it comes to caring for minors in general). I know that what I’m about to say is going to sound crazy, but parental kidnapping isn’t a crime in Japan.

I wish I was making this up.

If two parents get divorced and one of them takes their child along when leaving, even if by force and without the consent or knowledge of the other parent, this isn’t considered kidnapping at all. Why? Basically, children are viewed as property of their families in Japan. If one of the parents wants to take their kid to their new home and raise them there, it’s completely legal. Their child, their choice. The child doesn’t have any right to object. The only one who has that right is the other parent, but they can only exercise it if they manage to catch the kidnapper in the act. Otherwise, if the other parent tries to get the child back after the child has been kidnapped, they need to have the permission of the kidnapper, because by then the child would be in a new residence that doesn’t belong to both parents, only to one, and accessing it without the consent of the residence’s owner would be invasion of property. And that is a crime that could get the other parent in jail, even if they’re literally just trying to save their child.

All of this felt completely insane to write and I presume it feels even more insane to read.

As to why Masaki’s dad took his brother away, it’s because of their special bloodline. Apparently, Masaki’s brother was just like him. After his father left with his brother, Masaki and his family figured that he’d come back to take Masaki too, and that’s why he had to change his name. That way, Masaki now belongs to his stepdad’s family, meaning that if his father tried to take him, then it would be legally considered kidnapping. It’s not very clear why Masaki also changed the writing of his first name, but it’s suggested that he did so because his father was the one who picked it for him.

But oh, it doesn’t get better. Not long after the kidnapping, Masaki’s dad sent his little brother’s death certificate to them. On Masaki’s birthday. Ever since then, Masaki’s birthday has been his brother’s death anniversary.

Masaki doesn’t think his brother really died. His father probably pulled some strings to forge the death and then got his brother a new identity. That way, his ex-wife’s family would give up on trying to het him back, and even if they decided to do otherwise, the chances of them succeeding would be next to none. Like, suppose they happen to get ahold of him by some dumb luck, they’d still never be able to prove that it’s him (with him being legally considered dead and probably having a whole different name now).

Masaki is understandably the most bitter creature on earth over this whole thing. He despises his father with a passion and hates his birth name. During his conversation with Minato about this, he says that his birth name is a deadname to him.

Took me long enough to get to this point, but that’s where the historical references come in. When I say “deadname”, I don’t really mean it in its original sense. It’s just that this word is the closest it gets to a translation of the original term in Japanese.

Before the Meiji Restoration, Japanese people had a custom of using several different names for themselves, as well as taking on many different kinds of epithets, pen names and titles. People hardly used their birth names even to sign official documents or works made by themselves. This was so that it would be the hardest possible for their real names to ever be disclosed. Only their families would know their real names until they passed away. That’s when their names would finally be engraved in their tombstones and whatnot. And I know “deadname” doesn’t sound appropriate as a translation for this, but I can’t think of any other word that would fit both in this context and the context of Masaki throwing away his birth name. If anyone knows any word that could encompass both meanings, please message me!

Anyway, back to ancient Japan. Other than family, the only person who would know another person’s real name was the one they were making romantic advances on. It was okay to pull this move because, during those times, people flirted with the ultimate purpose of getting married, meaning their sweetheart would become part of their family eventually. But there was always a chance of them being rejected, so it was a risky feat. Wars and battles over territory, political power and assets were an everyday life thing, so people had to protect their identities at all costs back then. Revealing your real name to an outsider was an act of absolute trust. Of course, this isn’t the case anymore, but Masaki revealing to Minato his birth name, as well as telling him this extremely personal and heavy story, is also an act of absolute trust. He knows that he can share this with Minato. Minato won’t be put-off by it, won’t be judgmental towards it, and most importantly, won’t ever tell anyone about it.

It’s really funny to me that Minato listens to this absurd story without batting an eye. He just accepts all of it, no questions asked. And the only thing he isn’t okay with is Masaki talking about his own name as if it’s disgusting and a burden.

Now I have to leave a translation of this part here because it’s fucking golden. You've gotten through this wall of text. You deserve it.

"'Tamamori Masaki'. That's my former name."

"Masa-san's birth name?"

"I changed my first name along with my surname. My old name is a deadname to me. Don't really wanna be reminded of it."

Masa-san was giving a bitter smile – one that was not like him. First there was Ren the other day and now this; these brothers just had too many secrets. Minato did not mind that they would not tell him about the circumstances. However, hating your own name was simply too sad.

"That's not right. 'Deadnames' were used until the Meiji Era and it was something precious that only your lord and family members would know. You'd only tell it to other people when proposing marriage to them, it seems."

"Fuh, that's dangerous. Seiya would beat me to a pulp if he found out. Well then, mind giving me the reply?"

"Reply to what?"

"To my proposal."

"Heh? I-I don't know anything about that kinda stuff."

"'That kinda stuff', huh."

"I've never thought about that kinda stuff."

"You just said 'that kinda stuff' twice."

"You're the worst master ever."

"Minato, you're like a jack-in-the-box. Whatever's inside is always beyond my imagination," Masa-san giggled.

Looks like he was teasing me. Geez, I'm seriously no match for this man.

Minato stood up. "It's about time I head home."

"Want me to give you a ride?"

"I'm good."

When he pushed the door open, a gray sky spread out before his eyes.

"Uh, it's raining. I didn't bring my rain coat today."

"Well-timed shower, huh? Wanna drink some coffee?"

"Hm."

Minato closed the door.

Filed under: jokes that mean exactly what they mean.

I love that in Tsurune, the punchline in these moments doesn’t come from double entendre. The joke is precisely what it sounds like. When Masaki says “proposal”, the word he uses is specifically meant for marriage. He doesn’t mean any other sort of proposal. But no, he’s not really asking for Minato’s hand. He’s 100% not being serious, and that is what makes the joke a joke. He did that because he knew it’d get a reaction out of Minato, and that’s where the humor lies.

I have seen some people (even some influential artists) in the fandom honestly believing that Masaki really was proposing to Minato, and if any of y’all ever happen to come across someone posting about that, rest assured. It was indeed just a joke. Same as when he joked about teaching Minato “the basics” of a relationship. He wasn’t serious at all, but he meant exactly what he said.

I also think it's really funny that Minato takes a mental note to the fact that he was being teased. Which means he at first thought Masaki was being serious and was acting as such. So for a moment, in canon, Minato thought Masaki was proposing marriage to him. And he didn't say no. It actually feels like he was going to ask for time to think about it. Literally what the fuck. What the fuck.

#tsurune #tsurune kazemai koukou kyuudoubu #narumiya minato #takigawa masaki

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sigmadolos · 1 year

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Anonymous said: Proshippers aren’t drama hun, they’re vile pedophiles using RP to whack off to. If you are okay following people like that.I’m gonna warn all my bsd moots to block you asap for condoning nasty shit

In all my years on Tumblr I’ve never had to deal with this sort of bs and I don’t like to give voice to hate, but alright here we go. Although I am fighting the flu and is like 5 a.m. so maybe not my most coherent post.

Anon, I don’t see you posting hate about Kafka Asagiri? You know, the man who WROTE BSD and the characters? The one who allows for child soldiers to blow themselves up? Who blew up a bus full of orphans? Who has Dazai abusing the shit out of Akutagawa? Or Naomi and Junichirio (esp Bones for this one) ? That’s problematic my friend. MOST media is problematic. But people LOVE Fyodor, they LOVE Dazai, but heaven forbid someone like’s Mori or some of these other characters. You can like a character and not condone what the character does. Dazai kills, Fyodor kills, Chuuya kills, Sigma kills. Does that mean I condone killing because I write a character that kills? No. Nor do i condone the religious extremism of Fyodor, or the torture Nikolai puts people though, or a million other things in media that I like. Also, I like mythology and let me tell you. That shit is problematic as fuck but funny enough, a lot of people even anti’s are like well no, THAT’S okay! Which.......I genuinely do not understand. Like...why is THAT okay? I do genuinely want to hear an explanation for that.

I don’t deal with the whole pro/anti shipper drama that goes around these days. But if I don’t like something? I block it. Be it a person, a ship tag, a character tag, whatever it is. YOU are responsible for curating your space. There are ships I loathe, ships that disgust me and I never ever want to see, and so I block those tags and that’s that. Easy, drama-free, and now my space is free from it. At the end of the day, it’s YOUR (well my in this example) responsibility to curate your online space. And that’s what blocking is for. I can recommend Tumblr Servant as an extension, you can write a URL or tag or whatever in it and have it so it’s not just blocked but just never appears if the URL is mentioned anywhere in the post. There’s a lot of subjects that need to be handled VERY carefully like abuse and mental illnesses and such, and I for one would never ever write certain topics in RP or ever, like pedophilia or rape & so on and so forth. And I don’t follow those who do because it makes me uncomfortable to see in RP. If your issue is DazAku and DazAtsu (which doesn’t?? even apply to me??) in both cases they’re 2 years different and both are 20+ ? And if its something about it not being perfectly healthy, boy do I have news for you because Soukoku, Fyolai, Fyozai, Shin-Soukoku, a lOT of those aren’t healthy from where they stand in canon. Not fanon, but canon. I will never, ever send death threats to someone, least of all over fiction. Because let me tell you, a lot of the real life authors? Very Problematic by today’s standards and sometimes their own.

Also, frankly, i’ve been in the Hunter x Hunter fandom and there’s way worse there. Like...canonly. FYI since I know the blog sending this or at least one, KuroKura isn’t underage (though far from my cup of tea for many other reasons) , Kurapika is 18/19 in that arc and Chrollo is somewhere close to 24/26 ish. Not my cup of tea for many reasons, but figured I’d point that out for you so you might want to delete that post if you’re trying to make that blog a good ‘evidence’ source.

While I’m at it. You can LIKE a character and despise what they do and who they are. There’s characters i HATE, but I can appreciate how they’re a good hero, antihereo, or villain, or how they move the plot forward. Characters are (optimally) vehicles for the narrative. A character can be WELL written and despicable, some are written PURPOSEFULLY for the audience to hate that character as a character.

Anyways, there’s my stance on things. If you want to soft or hardblock me, that’s fine. I’m not going to hate you for it, or stalk you over it, or whatever else people do. Please do whatever makes you comfortable. I will not perpetuate this circle of hatred. If I write with someone you don’t like, either block their tag (i tag it all) or if you need to softblock, that’s fine too Your health matters.

#drama tw #i hope this post is coherent enough #but here you are anon #if you want to block me then go for it #whatever you need to do to feel comfortable #ooc || an absolute mythology nerd

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thatwritingho · 2 years

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Kloktober Day 12

Use an OC/Self-insert

Finally, I'm posting the bios for Olive's siblings in the Momento Mori universe!

I don't have the energy to write anything new, but I was able to polish these up enough to post! Detial of the bios is completely reliant on where they appear chronologically in the story, and how far out I've outlined, so theres some variation in length. Eventually I hope to go back in and flesh them out more, but for now, enjoy!

As always, please let me know what you think🥺

Clove Axworthy

(birth name Soon-hee Choi)

Birthday: November 17th

Age: 30, twin sister of Olive

Height: 4’11

Gender: Cis female

Sexuality: Lesbian

Ethnicity: half Korean, quarter Japanese, quarter Mexican

Country of Birth: South Korea

Education/Career: Has a phd in bioengineering as well as biomedical sciences. Works at a branch of the Axworthy company based in Seoul which focuses on prosthetics engineering. She invented and patented the designs of Dick Knubbler's eye replacements and Dr. Twinkletits arms, as well as performed the installation surgeries on both.

Personality: Rule-abiding and driven, Clove decided early on that trying her best to fit in and appear as normal as possible was preferred to being ostracized for her ASD. This was only reinforced while in foster care as a desperate bid to improve the chances of finding a permanent home. Masking has became second nature, and though she can't seem to blend in as much as she wishes to, she succeeds enough to be satisfied. Like Olive, Clove is naturally inclined towards kindness, and truly desires to help others, which is a driving factor behind her career goals.

History: They were very close when they were younger, Clove being more adept at social situations and found masking her asd came much easier to her than it did Olive. She therefore had an easier time making friends, and would often be the one to drag Olive along for play dates and outings, as she felt safer with her sister by her side and didn't want to leave her behind.

The twins were separated while in foster care, but reunited once adopted, though a wedge had formed between them that they were too young to understand; Clove having not experienced the same violent trauma that Olive had. This made dealing with her sister's emotional issues a difficult task, especially considering Clove's own unresolved trauma surrounding losing her parents and being parted from her sister, going into foster care totally on her own.

Due to Clove's views on conforming for survival, she was very disapproving when Olive began to take on a more alternative style, not understanding her sister's fascination with the macabre and growing interest in dark themes, as this goes against the rules she has set in her own head. She also has a difficult time accepting Olive's lifestyle choices due to the danger involved, finding her sister's actions reckless and concerning. They frequently fight over this, sometimes not speaking for months, though they always make up eventually.

Clove is similar to Olive in many ways; they share an interest in all things math and science, and can feed off of each other to inspire new ideas and breakthroughs, Clove often calling Olive for advice when stuck on a project. She adores animals, and has 3 Great Danes she loves dearly- Apple, Blueberry, and Grape(yes, singular).

Clove doesn't like metal- its sad but true.

Violet Killian ne Axworthy

Birthday: August 29th

Age: 34

Height: 5’8

Gender: Trans woman

Sexuality: Lesbian

Ethnicity: Romani

Country of Birth: Bulgaria

Education/Career: studied marine biology and oceanography, works as a Marine Field Scientist

Personality: Very, very type A, highly organized and meticulous, keeps a bullet journal. Very fun and personable, everyone she meets is a friend. Naturally mischievous, and developed a rebellious streak as a teen that she never quite grew out of.

History: Gets along with Olive best out of all the siblings, also hates their adoptive father with a fiery burning passion. Forced into med school by him, but she quit and pursued her passion to get a marine biology degree, much to his disapproval. Has little contact with her family other than Olive and Mavuto.

Drinks a lot of wine, not uncommon for her to have a bottle hidden in her oversized purse "for emergencies." Is an alcoholic but hides it behind her fun personality and organized nature. Struggles with depression and OCD tendencies, and is trying to start replacing alcohol with therapy, though its slow going.

Met her wife Nova through Olive, fell in love quick and married within a year. They are very in love🥰

Dorian Axworthy

Birthday: April 16th

Age: 31

Height: 5’10

Gender: Cis man

Sexuality: Bisexual

Ethnicity: Quarter Japanese from his dad, the rest of his ancestry is old money British

Education/Career: Doctorate in finance, well respected in his field.

Personality: The only biological child of Alistair. Can be rather arrogant and self righteous, but has his moments where his kindness shines through. Feels like he has something to prove due to his father heavily criticising him his whole life.

History: Olive and Dorian were very close as children, and he greatly helped her to come out of her shell when she was first adopted, and was the first person she was able to open up to about the trauma she had suffered from her parent's death and through her time in foster care. Dorian was a very sweet child, and wanted to do all he could to help his best friend.

Unfortunately, this gave Alistair the perfect opportunity to manipulate his son into influencing Olive for his own benefit. He convinced Dorian, who was desperate for his father's approval, that the experiments and harsh training Olive was put through were in her best interest, and encouraged him to help lead her toward that path. This eventually caused quite a rift between the two as they got older and Olive began to realize she was only being used, while Dorian refused to see it.

Despite this clash of opinion, Dorian still cared for her deeply, and was devastated by her suicide attempt as a teen, the event shaking him and causing him to realize his feelings for her had grown from that of best friend into something more. He was very instrumental in her mental healing process, and the two ended up dating for a few years while in college. But as they started to get older, and Olive began to lean more and more toward her revenge plot, they grew apart, Dorian becoming frustrated with her dangerous goals, and they suffered a rather nasty breakup, Olive leaving for Tokyo soon after they split.

Dorian moved back in with his dad for a while after this, and Alastair used Dorian's frustrations with Olive, as well as his heavy admiration for Alistair's accomplishments and contributions to the scientific field, to win his son back over, very negatively skewing his view of Olive in the process.

Unfortunately, this has caused Dorian to begin to excuse the torment Alistair put his siblings through in the name of scientific advancement, and he attempts to downplay how bad Olive and Dewi's childhoods were, and chooses to ignore how his father manipulated him as well.

Despite it all, though, Dorian still loves Olive and wants her back. He can be rather manipulative himself, and knows how to play her emotions, which he has no qualms over doing. The two got back together briefly as adults, once Olive came back to the states after retiring from the yakuza, and it once again ended badly, Olive finally realizing he had no issue with manipulating her into whatever he wanted, and that despite how much she still loved him, their relationship had become toxic and needed to end.

Mavuto Axworthy

Birthday: March 7th

Age: 32

Sexuality: Gay

Height: 6’2

Gender: Cis man

Ethnicity: Chewa

Country of Birth: Malawi

Education/Career: Neurosurgeon, head of the West Coast branch of Axworthy Industries

Spouse: Abraxas

Kids: Vesper, Scarlett

Personality: The most stable one out of the family. Fun loving and easy going the majority of the time, though he tends to be a bit of a worrier, and wants everyone to get along and be a big happy family.

History: Quickly became best friends with Violet after adoption, and the two are still very close. Overall he is very agreeable, and does his best to see the good in everyone. Can deal with Dorian's manipulative nature the best out of everyone, tries to give him the benefit of the doubt, even when he doesn't entirely deserve it. Always trying to get them all together for "family bonding," which no one ever agrees to.

Met his husband Abraxas in med school, the pair dated for a few years before marrying and adopting two little girls, Vesper and Scarlett, ages six and ten. Their family is one of love, support, and happiness- everything he had hoped for he and his siblings to have.

Dewi Axworthy

Birthday: June 26th

Age: 26

Height: 5’3

Gender: Genderfluid, uses feminine pronouns

Sexuality: Bisexual, preference for men

Ethnicity: Indonesian

Country of Birth: Indonesia

Education/Career: Self taught malicious hacker for an undisclosed organization

Personality: Very chill, though a bit of a loner. Dewi tends to keep to herself, and self isolates as her main coping strategy. Between depression, CPTSD, and working late nights, she’s perpetually exhausted, and has a bad habit of drinking too many energy drinks just to stay awake when she needs to. She throws herself into her work to avoid thinking about her problems.

History: Born mute, underwent multiple failed experiments to the hands of Alistair to “correct” it, one of which left her with a large, horizontal scar going across her throat, which she hides with a plain black choker.

She has an interest in robotics, which she and Olive bond over and discuss new designs together, though she tends to get caught up in her own projects.

Said "fuck school" and taught herself information technology and network security, became an international malicious hacker for an unamed underground agency. As the only other one involved in illegal activities, she and Olive have an understanding, and she doctors all of Olive's official documents/edits data available on her to keep her difficult to track.

#kloktober 2022 #momento mori #oooh i can finally make tags for these guys!#clove axworthy #dorian axworthy #mavuto axworthy #dewi axworthy #violet killian #mtl oc #metalocalypse oc

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idontblushsrry · 3 years

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Haruhi Fujioka||SFW Alphabet

A/N: Making gender neutral Haruhi Fujioka content because she’s criminally underrated in fic

Word Count: 1996

A: Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Haruhi shows her affection by helping you and spending time with you. She’s actually quite affectionate. She’s pretty private with it, especially when the twins are around, but she likes to be held by you, preferring to scoot closer to you to lean her head on your shoulder.

B: Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

As a best friend, Haruhi is really good at giving you logical/calm advice . Like she’s very blunt and to the point and it might hurt your feelings a little but she never does it out of ill will. Also Haruhi is the best for doing random hobbies or going to random places because she’s just like oh ok and she won’t make fun of you or anything. Overall a good best friend to vibe with that’s also hella responsible.

C: Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Haruhi isn’t really big on cuddling. She doesn’t mind it and she’ll cuddle if you want but she’s not one to initiate. The one exception is during storms, Haruhi won’t even say anything to you, she’ll just walk up to you and let you hold her while she’s shaking until she falls asleep.

D: Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Haruhi is literally the spokesperson of domesticity across the world. Ms. girl has a whole recipe book don’t even play. However, while cooking and cleaning were things she picked up out of necessity, she loves you all the more because you do this for her without her even needing to ask.

E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

If Haruhi had to break up with you, she’s very solemn about it. It’s almost formulaic like she practiced it 1000x (spoiler alert: she did). She cherishes every moment you both spent together, but she feels it’s best if you remained friends.

F: Fiance(e) (How would they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Haruhi really doesn’t care either way about marriage. She’s not super traditional in the sense that marriage is a deal breaker, but if you do have a wedding, she’d like it to be simple, with your closest friends and family. Do be warned that Ranka will be slightly butt-hurt if you don’t get married, however the fight between her and Tamaki on who gets to walk Haruhi down the aisle is probably worth getting married.

G: Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Physically and emotionally, Haruhi is very gentle and attentive. Physically, she’s very gentle, mainly because she’s unsure of what you’re okay with and the both of you are just getting a feeling for what you want. However, later on in your relationship, she’s still gentle but she gives her affection a lot more openly in a way that’s still secretive, like placing a kiss on your cheek and walking away like nothing happened. Emotionally, Haruhi is very attentive to the emotions of those around her, even if that person is very private or generally good at hiding their emotions.

H: Hugs( Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?

Haruhi is fine with hugs, she doesn’t really initiate them but she’ll just stand there and let you hug her if you need to. The only time she doesn’t like hugs is when they lead to her being the center of attention and getting hugs from behind. Please don’t hug her from behind, it reminds her of when she got thrown in the ocean during the beach episode and she’s also afraid you might pick her up.

I: I love you (How fast do they say the L-word)

It takes Haruhi quite some time to confess her love to you because admittedly she’s a little dense when it comes to her own feelings. Once she realizes it, it’s all a matter of the perfect time.

J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous)

Haruhi’s jealousy is kinda deadpan. Like when she gets jealous, her face just goes blank and she just looks like ‘-_-’ the whole time. She’s silent and won’t make a fuss about it, even if the two of you are alone, but the whole time, she’s making that face until the person she’s jealous of goes away.

K: Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Haruhi’s kisses are polite in a way. She kisses like she’s grateful for the opportunity, she does get a little needy when pulling away. She’s always going on and on about how she could kiss you forever.

L: Little ones (How are they around children)

Around kids, Haruhi is honestly like the best. She’s very practical,, responsible, and pretty good at tuning out things that annoy her (read, the entire Ouran Highschool Host Club minus Mori) so she makes for a good babysitter and an even better parent. She’s also very attentive when it comes to kids, she doesn’t quite have the intuition for it but she has a determination and a willingness to learn.

M: Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings with Haruhi are very sweet. Haruhi and you will get up and make a meal together, even if it’s something simple like toast, Haruhi loves spending time with you, and what better way to do it than a slow morning.

N: Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights with Haruhi are nice, they’re sweet and slow. Haruhi will brew you both a thing of peppermint or chamomile tea and then you’ll be out like a light before you even know it. That’s when the real battle starts. Haruhi can and will snatch the covers from you and she’s surprisingly strong for someone unconscious. Good luck on recovering that blanket friend.

O: Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Haruhi is pretty open already. She is a natural after all, any vulnerabilities she has have been shared and any concerns have been brought up to you as her s/o

P: Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Haruhi’s patience is going to get a 76% rating. She does mind her business and make an effort not to be involved in certain things, but drama and mess always seem to just find her. Haruhi does not like messiness or any form of foolishness or buffoonery at all, she doesn’t care for it and is quick to anger when she comes across it.

Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Haruhi remembers things about you in order of like responsibility. So she’s like memorizing your allergies, your emergency contacts, clothes and shoe size, etc. like she’s almost like a parent in that regard. She does it almost unconsciously too like one day you’ll be out at some street fair and she’s like “oh no Y/N that’ll trigger your allergies” without even missing a beat like it’s almost terrifying sometimes.

R: Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Her favorite moment in your relationship is when you got tickets for you both to go to a butterfly garden and you proceeded to spend about 20 minutes hyping Haruhi up on her outfit before you even left for the sanctuary. Once you both got there, you took so many pictures of Haruhi surrounded by flowers and butterflies, and honestly she looked ethereal. But that day with you she smiled and laughed so much that her face was a little sore when she got home.

S: Security (How protective are they? How would they like to be protected?)

Please protect this girl, she’s so sweet. Haruhi protects you by just sort of checking on your needs. The way she needs/ deserves to be protected is the real focus. Of course the general looking out for each other, but if you protect Haruhi like emotionally and she’s yours for life. A a kid, despite her dad’s best efforts, Haruhi wasn’t exactly protected, she had to do a lot of fending for herself and her dad, and she doesn’t resent him for that, but it does affect the way she thinks. So if you can prove that you’re a constant source of support for her,,,

T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

In terms of her gifts, and any anniversaries, Haruhi is extremely thoughtful. Even if she doesn’t have much money she still plans meticulously to make sure you have the best day. Her gifts tend to lean on the more practical side as opposed to the fanciful side but if she’s able to, she’ll still try to get you something like a charm bracelet. In terms of dates, Haruhi is still meticulous but most of your dates are you two doing some task but together. She tries very hard though to make time in her day for you even if you both only get to spend an hour or 2 together.

U: Ugly (What are some bad habits of theirs? (I’m gonna add arguments here because they aren’t on the prompt list I found))

A bad habit Haruhi has is that she tends to downplay serious issues. She tends to downplay her own issues but on occasion she does tend to downplay your feelings. Not intentionally of course, but you’ll be upset and she’ll just go “Y/N, that seems really small to be so upset about” in that deadpan tone. She does work on it though, but her tendency to downplay issues does cause arguments between you two.

V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Haruhi puts in enough effort to impress you. She’s not big on being ‘vain’ but she does like to look nice for you.

W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Not at all, in fact, one of Haruhi’s favorite parts of your relationship is that fact that you can both spend time apart and still want to come back home to each other. As much as she loves you, she still has other things in life that she wants outside of you. It fills her with the greatest sense of joy to know that you both have each other’s back and are there for each other after everything.

X: (E)xes (Any previous relationship experience. How does that factor into your current relationship?)

Haruhi canonically has 0 relationship experience and it’s completely her fault. She’s just very goal-oriented and a little oblivious romantically so she can’t really tell when someone likes her unless they tell her at which point she informs them that she’s got shit to do.

Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner)

In general, it takes a lot for Haruhi to genuinely dislike someone as a person. She’s pretty level headed so it takes a lot for her emotions to override her ,mind like that. She tends to have character traits that are more of a no than people that she doesn’t like, a few things get her mad though, are inconsiderateness, thinking the world revolves around you, and of course, rich people.

Z: Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

You got Haruhi a sleeping mask with her initials on them and she sleeps with it pretty much every night. Like she has a schedule, it’s part of her night time routine there’s no going back now, even if she’s going on vacation, she’ll triple-check to make sure she’s grabbed it.

#ohshc imagines #ohshc x reader #ohshc haruhi x reader #haruhi x reader #haruhi fujioka x reader #gn reader #x black reader #idontblushsrry

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eurydicees · 3 years

Note

Never apologize for your long thoughts and tangents!!! Those take time and I appreciate the detail you go into. I'm sorry for not being clearer in my ask, I think my sleep deprivation got to me lol; I was actually asking about your thoughts on their friend groups/skills in university bc even though they have so much more...time and space to make friends, I always wondered how many they would really make in college and esp people like Hikaru and Kyoya

all good, all good! i’m glad you enjoy because i have SO much fun writing them out, even if you and i are the only people who actually click “read more.” anyways. thoughts. i have so many. oh god. i know you said not to apologize but. this is so much. and i only covered the friend thing, i didn’t even talk about skills. i will def think on that though because i have opinions on everything. well here we go i guess:

i think one of the things i experienced in college was just a huge influx of opportunity. like. i was living with people that i saw all the time and thus became friends with them, and then friends with their friends, and then people in my classes, and people in the extracurricular projects i did-- like. there were just so many new people, and i go to a relatively small school.

all of that being said, my experiences are (a) only my own, and i don’t think that everyone does this, and (b) very, very, very american. like. the quintessential “die over college apps and then thrive in college” american experience. i’m sure that a lot of my experiences wouldn’t apply in japan (just based on what i know from other media i’ve consumed / people i’ve talked to), but some of them are pretty universal, i think.

okay all of that out of the way. i think that haruhi is going to have a very similar experience to me in that she doesn’t have a huge world outside of the hosts while at ouran, but once she gets to university, she’ll really thrive and branch out and find Her People, you know? over the course of the manga, she progressively learns to take initiative in things, as well as keep herself from burning out over that, and i think that’s something she continues to work on throughout university.

tamaki would also be able to branch out a bit, but at the end of the day, the hosts are his family. the hosts are the people he cares about. he definitely makes other friends, and definitely cares about them, but he loves the hosts. i think he has trouble prioritizing anything other than the other hosts, which makes it hard to make new friends, at first.

once he figures out that you can like. have multiple friend groups, he’s great. he also, i think, has to really accept that the other hosts are at different universities and are going to be making new friends, too, and he’s not going to be their “king” anymore. they’re all going to have to find different paths, and he has a lot of trouble accepting that for the others, even more so than he has trouble with it for himself.

kaoru does a similar thing to tamaki, i think, where he has trouble making friends only because he has trouble accepting that everyone else is also doing new things without him. especially hikaru. we see him-- in both the manga and in the anime-- have trouble with the idea that their little family is going to break up, almost to the same extent that tamaki fears it. i think that really holds him back for a while, but once he accepts that, though everyone is moving on, they all still love each other, he’ll be able to make new friends.

and oh god once he starts making friends, kaoru goes for it. he branches out wildly in university. he’s spent his whole life just sharing everything with hikaru, and once he starts trying to find out who he is apart from hikaru, he tries everything. he dyes his hair. he dresses like an e-boy. he joins a band, and then quits immediately. he wears dresses. he learns to do make up better than anyone else he knows. he takes every class he can.

he also burns out, i think, probably during his second year of trying everything new and figuring himself out. once he recovers from that lapse, where he kind of gives up on everything, he then settles down into being a person that he’s happy with. jesus christ ok there’s this really good demon-megane post that i have been trying to find for AGES that i simply cannot find, about how kaoru and hikaru are when they get to university and have to work on their codependent relationship. i think about this post every fucking day. it’s so good and it’s so relevant rn. i’m gonna go looking for it again later.

okay and this is gonna be a hot take, but i don’t think that honey and mori figure out how to make friends at university either, at least not until everyone else has graduated ouran and is off to university. in the manga, it’s honestly like they didn’t even graduate-- they go back to ouran for a lot of lunches, and they see the other hosts all of the time. i don’t think that, if they’re doing that, then they’re going to be able to make many friends at university.

but once everyone has graduated, i think that they’d be able to branch out better. as soon as they don’t have a significant fear of missing out on host club shenanigans and their old friends’ lives, they can kind of move on and find other people-- which is just. gonna be so good for them. mori, especially, would have a great time in college trying out new things without worrying about honey (mori has eldest daughter syndrome, change my mind). honey has always been popular and charismatic, and once he truly moves on from ouran emotionally, i think he’s going to have a great time making friends.

and on the other end of the spectrum, i think kyoya would be. suffering. like. he’s friendly with people, but he doesn’t have friends. he’s so focused on studying himself to death that he doesn’t have time for emotionally valuable friendships, and i don’t think he really wants them either. like i said in that last post, i think he’s pretty satisfied with what he’s got, and he’s not going to want to branch out much. also i wrote an entire fic about this lmao.

similarly, hikaru would have the worst time trying to make friends. i think that he has one of the most impressive character arcs throughout the manga, but he still has a long ways to go in terms of his social skills. and if we’re talking anime-only, hikaru has absolutely no idea how to like. be a good friend. he’s so used to just using people that it’s hard to not do that. and even then, he’s so wrapped up in the hosts that he doesn’t really know how to find other people.

side note, but i think he’d also have a lot of trouble at ouran after tamaki + kyoya graduate, because he really just doesn’t know how to find people outside of the hosts. during university, he probably has a lot of trouble figuring himself out-- what he wants to do with his life, with his career, with people. he doesn’t like. seek out clubs, and just takes random classes, and doesn’t reach out to anyone. i love him so much, but he’s definitely a mess in university. he figures it out, i think, but it does take him a hot sec. he needs a year to learn how to stop burning bridges via anger issues, and how to not rely on kaoru for the social skill aspect of a friendship, and what he actually wants to do with himself. GOD. i’m thinking about that post AGAIN. every time i think about the twins i think about that post it is KILLING me.

but in conclusion, all of the hosts miss each other so terribly during university, and they have such a rough time trying to figure out new relationships. except for haruhi, who fuckin thrives in university, except for the fact that she’s studying all of the time and doesn’t know how to manage her time. but that’s just the #college life. anyways i am SO curious to hear other people’s thoughts on this bc it’s a very very interesting question!

#ask #ohshc #ouran high school host club #ouran meta

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lizziestudieshistory · 3 years

Text

Books of 2021 - July

I read a lot this month! I’m not even sure how I managed it, especially when we consider I’ve read another 850 pages between Anna Karenina and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on top of this lot!

I’m just going to apologise now for not proof reading this... I’m finishing this off at 2 in the morning to schedule and I’m sick of looking at my own writing at the moment.

Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly - Technically I read this at the end of June, however, I was on holiday so couldn’t include it in last month’s wrap up.

I’ve already spoken about the Amberlough Dossier and anyone who’s been around my blog for longer than about 10 seconds knows I love this trilogy. Amnesty was no exception. We have the return of Cyril, he and Ari working through their relationship (or not quite understandably), and the fall out from the fall of the Ospies - this world’s equivalent to the Nazi party. It’s not an easy book to read and the glamour of the first installment is completely stripped away to deal with very complex moral and political questions. I don’t necessarily agree with Donnelly’s answers, however, I do admire her for really delving into these very difficult topics. She used the speculative nature of the Amberlough Dossier to come up with a sensitive and interesting discussion on a very difficult period in history.

I’m hoping to write a proper review for the whole trilogy at some point (once I’ve finished the monstrosity that is my Words of Radiance review) so I don’t want to say too much more here. However, I do want to say I really enjoyed that Donnelly found the space to continue looking at the smaller, private, and interpersonal consequences of the Ospies’ regime, particularly for families. It’s a sensitive look into this situation and I loved every second of it - I also adore Cyril and Ari’s relationship, but I’ll dig into them in my proper reivew.

Master of Sorrows by Justin Call - this was a slightly underwhelming read for me, although I did really enjoy it. I’ve seen Master of Sorrows praised everywhere, I don’t think I’ve seen it given less than 5 stars? Yet, for me it was a solid 4 star read. I’d wanted a 5 star read (I’ve been sorely lacking them) but something was holding me back with this one - I do think the series has 5 star potential though and I’m going to read Master Artificer soon!

This is a book clearly embedded in a love of mythology and fantasy. It’s dark and gritty, especially in the second half, with plenty for the reader to sink their teeth into. I’ve also never seen such a strong focus on physical disability in a fantasy novel - it was refreshing to see and led to an interesting use of the magic system to develop ways of overcoming physical disadvantages. Although I’m hoping this is going to be explored further in later installments as, for a large part of this book, Annev was essentially able bodied due to a magical prosthetic he never takes off.

Unfortuantely the most interesting part of this book, for me, was the mythological world building at the start of each part in the book. The myths, clearly based on Norse mythology (I’m sorry but “Odar” was a bit obvious), were fascinating, particularly as they started to have an influence on the events of the main narrative. I just wanted to know more about the gods than the actual story, this is probably a me issue though... The main plotline felt generic: Annev is a boy in a coming of age story, complete with a magic(ish) assassin school, a wise old mentor, and a destiny/prophesy surrounding him. It’s a typical fantasy story, so far, and while I do really enjoy these plotlines (I read enough of them!) it’s not exactly the most original. Nevertheless, I am excited to see where Call goes with this as I do think the rest of the series will start growing into something much more interesting and I look forward to Master Artificer.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - this is one of my favourite books of all time, we all know this by now... See my full review for Bronte’s masterpiece here.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley - July has been the month of Natasha Pulley for me because I’ve rediscovered just how much I LOVE her books. I first read Pulley back in...what, 2017? (It’s been a while...) with her debut novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street which I remember loving, but I never continued with The Bedlam Stacks, the only other available book by Pulley at the time. To be frank with you, it’s because at 18/19 I wasn’t that interested in Peru. However, I now really want to read The Kingdoms, Pulley’s new release, but I felt obliged to read the books I already owned by her and hadn’t read - so I picked up The Bedlam Stacks as it’s the one I’ve owned the longest without having read it...

Not reading The Bedlam Stacks back then was the best decision I’ve ever made because I know at 18 I wouldn’t have appreciated what a stunning masterpiece this book is - it would have flown over my head because, at the time, I just wanted more Thaniel and Mori. At 23 I ADORED this book. I absolutely fell in love with the subtle whimsy and quite, understated beauty of this story. Pulley has such an elegant way of writing, it’s never overdone - she has a way of playing with words which reads beautifully but doesn’t feel like too much. She’s never flowery or purple with her prose, but she does create a work of art.

Unfortunately, The Bedlam Stacks is a book I think a lot of people may struggle with - there’s not a lot of plot, everything is a bit weird, and it’s largely a character study for our two main characters: Merrick Tremayne and Raphael. Merrick’s journey to Peru to find quinine - a cure for malaria - for the British Empire is really a set up to allow the rest of the book to focus on these two characters. It’s centred on the very slow development of their relationship together, coming to understand each other, and eventually open up about themselves - well this is more in Raphael’s case. It’s a poignant story about two people finding a home with each other that will endure across time and distance - it’s not quite a romance, but it’s certainly more than a friendship. Personally I read them as ace, but there is definitely scope here to read them in a variety of other ways depending on your own experiences. But what is certain is their deep connection, and that their love (platonic or otherwise) is what drives the outcome of this story.

It’s beautiful, poignant, and slightly tragic when you think about it... I loved every minuet of it and just wanted the book to continue, I was genuinely sad it was over! It’s not a novel for everyone, and I do think the opening section needed some more work as it did feel like Pulley was saying ‘lets get over this necessary but boring set up’. However, it was exactly what I wanted and I’m so happy I’ve finally read it.

I’m also much more interested in Peru now, so that’s something else to hold in it’s favour!

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley - I’m falling slightly out of order here but it seems better to continue with Pulley’s books. Most of the same praise I gave to The Bedlam Stacks can be repeated here - Pulley’s writing is slightly weaker here but it’s only really noticable because I read both books one after the other and I was thinking about her prose. The same whimsical, poetic, and understated style is used in both books and it really suits the type of stories Pulley like to tell - and again it’s a style that really works for me.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street I think is a slightly more universally likeable story - although I would argue Pulley is an acquired taste. There is a bit less whimsy, and the relationship between Thaniel and Mori is more easily quantifiable for readers. There is also a more obvious plotline to follow, whilst still developing three compelling characters with Mori, Thaniel, and Grace. Personally I don’t love Grace - I find her brash and callous - however, she does have as good of an arc as Thaniel and Mori, she’s also someone who regularly get overlooked when people talk about this book. She’s not someone I like or approve of, but I do really understand where she’s coming from and can appreciate her growth. Pulley doesn’t need us to like Grace - or any of her characters - she presents them as they are and lets us cast our own judgements on them, and I sincerely love this about her. (I’m also so up for reading more about Grace and her relationship with Matsumoto, they’re fabulous together!)

The main draw to this book is definitely the relationship between Thaniel and Mori - how could you not love them? They’re fascianting to watch - together and separately - and throughout the course of this nove you really feel them grow into their relationship. It’s beautiful to watch and feels genuine. Their bond is earnt, not just presented to us as a fact. However, what I really love about Mori and Thaniel is the slightly sinister route Mori takes to make sure he meets Thaniel. Honestly, in any other book Mori would be horrifying with his slightly callous use of his abilities to manipulate the world around him to achieve his own ends. However, with the narrative framing here he’s slightly toned down, it’s a spectacular example of framing shaping audience perspectives on a character. It’s great and I appreciate the sensitivity Pulley used to shape Mori and the relationship between him and Thaniel. I’m also really looking forward to seeing how they develope in The Lost Future of Pepperharrow.

Henry V by William Shakespeare - I don’t really have a lot to say about Henry V... I’ve never felt that strongly about this play - it’s fine? It’s a FABULOUS play to watch (I’ve partial to the Tom Hiddleston version in The Hollow Crown) but to read it’s merely okay. There are some fantastic and very famous speeches - and I absolutely adore the Chorus. However, as a whole the play is merely a decent one. I’m always left a bit uncomfortable with how Shakespeare treats the French, and I’m yet to work out where I stand on Henry as a person and the morality of the war... It’s something to ponder and maybe write something on at a later date.

Unfortunately, this one falls into a similar issue as the Henry IV plays - I just don’t like the common men plotline within this one... It’s slightly better because Falstaff isn’t in this play, except in name (I have an absolute burning hatred of Falstaff... Like we could burn him out of English literature and I’d dance on the ashes level of hatred, it’s perhaps sllightly irrational but I loathe him. I’d otherwise like the Henry IV plays but I see Falstaff and I’m immediately full of seething rage. It’s apparently very funny for my best friend.) However, I just find the common men a tedious distraction from the rest of the play. I switch off whenever I’m watching the play and they’re on stage/screen. I know why they’re there I just don’t care - it’s a me issue, I’m well aware.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling - okay I’m not going to write much on Half-Blood Prince as a whole becasue 1. Rowling herself, and 2. I’m going to rank the Harry Potter books when I’ve finished with Deathly Hallows. Overall, I loved this book, it’s always been one of my favourite Potter novels and my reread only cemented its place. The plot is genuinely interesting and well thought out, it’s one of the best books for exploring Harry as a character (I adore seeing his darker side!), and the set up for the finale is excellent. I actually perfer it to Deathly Hallows because the promises it makes are more interesting than the actual execution of the book.

However, I do want to say that this book made Snape my new favourite character - I won’t explain why yet, I need to do a full spoiler discussion of ALL the Harry Potter books, including Deathly Hallows. But Snape is by far the best drawn character in the Potter series. He’s certainly not the nicest, kindest of most likeable. Snape’s not a moral paragon, neither has he ‘done nothing wrong’ as I’ve seen argued. But he is the most interesting and morally complex.

Everytime I’ve read Potter before, Snape’s a character I’ve not really thought about - which is shocking considering how much he’s in these books, the role he plays, and the discourse around him in the Harry Potter fandom. I’ve always just gone along with the face-value presentation of his character. Yet on this reread I’ve paid attention to Snape, not deliberately, it just naturally happened. Anyway, to cut a long story short - Snape is my new favourite character! Yes Lupin is still my irrational, undying favourite. But, in terms of having a genuine interest and reason for loving him Snape is my new favourite because he is so complicated! He’s someone I’ve come to understand and sympathise with. I don’t condone Snape, I still think he’s a piece of work who should NEVER be allowed around children. But he is a good person. Again not nice, likeable, or morally sound. Yet he does spend the best part of 20 years working tirelessly for good without praise, acknowledgement, or recongition.

He’s a fascinating character and I’ve adored diving into his mind, as much as you can in this very Harry-centric series, without the accepting bias of a child’s eyes. Snape’s one of the few characters in Harry Potter I’d like to read a book about - I’ve neber been one to want a Marauder’s spin off or Hogwarts founding story. But I think diving into Snape’s mind would genuinely be worth it and an interesting experiment, I just don’t think J.K. Rowling would be the right author to do it.

#books of 2021 #reading #mini book reviews #amnesty #lara elena donnelly #master of sorrows #justin call #wuthering heights #emily bronte #the bedlam stacks #the watchmaker of filigree street #natasha pulley #henry v #william shakespeare #harry potter and the half-blood prince #harry potter #severus snape

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dearlazerbunny · 5 years

Text

If/When/Then

Pairings: Kyoya Ootori x Reader

Genre/Ratings: Five Times trope; G, mentions of severe anxiety

Words: 4200

Summary: Or, five times Kyoya didn’t kiss you (and the one time he did)

WARNING: the last bit gets a little angsty

One

“Kyoya. I swear to god. Can we please just-” you rub your eyes exhaustedly, trying to get the harsh blue glow of your laptop out from under your eyelids- “take a break? Or better yet, call it a night?”

The boy sitting across from you on the sofa glances up, his work reflected in his glasses. “How many words do you have?”

“Kyoyaaaaaaaa-”

“Y/N. How many words?” His tone is partially amused but mostly paternal, like he’s asking a small child how many candies they snuck before dinner. If you weren’t so brain dead it’d piss you off, but as it is you’re mostly just petulant.

“Um… three thousand and… something?”

A slender finger pushes his glasses further up his nose. “And the minimum word count is…?”

“You damn well know,” you mumble, before letting your head drop into your hands. One of your elbows is resting on your keyboard, leaving a long trail of jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjs across your half-finished essay.

“What was that?” A socked foot aims a kick at his shin, but your aim goes wide and he dodges it easily. “I believe the answer is six thousand.”

You give a long, heartfelt groan.

Kyoya sighs. He can easily knock out an essay in under an hour, while you require a little more effort- and a lot more bribery. Even if English is one of your best subjects, he knows sitting here for the past few hours laboring over a boring political comparison has to be dragging on you. And he’s been too caught up in his own work to even try to keep your spirits up- something he’s now regretting, seeing the usual sparkle in your eye dull to something uncharacteristically quiet.

“Here.” He reaches over the edge of his perch and feels for the basket of blankets he knows will be sitting there- his sister has a fondness for being wrapped in a minimum of three layers at all times. Carefully, as so not to disturb his own precious computer, he reaches over and drapes a loose-knit woolen beauty over your lap. He even takes a second to tuck the ends over your toes. You watch, fascinated, so used to his fingers tapping out mile-a-minute documents in a harsh staccato that this moment of softness seems unreal. Maybe you’ve already fallen asleep and are dreaming, or it’s a particularly nice sort of 2AM hallucination. Kyoya notices you staring- of course he does, he notices far too much about you nowadays to try and convince himself he only values you as a friend- and very pointedly looks anywhere but your gaze. He’s not sure he could look away if he caught your eye now, hazy with sleep and reflecting starlight from the nearby open window. “Better?”

“Um- yeah.” You settle a little further into the cushions. “Thanks.”

He nods, not trusting himself to speak.

Of course, when he glances over at you not ten minutes later, you’re fast asleep, laptop precariously close to toppling to the floor. He rescues it and saves your work before shutting it down. There’s a slight smile on your face as you dream, and the overwhelming urge to lean over and press a kiss to your forehead makes Kyoya stop still.

His fixation on you has grown over the past few months, that much is clear, but he hadn’t predicted them to progress this quickly this fast. He has his grades to maintain, a club to run, and a company to prepare for. He shouldn’t have time for silly distractions, like categorizing exactly how peaceful you look curled up next to him, or reaching out and brushing a piece of hair out of your eyes.

He shouldn’t. And yet, he does- he always will, for you.

Two

“Remind me again who said this was a good idea?” You squint your eyes as you turn your face towards the sky, which is lit by a brilliant sun. The Host Club is hosting on location this time- a beautiful stretch of beach peppered by towels, umbrellas, waiters offering fruity drinks, and a couple hundred squealing girls. You know. Relaxing. “I think I might like to punch them.”

“You might talk to Mori about a healthy and productive way to manage your rampant anger issues.” You snort and roll your eyes, which in turn makes the corner of Kyoya’s mouth tick up. He’s under an umbrella nearby, neatly marking down figures on his notepad. “Besides, I thought you liked the water.”

“I do, when it’s not so…” you gesture to the gaggle of twenty or so girls nearby, all primping and twisting in their bikinis to hopefully catch the eye of their favorite host- “crowded.”

“Ah.” He can sympathize with that. The smell of salt and brine takes him back to childhood, with the two of you making castles in the sand and pestering the other with seashell-finding competitions. Beach days were lazy days when your parents couldn’t be bothered to have either of you in the house, but to the two of you they were worth their weight in gold. Today, as he watches you stretch into the heat, his childhood friend is overshone by the you of here and now. You’re gorgeous in a simple one piece more stunning than any of the frills the other guests are wearing and hair in a sea-woven braid dangling down your back. Likewise, the Kyoya of here and now is having some thoughts that his five-year-old self have would never even dreamt of.

“I’m going swimming. If I don’t come back in an hour, tell Tamaki it’s his fault for dragging us all out here.”

“Hm? Oh,” Kyoya clears his throat. “Yes, of course.”

You throw him a glance- is he acting strangely? You can’t quite tell; it might just be the heat- before jogging off towards the waves, well away from the party as a whole.

He watches you go, and thinks about going with you, before a guest trills his name and his attention is dragged back to where he doesn’t want it to be.

At the end of the day, the crowd has left, and the club gets a precious hour or so of pink sky and calm surf to themselves. Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi are searching the shoreline for shells and sand dollars; Mori is hauling damp sand for Honey’s massive sand castle; and Tamaki surveys all of them like a proud father. You and Kyoya are sitting a little away, just close enough to the water to let it kiss your toes. “This is more what I remember,” you murmur, a smile on your face, and Kyoya digs his fingers into the sand so they don’t accidentally wind their way around yours like they want to.

“Oh, here.” You pluck your friend’s glasses from his face and use the towel draped loosely over your shoulders to wipe the lenses. When you hand them back, Kyoya has a bit of a stunned expression on his face, making you giggle. “Sorry. They had salt on them. Seemed like it would annoy you.”

“Indeed,” is what he says, willing his tone to be nonchalant or at least neutral. What he wants to say is, do you remember when we were eleven, and you tried the same thing? You ended up getting knocked over by a wave and lost them in the ocean. I was so mad at you, but I still had to hold your hand on the way home so I wouldn’t fall. You didn’t let me trip. Not once.

If he were a braver, bolder, better person, he’d kiss you right now, and see how you taste like salt and sunshine and memories. But he isn’t, so he doesn’t- he lets the Hitachiin twins, who are sneaking up behind you, douse you in water instead. He lets you shriek at them and take chase, threatening to drown them both, breaking the moment and leaving him sitting by the sea alone to remember what was and what might be.

Three

It’s safe to assume that Valentine’s Day is never a dull affair in Music Room 3.

Everything is decorated with lace and delicate crystal trimmings; the roses are even more bountiful and in every color the human eye can see. The attire is more formal than usual, the cheeks rosier and the lips pinker, and it tends to be the one day when the hosts receive more than give.

Each of their tables is piled high with gifts, cards, baked goods swirled with elaborate frostings. Even though Tamaki keeps insisting that the girls should be the ones receiving sweet nothings, not the hosts, you can tell he’s more than pleased by the growing mound of sentiments slowly dwarfing the other boys’. As it should be, Kyoya supposes.

Honey’s haul is mostly sweets, naturally, and this year Mori also has a surprising armload- apparently one of the only times his admirers hear him speak is when he says ‘thank you’, leading to multiple gifts just so they can hear his voice more than once. Hikaru and Kaoru’s combined mountain looks more like a dragon’s treasure horde than a pile of presents. Haruhi adamantly refused everything until one guest brought her a particularly excellent platter of fish, based on the way she’s been sitting in the corner with her cheeks stuffed for the last twenty minutes.

Kyoya notes all of this with a vague smile, adjusting his calculations and trajectories for the next few months to match the turnout. Valentine’s Day is one holiday he can generally sit out. Sure, there’s a small stack of cards and remember-me’s on the sofa next to him, but his persona as the analytical and aloof host tends to leave him further down in the ranks than the other boys. Which is just fine with him, if he’s being honest- he has manners, but being constantly charming is tiring at best and egregiously aggravating at worst.

“Mother Dearest, it appears you have another card to add to your beautiful collection!” Tamaki flounces over in his wine-colored suit, at least thirty guests in pursuit. “It doesn’t come with a giver, unfortunately- oh! Perhaps you have a secret admireeeeeer!” He wiggles his fingers excitedly and hands over the card with a flourish. “How exciting! A mystery for Valentine’s Day!” His groupies sigh and fan their faces, overcome with the romance and intrigue of it all.

“Thank you, Tamaki,” Kyoya says drily, nimbly plucking the proffered gift from the boy’s fingers. “Please, don’t ignore your guests on my account.”

“I would never! Each and every one of my princesses mean the world to me!” As he and his followers fade back to the other side of the room, Kyoya props his glasses back up on his nose and curiously slides his thumb under the flap of the envelope. It’s a plain white paper, not embellished with hearts or gemstones or ribbon or any of the other garish decorations usually attached to such a thing. The card is similarly simplistic, with only a pencil-sketched heart on the outside and a greeting that reads, “To My Favorite Host.”

Interesting. Perhaps there’s a mystery here after all. He flips it open, not sure what to expect- and immediately has to keep himself from laughing outright. Inside is a crude sketch of two stick figures- one has comically large glasses drawn on its blank face to helpfully distinguish itself as the Kyoya of the pair- and note in chicken scratch: You’re such an asshole, but I guess I love you anyways.

Only one person could be responsible for such a thing. After all, you were never renowned for your artistic talents.

…

“I got your… note.”

You don’t look up from the book you’re paging through out in the courtyard underneath a spectacular old tree. The leaves frame you beautifully against the afternoon sky. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Mmm. I found the art particularly museum worthy.”

Now you smile a bit. “Well, you’re a museum worthy sorta guy.”

“Favorite host is quite the compliment.” He’s getting dangerously close to… something; toeing a line he hasn’t touched before, and it’s making his heart race.

“Don’t get too cocky. Mori’s still got like, an eight-pack.”

Kyoya sits beside you, careful to leave several tree roots between you and him. “Why a valentine? I see you every day; you could have just told me yourself.”

“I dunno.” He fixes you with a look, one that says sure, I believe you. You give a halfhearted shrug, shoulder almost brushing Kyoya’s. “I went by the music room. Everyone else had, like, mountains of stuff and I just… felt like you were under-appreciated, that’s all.”

“I see.” A beat passes with nothing but the wind ruffling your hair. “That’s… kind of you.”

Now you do close the gap between the two of you, nudging your knee against his. “You’re welcome, asshole.”

Four

Your laugh, Kyoya thinks, is the best thing he’s ever heard.

You’re draped over the edge of his bed, head towards the floor, giggling wildly to yourself as you mutter an inside joke that only make sense to you. Your cheeks are flushed, and the bottle of alcohol you snuck into Kyoya’s room is sitting a few feet away, half full. He’s had a few sips, but he isn’t much for relinquishing his mental faculties so easily. It’s tempting, though, what with you so lazily tapping his shoulder or nudging his side to get his attention- it’d be so easy to demolish all his carefully crafted walls and drown in you.

But someone has to be the responsible one- and if he’s honest with himself, the thought of you or he regretting what happened in the dead of night come light of day makes him sick to his stomach. So he sits primly against his headboard, the computer on his lap a boulder pinning him to his spot, only glancing at you every so often to make sure you haven’t tumbled off the bed completely, despite your absolutely intoxicating mood coaxing him closer and closer to throwing caution to the wind.

“-and you’re just… you’re just a good person,” you continue, meandering through your thoughts. “Like, seriously. Why do you have to be so amazing. It’s so goddamn annoying.”

He desperately hopes you’re too out of it to notice the reddening of his own cheeks. “I am hardly what anyone would call ‘good.’”

“Lies! Lies. And. Slander.” You emphasize every word with a poke to various parts of his body- his big toe, his elbow, his knee. “Like- okay. What are you working on right now?”

In actuality he’s browsing through the Ootori Group’s latest research and development journals, evaluating their recent findings and sifting the unimportant from the extraordinary. But you’re most likely far too gone to actually understand any of that, so instead he just generalizes: “refining new data from the company.”

“Yeah! You wanna be a fucking doctor, that’s like- that’s amazing!”

Kyoya quirks an eyebrow. “You do realize my entire family is in the medical profession.”

“No, your entire family throws their money at the medical profession.” You wave a finger in the air like a drunk scientist hypothesizing their theories. “There’s a difference.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“No, listen you jerk!” You haul yourself up and place yourself face-to-face with your best friend, close enough that Kyoya can see the intensity in your eyes. “It’s one thing to pay for shit, it’s another to actually be in the room when someone is having a heart attack and wanting to save their life. You care. More than anyone I know. And that makes you amazing.” You let out a rush of air, the sudden verve in your words having worn you out. “I dunno. Maybe that doesn’t make any sense. Whatever. I’m gonna lay down.” You curl up next to his knee and half heartedly arrange a blanket around your legs before falling asleep.

Meanwhile, Kyoya’s gaze has never left your face. The words may have been spoken by a loose tongue, but anyone could hear the honesty in your voice and see the passion in your eyes. You really think that much of him? Or rather, could you possibly think as much of him as he does of you?

He wishes he could shake you awake and ask you to elaborate. He wishes he could tell you that if he’s amazing, you’re a supernova. He wishes he could get drunk and fall asleep next to you while pressing lazy kisses anywhere he can reach.

His reaches for the bottle, but his fingers barely brush the glass before changing course and clicking off the lamp instead.

Five

God, I hate these things, you think to yourself as you tug on the straps of your dress. You’re not quite sure if you’re referring to the pins sticking your scalp, the uncomfortable formal gown you’re squeezed into, or the entire event in general- actually, it’s most likely all of the above. As much as you love Kyoya and the rest of the boys, you adamantly refuse to attend any of their grand balls. You’re not a fussy person, so the general pompous air of the things always gives you a headache, and you hate wearing dresses anyways. But today you zipped yourself into a slinky black sheath number that’s long enough to hide tennis shoes under the hem, forced your hair into something presentable, and even threw on a little mascara.

Because of Kyoya.

Kyoya, who mentioned in passing that this was the best celebration he’d ever planned, and seemed extremely proud of it to boot. Kyoya, who always grumbles as he slips on his suit, wishing he could spend the night with his charts and figures instead. Kyoya, who always returns to school the next day more stressed than usual, a tight smile plastered on his face as he fends off hordes of fangirls.

The things you do for this boy.

It’s immediately clear when you arrive that you stand out in your ebony gown, a wisp of smoke and night sky amongst a sea of flouncy pastels. Luckily, each of the boys steps up to greet you- a sweet hug from Honey, carefully avoiding wrinkling your dress; good natured teasing from the twins; a particularly extravagant complimentary poem from Tamaki. Eventually you meet Haruhi at the table laden with food, grateful for someone down to earth to laugh with.

After an hour, you’re almost convinced Kyoya finally worked up the nerve to skip the event altogether when there’s a delicate gap on your shoulder. “Would you care for a dance?”

“No,” you say, because that’s what you always say when Kyoya asks you to do something (even if he knows you’ll do it anyways). He smiles and takes your elbow, ignoring the whispers and glares from the other guests- who is she? What makes her so special? Everything, he wishes he could tell them. So many things he it would take him years to count them all.

“I thought you hated these things,” he says when you’re safely tucked in his arms on the dance floor. The fabric of your dress shimmers softly, as though marking you as something uniquely precious amongst all the other attendees.

“I do,” you reply. You’re slowly taking his lead, following the waltz music played by a six-piece orchestra. “But I think you hate them more, so I figured if anything I could help put you out of your misery.”

“Hm. Poisoned boutonnière, perhaps?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of hiding up in the rafters with a blowdart gun.”

Kyoya chuckles, sweeping you along. You’re not a bad dancer, all things considered. “I appreciate the thoughtfulness, though that might be difficult given your choice of attire.”

You grin at him playfully, raising your hem up just enough so he can see your battered old sneakers on your feet. “Nah, I always come prepared.”

It’s such an odd juxtaposition- this beautiful girl in the sinful dress accessorizing with sharpie-covered shoes that are peeling rubber- he can’t help but laugh, a real laugh, perhaps the first one he’s given since the night began. Even out of your element, you still maintain something that is so quintessentially you. He wishes he could tell you how beautiful you look. He wishes he could nudge your sneaker with his dress shoe in a secret invitation to follow him somewhere quiet, to steal small fleeting moments that would make the whole night worth its while.

He thinks about this every time you scuff your feet, hearing the slight squeak of rubber against the polished tile floor.

And the beginning…

“Stop it, Kyoya,” you grit out through a clenched jaw, using all your strength to unfold your friend’s fingers from his bloody palms. His fingernails have dug so far into the skin they’ve left bright red crescent moons dotting his hands. You focus on those, trying to soothe the sting with the fabric of your shirt, because if you look at his face and the tears crawling down his cheeks you’ll start crying too, and that’s not what either of you need right now. “Just talk to me. Please.”

No response. He’s trembling as though there’s a blizzard only he can feel, so you sit him on your bed and wrap him in every blanket you have, leaving his hands free so he can clutch at yours like a lifeline. “Just focus on me, okay? Everything is fine.” You try to keep your voice steady as you murmur anything reassuring you can think of, trying to coax life back into his eyes. You knew his anxiety had gotten worse, but this… this is the most catastrophic yet. You sit cross legged in front of him, so close your knees brush his, and hold onto his fingers for dear life. “Keep breathing. I’m here. It’s all okay.” Please please please come back to me. Come on, Kyoya. Don’t let the demons win.

Slowly, piece by piece, something in him seems to uncoil. His grip lessens just a little, and his breathing becomes audible enough to reassure you he’s still with you. Gently, you put a hand to his forehead, then cheek, testing his temperature. “Hey. You with me?”

Something like a sob escapes his lips, thin and heartbroken. Your own shatters along with it. In an instant you have him in a hug, arms as tight around him as you can possibly manage. Kyoya tucks his head into the crook of your neck, practically collapsing on top of you until you aren’t sure where he stops and you start. He says your name over and over and over again, a hymn only he can hear. You press your lips to his temple just to reassure yourself he hasn’t left you and let him cry; only able to offer comfort in presence and spirit. “Thank you,” he murmurs against your skin, and you hold him tighter.

“I’m always here. You know that.”

He sniffs and wipes away a tear with the heel of his hand, wincing when the salt burns his cuts. “Idiotic. I apologize for… all of this.”

“Stop,” you say firmly. You bring his eyes up to meet yours, so he can see the fire in your gaze. “You have nothing to apologize for. Ever. Okay?”

Kyoya stares back at you, feeling small and worthless against the monsters in his own brain. Every second spent with you banishes them a little farther back into his mind, loosening the vises wrapping his chest and letting him breathe a little easier. It has almost consumed him today, so he ran to the only safe place he knows- you. And you had held him and wiped his tears and not for a single second judged him for falling apart.

It occurs to him you are one of the few people on earth who see him for who he truly is, and will still hold his hands anyways.

Ever so gently, he presses his lips to yours- soft, tentative, and barely there. It’s a thank you, and offering, and a question all at once. It’s not the grand romantic gestures he’s planned late at night, wanting to sweep you off your feet in a shower of confidence and joy, or even really a conscious decision- it’s instinct, want, and something like bittersweet love.

You blink at him, eyes wide. “Kyoya… I-”

He stills. “I’m sorry.”

You shake your head, bringing a hand up to press your fingers against his cheekbone. “Don’t ever be sorry,” you say again, and then you kiss him back. You kiss him like it’s all you’ve ever wanted to do; like you’re saying to him what took you so long, you idiot?

He doesn’t know. But he won’t ever make that mistake again. He’ll kiss you every day for as long as he lives to make up for all that lost time, all those late nights and seaside musings and dances with a hand on the small of your back.

When the sun rises, it illuminates a world of a thousand new possibilities.

#Kyoya Ootori #kyoya x reader #Kyoya x you #ohshc kyoya #reader insert #ohshc fic #ohshc fanfiction #ohshc angst #ohshc fluff #kyoya ootori angst #kyoya ootori fluff #kyoya imagines #kyoya ootori imagines #ohshc imagines

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amesmut · 4 years

Text

🍭🌸Fling Posses Ideal S/O HCs🌸🍭

🍭Ramuda:

• someone who can keep up with his hyper pace! Though he is smart enough to know that being a relationship with someone will mean eventually stepping out of character...

• ...and that person should be fine with this. Being Ramuda's (S/O) also means acknowledging the contrast between his sugary Shibuya idol persona and /that/ darker one. It also means dealing with a Ramuda that eventually looks not-so-pink and radiant.

• you're unsure what to call him or how to help. Sometimes after staring away for too long, a vacant expression drains away the glimmer from Ramuda's large eyes and it's like he is holding back a sob. Most of times, you're just in time for pulling him back to the conversation you were just having.

• "Ahh! Onee/Oniisan, I was spacing out!☆ Waaaah, you'll have to tell me all again...~" is what he says in the voice you know so perfectly it is produced and not spoken. There is serious pain hiding behind his two characters.

• fashion-wise, Ramuda goes for just about anyone who could look good in his creations. However, his ideal type is more about people who also enjoy adding their own taste to fashion -- just like himself!

📔 Gentaro

• ideally, someone who can comprehend advanced japanese and enjoy his fictional world with him, but definitely wouldn't be opposing to teaching a foreigner the basics until they're good enough to even understand Gentaro's own fancy writing!

• having a good artistic sense is a bonus point too, but Gentaro also appreciates people who can choose their fights and act mature about common life issues. Even though dealing with the two Fling Posse manchildren doesn't truly bugs him, it's good to have someone as cool-tempered as you around to help around with those brats!

• secretly likes fashion styles consisting of long and intrincate outfits. Mori kei or just about anything that doesn't show too much skin -- while still managing to worthy of an innocent adventurer story character -- is granted for stealing Gentaro's attention!

🎲 Dice

• there has to be a balance between Dice being scolded by his (S/O) for so much betting and they actually joining the gambling.

• of course he'd appreciate an (S/O) who actually gambled, but unless you had the skills of Yumeko Jabami, you'd end up both without money eventually.

• ...but you could also slowly pull Dice into betting a little less, day by day. This way, he could even bring some cash home and your relationship wouldn't be solely based earning on cash---

• his type... maybe it was the ridiculous time Dice spent at the casino frying his brain at neon lights but his tastes are simple. Dice Arisugawa likes what he can't have-- just like the trouble of never getting the jackpot! Introverts and tsunderes are a huge turn on for him.

#fling posse #flingposse #ramuda amemura #gentaro yumeno #fanfiction #imagines #headcanon #xreader #dice arisugawa

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scientistowengottlieb-newtkelly · 4 years

Note

Thoughts and feelings about Pacific Rim 2?

you sure you wanna open up that particular can of worms?

movie review time! be warned i'm not in a good mood as i am shaking in pain, however this review would have been scathing regardless. and none of this is to say pacific rim is perfect, it's not, but... aye, i have no words for the world of difference there. oh wait! i do:

so. first and foremost, i hate it. as both a movie and a sequel. did i find it entertaining? yes, mildly, so i suppose it did its job, however the only thing that keeps me watching it is because, simply, it's part of the pacific rim franchise whether we like it or not. therefore, i squeeze as much salvageable content from it as i can, such as how one might analyze the precursors, how we are to view hermann and newt as characters pre-, during, and post-uprising, what we are to expect from drifting (though this one i take with a grain of salt, there is a whole other rant preserved for the joke of an attempt to develop that shit within the movie)

one of my biggest issues with pacific rim is really simple: it plays out like DeKnight did not watch the first fucking movie or was scrolling through twitter while doing it and decided he'd make a cash grab since the first one was relatively popular. "haha the kaiju were going for mount fuji the whole time!!" bitch no they weren't!!! why the fuck did they end up anywhere near sydney, australia, then!!! why did they turn tail on places like manila and san fran instead of heading straight for japan!!! WHY DID THE ONE THAT WAS IN JAPAN NOT SUCCEED, THERE'S NO WAY WITH THOSE MARK 1 JAEGERS THEY'D HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REASONABLY FIGURE OUT THEIR PLAN AND WHERE THEY WERE GOING IN TIME TO STOP THEM!!! newt literally lays out what they are doing in the first movie and they completely ignored that!!! not to mention, if the destruction from elements found in mount fuji would have been enough to terraform the earth, WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST FUCKING DO THAT WHEN THEY WERE SUPPOSEDLY ON EARTH AGES AGO??? THERE WERE VOLCANOES WITH THOSE SAME ELEMENTS BEFORE RIGHT NOW, VOLCANOES ARE NOT A RELATIVELY NEW THING EARTH CREATED SUDDENLY AND I WOULD IMAGINE NEITHER ARE THOSE ELEMENTS!!! IT MAKES NO SENSE!!! and.... okay the fucking drones. how did those bitches make breaches??? we know the breach is some result of precursor/kaiju technology, apparently they know the breach's atomic structure as hermann said in the first movie, but how tf some kaiju organs and tech from earth only is ALL it takes to open a breach... illudes and confuses me... why were no more breaches made by the precursors once they realized how long and how many resources it was taking to kill the humans off??? if it's??? shit they could do with simple earth materials + their own biology??? they could have ended things much faster??? shit just doesn't add up, idk, that was Vague and Annoyed Me

and the jaegers.... were....... strange? the fight scenes were so underwhelming, i could count on one hand the number of maneuvers—NOT SCENES, MANEUVERS—i thought were badass and moved well. their fighting was confusing and paced really weird and some of the moves they pulled... don't... work like that... like some of those scenes were just hand-to-hand combat but in big robot form and they didn't sit right with me at all.

and the characters......... oh my word, the characters. look: i love jake pentecost with all of my heart and soul and john boyega's beautiful acting just barely saves the movie from its poor writing. i do love him as a character. but can someone explain to me why in the world they thought it was a good idea to make the only black guy a black market thief/runner, deep-record criminal with daddy and authority issues, and who they dare try to play off as some kind of lazy??? they made him every stereotype they could and said "yeah let's go with that". i'm- aaaaaaaaaaaaaa and what was with the child soldiers??? ROBOCOPS?????? mako....... character assassination at its worst........ my baby......... but the movie was paced so GOD DAMN POORLY I GOT BORED AND LITERALLY MISSED HER DYING THE FIRST TIME I WATCHED IT. and i couldn't tell you the names of half of those poor damn kids, i really couldn't. and can i also say they killed off one of the only two darker skinned kids?? like y'all???? the other darker skinned kids (one of the children i can't remember the names of because it was uttered ONCE in the entire movie or some shit) didn't even GET characterization. my whole heart goes out to her and those other underdeveloped fucks. speaking of...... i am ashamed about jules. from the movie that brought us the mako mori test, they threw in a girl simply for the sake of some shitty, awkward, and unexplained love triangle between jake and White Angst without much else to put to her name. she deserved better. amara was... a decent shot, but very hit or miss because of the writing. i, personally, am very neutral about her leaning towards liking her, but i know people who swing love and who swing hate. liwen was like,,,, they tried really hard to make her unlikable at the beginning because "oh no, she must be the villain! GOTTEM plot twist!!!" and then suddenly she's no longer. threatening everyone except newt. idk i feel like they leaned to heavily one way and i got whiplash when she's actually another but there was nothing to... portray that. at all. i do like her character, and that says a lot because they got me to sympathize with a capitalist without actually regretting it later, but there could/should have been More there. she was powerful, though, in multiple different aspects, and we saw that from her CONSISTENTLY and i 😳🥵👀💕 mako mori test pass for her

now, let's talk about hermann (and by extention, newton, however he'll be getting a section all his own the rat bastard). that man is one of the single instances of decent cross-movie characterization i saw in the whole god damn film. the idea that he takes on newton's roles, that he is more outspoken for himself, that he is just slightly more unhinged after his drift with newton: THAT is on point. he's himself, you can see it, you still know that he's hermann with ever step, but there's something that has shifted in him in those 10 years and it's good without being too much. the "i still get nightmares" scene, the way he presents himself, that scene gives me chills because god bless burn gorman and his acting ability. every face and intonation of his voice is just wonderful and i think his performance was great for what he was given. king shit.

the biggest disappointment of my life came in the form of a kaiju vest wearing bitch at work. at his corporate job. as a boss. for a tech company that undermines all of his and, frankly, hermann's work over their lifetimes. 10 years older and exaggerated to the teeth. newton "move you fascist" geiszler. let me preface this by stating for all to see that i do not hate the idea of newton being the villain. story wise it was a bold move and there was something possible there. BUT THE IMPLICATION THAT ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUSLY NEURODIVERGENT CHARACTERS IN THE WHOLE FUCKING FRANCHISE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT HE HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS HAVING A "BORDERLINE MANIC PERSONALITY" AKA HAVING ONE OF THE MOST DEMONIZED MENTAL ILLNESSES OUT THERE, ENDS UP ACTING AS THE GOD DAMN VILLAIN OF THE STORY IS A HOT GARBAGE TAKE WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THINGS LIKE POOR WRITING NOT MAKING IT CLEAR WHETHER OR NOT NEWTON IS EVEN IN CONTROL OF HIS OWN FACULTIES AND THE VAGUENESS OF "WILL HE BE 'REDEEMED' OR NOT" BEING UP IN THE AIR LIKELY NEVER TO BE CANONICALLY FUCKING ANSWERED BECAUSE BECKHAM AND DEKNIGHT SHAT OUT A MOVIE THAT BOMBED IN THE BOX OFFICE. we aren't even gonna TALK about the fact that this bitch got AWAY with it despite not even acting in a remotely stable way comparable to himself in the first movie in the 10 years he supposedly dropped off the map from all of his friends because, clearly, hermann hadn't seen him or he wouldn't be so excited with a picture of the two of them on his desk, nor would he have to tell newton about his idea for rocket thrusters with kaiju blood fuel because he would have simply written to him about it. for some strange reason people see his ass show up decked out in a suit he wouldn't even wear for Stacker Fucking Pentecost and a behavior of "Haha Gotta Listen To The Boss" and think "ah, yes, well, time changes a person. THIS BITCH HAS APPARENTLY BEEN LIKE THIS THE WHOLE TIME, YOU THINK HE GOT A JOB WITH LIWEN LOOKING AND ACTING LIKE HE DID BEFORE AND THERE WAS A SHIFT OVER TIME? NO, HE HAD TO HAVE CHANGED IN A SPLIT DECISION AND LIED ABOUT HIMSELF THROUGH HIS TEETH AND NO ONE CONTACTED HIM, OR WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIM, OR DECIDEDLY THOUGHT "YOU KNOW, HE MAY BE EMBOLDENED THAT HE SAVED THE WORLD, BUT I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD HAVE THE EXACT OPPOSITE EFFECT ON HIM AND HE WOULD DO HIS BEST TO AMPLIFY HIS CURRENT STANDING TRAITS. LISTENING TO AND KISSING THE BOOT OF AUTHORITY FIGURES? DIVORCING HIMSELF FROM HIS WORK WITH KAIJU XENOBIOLOGY THAT EVEN HERMANN PICKED UP? TO BECOME THE THING HE HATES? AND FOR WHAT? MONEY? FAME? BITCH WHO ARE YOU?" unreasonable. ridiculous attempt to do this just for a plot twist that was underwhelming at best. i've decided to stick to the fan theory that he was not in control 99% of the time but literally that movie causes such a hellfire path to appear in my wake as i think about it because i know people who don't take it like that and think newt wants what's happening because "haha horny kaiju man" and i wish to scream at the top of my lungs because this is exactly WHY you CANNOT spare ANY EXPENSE to the GOOD, PROPER, INTRICATE directing and writing of a character who is neurodivergent and also ONE OF THE CENTERS OF NOT JUST THE MOVIE YOU'RE WRITING, BUT THE FUCKING MOVIE AFTER THAT. i could go on but i sincerely don't fucking want to, despite how long i've been waiting for someone to willingly hear me out on all of this. all i'll say is if by some miracle they are greenlit for a third film and deknight's working on it and i see ANY sign of a bury your gays end for newt, i'm going to commit the first hate crime against a cishet white male.

to end, the only valid kaiju in that movie was the mega-kaiju, i don't remember the appearance or the names of the three that got through the breaches but the mega-kaiju could kill me and i'd die happy 🥰 beautiful design, that scale comparison when it came face to face with newt? amazing, chills, *chef's kiss* there are exactly two things i liked about uprising and that bitch is one of them.

sorry if this isn't what you wanted, but as i said i am in a bit of a bad mood and have been curled up in bed trying not to think that i'm dying and i've repressed all of this for a couple months now and very few people have actually heard PORTIONS of my frustration so. here it is.

#rowboat speaks #i'm gonna go puke now #or just. fall asleep on the bathroom floor or something.#pacific rim #pacific rim uprising

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drangues · 3 years

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It’s okay buddy, we all make weird typos now and again. Anyways, both of those make sense! Shibusawa is definitely the type to make a deal with the devil, as you said- Or the dragon, as the case may be- And Chuuya would probably have to willpower to combat a literal god of destruction. In which case... Perhaps Shibusawa would be Greed or Gluttony? Since he collects abilities (if I’m remembering correctly) and wants to be perfect? Or thinks he’s perfect??? (Nyanon, 1/5)

Whereas Chuuya... Maybe Pride versus Wrath? Hm. And nO I WONT IM NOT. But anyways, Mori and Fukuzawa hating each other’s techniques even though they technically,, TECHNICALLY. Both work, moral ambiguity aside, is. One of my favorite things, haha. Also I really do want them to be friends, or at least begrudging allies, because half of the time the interactions the two organizations have are Golden. I love it. And! (Nyanon, 2/5)

TO BE FAIR, at least at first, the most experience Atsushi would have with flirting would probably come from books, so like? He could be a bit oblivious, god knows he hasn’t realized any of the canon crushes people have on him. Either way, poor Dazai being unable to catch a break between Atsushi’s natural density and self worth issues and his own past tendency to flirt is. SO fucking funny, and I bet poor Kunikida gets calls at midnight from Dazai complaining about it. (Nyanon, 3/5)

Also I bet the flowers as a gift would kill him EVEN MORE, someone help this man. All of that aside, onto the next AU Concept: Have you heard of the series Danganronpa? It’s cool if you haven’t, it’s kinda like a visual novel, murder mystery style game? Sixteen students have to kill each other, your friends die horrifically in ironic ways, despair, hope, evil geniuses, yada yada- What I’m curious about is how you think the ADA- And other characters! (Nyanon, 4/5)

Would survive in the aftermath of one of the biggest events in the timeline. It’s called the Tragedy for short, but it’s fill title is the “Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History.” Basically, the world goes terrible because an unparalleled genius is bored and gets another unparalleled genius, who is also bored, to help her end the world, because it’s apparently possible to get high on bad feelings here??? Basically, ADA surviving a brainwashed apocalypse world. (Nyanon, 5/5)

shibusawa being greed and gluttony work ! and so does chuuya’s. fukuzawa and mori should definitely be bedruging allies, i think why mori takes the more “bad” side to deal with ability users is because he was pretty harshly treated by his own parents and he believes that kept him in line (kinda like how some people who got abused by their parents say it was for their own good cause it made them into a respectful person while others will be like No What The Fuck)

i read a fanfic once that said something among the lines of atsushi not believing the romantic stuff happening in the books he reads would ever happen to him, which is why hes oblivious and that is sO SAD but dazai is Determined to somehow get his message across until kunikida flips and asks atsushi out FOR dazai.

AND YES IVE HEARD OF DANGANROPA I WATCHED THE ANIME FUCK YEAH I LOVED THAT and hmmm i think the only one who wOULD survive is dazai cause i dont think he has a problem to immediately switch to living selfishly, But, since he would survive in a world like that, i definitely think then that atsushi would survive cause he would constantly follow dazai around and listen to his every word, chuuya is too bitter to let himself die before dazai, akutagawa doesnt wanna die because he doesnt wanna be seen as weak and wants to impress dazai at some degree ( A N D is too bitter to die before atsushi), kyouka would follow after atsushi and somehow live because atsushi would protect her

but yeah dazai is the only one who can adapt to the horrible corrupt society and play their cards meanwhile atsushi is the one whos more openly defiant cause of his good moral code (but dazai has to teach him to Keep It Down)

IM SORRY I ONLY WATCHED THE ANIME OF DANGANRONPA BUT I HOPE THAT ANSWERED A BIT??

#anon #ask #ask anon #anon ask #bsd #nyanon #nyatsushi anon

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ohshcfanficrandr · 4 years

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The Wild Type by Kaotic312

Story: The Wild Type

Author: kaotic312

Website: AO3

Word Count: 46,766

Status: Complete

Rating: General Audience

Author Summary: Why is Mori deemed the "Wild" type? Haruhi wants to know ...

Relationship: Mori x Haruhi

Applicable Tags: Romantic Friendship, Romantic Fluff, Light Tamaki angst, The twins being twins, Kyouya being sneaky and awesome, Hunny being cute

Review (Contains Spoilers):

The basic overview is that Hunny has made strategic decisions in order to vet girls for potential wives for Mori. Others discover that he only has one name on his list after the past couple of years of being in the host club: Haruhi Fujioka. Other members of the host club find out and Tamaki demands that no one tells Haruhi. The twins, in a not so subtle way, which leads Haruhi to question her feelings for the Wild Type host member. While Kyoya and the twins devise a plan to get them together Mori suffers from an appendicitis attack and is rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. Haruhi ends up meeting his mother and father while at the hospital visiting Mori. Once he is discharged everyone is swept away for a relaxing vacation near a lake. Haruhi is still pretty confused about her feelings towards Mori so the scheming trio does their best to continue pushing the two closer together. Eventually, feelings are shared and lessons are learned. We end the story with an extremely cute chapter of well deserved Mori and Haruhi fluff. Tamaki steps aside and instead lets Mori be the hero to comfort Haruhi during the thunderstorm.

Things That I Loved:

I loved the interactions between Haruhi and Mori’s parents. I love how the author portrayed each parent. They are the perfect combination and you can see which traits the author used from Mori and Satoshi to use to make believable parental figures. The mother figure is graceful and regal and the father figure could be Mori’s twin personality-wise. I had a soft spot for the chapter that was a conversation between Haruhi and his mother.

The manipulative antics of Kyoya and the twins were fun to follow along with. Those three danced behind the scenes making sure that the plan would go off with as few distractions as possible. In mentioning their actions, I would also like to make a note about Kyoya’s feelings. Throughout the story of him trying to set up Haruhi and Mori, he reveals a little bit of his conflicted feelings. He really does feel a bit jealous that he will ultimately not end up with Haruhi and he is pulling the strings to have her end up with someone else. There are a few moments where, as the reader, you feel kind of bad for his position.

Things I Didn’t Care For:

One thing I would like to mention is the pacing of the last couple of chapters. We spend like 90% of the story with Haruhi confused about her feelings and then in the last three chapters, she goes from tentative to kissing Mori (fairly confidently imo). Chapter 19, Mori is forced to take his pain meds by both his mother and Haruhi. A consequence of this is that he becomes chatty and by chatty, I mean flirty (per Mori’s standards). Haruhi is confused/embarrassed by his forthrightness and ends up avoiding him. Chapter 20, was the rest of the host club pushing Tamaki to fix whatever is happening between Mori and Haruhi. Tamaki’s brilliant idea is to lure them into the office and lock the door. They confront each other and agree to take things slow. Chapter 21, features a gloating Tamaki for fixing the issue and Mori and Haruhi take tentative steps into figuring out what a relationship looks like. After one foiled kiss they continue their day being cute and holding hands. Cue a thunderstorm and Tamaki suggesting Mori to find Haruhi while the rest of them go in search of cake. Mori comforts Haruhi through the storm. Then they kiss, like quite a few times.

Favorite Lines or Quotes From Story:

"Fine." Hikaru pouted and lazily perched on the seat next to her. "You want prime rib? Hunny will make sure you get only the finest."

"Public transportation?" They said it as if were an infectious disease.

"You shouldn't fondle strange men like that!"

Would I Read Again?

Yes. 100% yes! Even though the pairing is not my OTP this was a great story. It had all the elements of a sweet and fluffy wholesome story you could ever wish for. There was a nice amount of character development and tension between the two main characters. I belly laughed, squealed, blushed, cooed, wailed, and wheezed. Just when I thought I found my favorite line or chapter I would finish the next chapter and declared that it was my favorite. I had such a hard time narrowing down my favorite lines from this fic. If I could I would list them all! ALSO, THAT LAST CHAPTER WAS PERFECT!

Make sure to kudos, comment, and bookmark!

Agree or disagree? Am I on point or way off the mark?

Let me know in the comments below!

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sallyhasopinions · 3 years

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Number Seventeen

Today I watched the 1932 film Number Seventeen, which is an Alfred Hitchcock joint that Wikipedia has generously referred to as a comedy thriller. It was based on a stage play by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon, and it seems that Hitchcock may have gone heavy on the thriller and light on comedy.

My copy is from an anthology DVD set of lesser-known Hitchcock works, and was not remastered in any way, so both the picture and sound quality left much to be desired. It’s not currently available to stream, rent, or buy digitally, if Reelgood is to be believed, but some third-party sellers seem to have DVD copies available on Amazon.

Here there be spoilers.

Plot... Synopsis?

Disclaimer: I could only understand about 30% of the dialogue at best and had a hard time telling all the white men in gray suits apart, so this is the plot as far as I can tell. I also read Wikipedia’s plot synopsis and that only confused me more.

Our hero (he introduces himself later as Forsythe) stumbles into a seemingly vacant house (the eponymous Number Seventeen, which has a notice that it is available for sale or to rent), apparently seeking shelter from a storm. There he meets new friend Ben, who is a cockney caricature, and the two of them stumble upon a corpse on the third story landing. Ben finds that the floor corpse has a pair of handcuffs and a gun in his possession, which he takes for himself, whilst Forsythe is investigating a noise that came from downstairs. Ben and Forsythe then hear a noise coming from above, and follow the sound until a girl manages to crash through the ceiling. Once revived, she introduces herself as Miss Ackroyd, and explains that she is looking for her father. They live next door, and she has reason to believe that Mr. Ackroyd similarly climbed over to No. 17 by roof himself. She is in possession of a telegram for him from a detective Barton regarding some stolen jewels, a man called Sheldrake, and instructions to watch the empty house.

The clock tolls and a house bell rings, and Forsythe ventures downstairs. Ben moves to return the gun to the corpse, only to find that it has disappeared. Forsythe finds a mysterious man and woman at the front door, who act as though they are inquiring about the vacant house as potential occupants. They are followed by another man, who slips inside after them by jamming his foot in the door. Forsythe goes through the motions of pretending to show them around the house, trying to keep them on the second story to avoid the corpse, but they notice Ben and Miss Ackroyd on the upper landing. Ben goads them into coming further upstairs, as he is aware that the corpse has disappeared, and he is restrained by the male newcomers, who are armed as well. Forsythe, Ben, and Miss Ackroyd are searched and questioned, with the telegram being revealed to the conspirators. Ben attempts to escape and is locked into a bathroom, where he is then attacked and strangled. The strangler retrieves the stolen diamond necklace from the toilet cistern, which Ben observes as he pretends to be unconscious. Ben promptly picks the attacker’s pocket at his earliest opportunity.

Forsythe and Miss Ackroyd are tied to a banister as the conspirators are joined by a man who implies that he is Sheldrake and leads the conspirators to another room, but then reveals himself to be the missing Mr. Ackroyd. He frees Forsythe and his daughter and rushes to release Ben from the bathroom. Ben’s attacker, the actual Sheldrake (and the corpse from earlier), and Mr. Ackroyd fight, with Sheldrake taking the upper hand after Ben accidentally strikes Mr. Ackroyd. Ben and Mr. Ackroyd are locked in the bathroom again and Sheldrake retrieves the other conspirators and leads them to the cellar, leaving Forsythe and Miss Ackroyd tied up again. The mysterious woman, previously stated to be “deaf and dumb” and thus incapable of speech, reveals this to be a ruse by telling Forsythe and Miss Ackroyd that she’ll come back. The banister they have been tied to collapses, leaving them dangling, and the mysterious Nora unties and rescues them before rejoining the conspirators in the cellar.

Forsythe and Miss Ackroyd rush to the bathroom that Ben and Mr. Ackroyd have been locked in. Miss Ackroyd stays to care for her injured father while Ben and Forsythe follow the conspirators to the cellar. Nora is refusing to go along with the plan to board a train to the European continent with her co-conspirators, but she is overpowered and forced onto the train after the conspirators leave the cellar via a trapdoor. Ben and Forsythe give chase, with Ben successfully boarding the freight train and Forsythe forced off by the conspirators, who then climb along the moving train and attack some staff on the train. Ben has found himself in a car carrying crates of liquor and has a few drinks, while Forsythe manages to hijack a bus full of passengers and force the driver to follow the train. Ben eventually joins Nora, who is waiting in a boxcar, while Sheldrake turns his fellow conspirators against each other by accusing one of them of being an undercover detective. He then discovers the jewels are no longer in his possession, and all of the conspirators return to Nora and accuse her of stealing the necklace herself. Sheldrake and one of the conspirators climb forward on the train towards the engine where they shoot the fireman and the engineer faints, leaving the steam engine out of control. Nora is handcuffed in the boxcar by the third conspirator, who searches the loose straw on the floor but does not find the missing necklace.

The runaway train, only able to accelerate, crashes into the ferry and plunges into the water. Forsythe dives in and is able to rescue the incapacitated Nora, while Ben is seen escaping. Wrapped in blankets and drying themselves off at the police station, the surviving conspirator explains that he was exposed to the other conspirators as a detective, claiming to be Detective Barton. Forsythe reveals that he was mistaken to believe that the police cared only about the necklace, that he knows the conspirator’s name to be Henry Doyle, and that he is himself Detective Barton. He then invites Nora to get some breakfast, and Ben reveals that he is wearing the stolen necklace.

The Review Part:

In its current state this isn’t a film for casual viewing, but is interesting as a historical work of cinematography. There are some really beautiful shots with extensive use of shadow that we sometimes linger a bit too long on. This is a “talkie” but it’s scored as though it wasn’t, which leads to some jarring transitions, and the Foley work during the fight scene in particular is distractingly bad. We have a system here though, so let’s look at...

The Metrics:

Bechdel Test: Failed. The two female characters never interact with one another other than Nora rescuing Miss Ackroyd aside Forsythe.

Mako Mori Test: Failed. The women in this movie are fairly explicitly the lesser counterparts of men. To be entirely fair though, I wouldn’t say there are any meaningful character arcs in this film.

Representation:

Every character is white and British, but we are meant to understand Ben as the social lesser of every other character and his lack of refinement is meant to be the “comedy” part of “comedy thriller”. It’s aged extremely poorly.

Women are mildly to moderately useless in this film, but at least they’re there.

Final Scores:

Deaths: Unknown, but probably in the single digits.

Smooches: None at all.

Sex: We didn’t even get smooches!

Substance Use/Abuse: Alcohol and tobacco use.

Violence: Moderate, including use of firearms.

Profanity: Not that I could make out.

Watch with Kids: No child would want to watch this.

Watch with Parents: There’s nothing that would be an issue.

Sally Says: This is probably only worth watching if you’re very into Hitchcock or very into cinematography and film history.

#film review #movie review #films #movies #reviews #alfred hitchcock #number seventeen #sally has opinions #bechdel fail #mako mori fail

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winterune · 4 years

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Pet - Thoughts and Musings

I am back with my seasonal anime musings/analysis/reviews/whatever. Because of various reasons, I have not written any of these posts since...I don’t know...last spring anime season? LOL I still have soooo many on my list from last year to watch gahhh. But I did caught up with Beastars and Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo - both of which were awesome, by the way. I wanted to write some things for them (especially Araburu, because I felt like there’s a lot of things I wanted to say), but...I don’t know. Life caught up?

Anyway, here’s Pet, with an average score of 6.57/10 on MAL. Quite a low one for my taste, as I rarely watch anything with a score below 7. However, this is one of those anime I decided to see not because of the MAL score or anyone else’s influence, but because I wanted to. Heck, when it was first announced, I was immediately excited, because 1) it’s directed by Omori Takahiro, who directed some of my all-time favorite anime, such as Natsume Yuujinchou, Durarara, Baccano, and Hotarubi no Mori e; 2) the screenplay is done by Sadayuki Murai, another favorite who has also worked alongside Omori-kantoku-san and was also the one behind Sidonia no Kishi’s series composition; and 3) the entire synopsis just sounds...soo good?? Not to mention that short PV-like thing they released way back when

youtube

OK, yes, I’m not fluent in Japanese, but the music and Hiroki’s voice acting really caught me.

However, time passed, and there was no word on the anime at all until it was announced that the anime was pushed back until the winter season of 2020. Now, I still had my initial hype, but I also had my doubts. It probably had production issues and so on. Things like that often don’t bring their best to the table and ends up becoming a disappointment. It showed on the first episode.

That episode was weird. I read what people thought about it on some forums and none gave me a positive image of the anime. But I thought, what the heck? There’s no harm on checking it. Though it wasn’t entirely bad, it was weird, and I had no idea what was happening. There was so much going on and the art felt a bit weird and the story seemed all over the place and I thought, ah, it shows.

My impression of it was: this show seems like it will have a good story, but not until some time later, so maybe I should wait for several more weeks and binge-watch it then. However, I came to learn that episode 2 was much better than its predecessor. It cleared up any kind of confusion and erased some doubts. It piqued my interest again. And now that I have finally caught up with the show, I am glad that I did not drop it.

Because so far, Pet is amazing.

Since it’s been two weeks since I saw the first episode, it took a while to grasp the meaning of the terms and so on, but once I’ve got it, it was quite easy to get absorbed inside the show. There were a few time jumps and technical terms were thrown all over the place, and I needed to remind myself that is the director who made Baccano and Durarara. Durarara had a relatively continuous timeline, but the way it jumped POVs in those first few episodes were quite baffling and you only understood what was what much later on. Baccano was crazier imo, as I read that, unlike the light novels, Omori-san took the liberty to rearrange the story in the anime to make it so that there are several stories set in different timelines in one episode, and there are those terms and whatnot and though it makes a good mystery, it doesn’t make much sense, until that one episode where everything finally clicks into place.

I have a similar problem with Pet. I can see that the story so far is intriguing. We have these “crushers” and then “pets” and then loci in the minds containing memories, divided into “peaks” and “valleys”. And then there are “images”, which I think is some kind of protection armor? A form they take to get inside other people without letting themselves be consumed by the other’s memories and feelings. Aside from that, we have a “Company” with people who have the ability to get inside other people’s minds and alter memories. What’s worse is that we’re immediately dumped in the middle of the action with not much introduction, so all we can do is just sit tight and hang on, hoping for the best that everything will make sense in the end.

And then of course, we have our enigmatic characters.

First up, Hiroki, your shounen character in a serious drama. The longer I listen to him, the more annoyed I am haha. I don’t know. His voice kind of irritates me. Maybe because he’s this naive kid with a strong ability that doesn’t really understand what’s happening around him. And then there is that dependence toward Tsukasa, whom I will get to after this. Episode 3 makes me like him though. His heart is clearly in the right place, just that he’s in a bad environment, so he doesn’t know what to do. He is the character who will question the righteousness of their actions. I believe he hates his abilities, but using it has been ingrained into his body that sometimes, he’s unconsciously using it. Like when he almost got inside Katsuragi’s head, or when he showed the girl in episode 3 what her boyfriend was like (though it was partly his imagery of him, and he knew that and that’s why he was so conflicted when she came back). I can imagine what his childhood must have been like. Probably shunned. Probably lonely. Much like how Satoru had been before Hayashi “saved” him. And then Tsukasa came, who showed him how to protect himself and to utilize his powers. Tsukasa was his savior. That’s why in episode 2, though he was reluctant to kill, he also wanted to show Tsukasa that he could do it. They didn’t have to kill. He could save this man using his powers. he wanted to prove himself to Tsukasa. I am amazed that his heart has not been tainted, and I have high hopes for his character.

Next, we have Tsukasa. Even from the posters, this guy already looked fishy. In the first episode, there’s something off about him. He’s just too good. Too accommodating toward Hiroki. Hiroki wants something, then he’s going to give it. Hiroki says not to go with Satoru. All right, I won’t go with Satoru. Hiroki wants a shop. Here, this is for you, but I used the Company’s money, so I’m going to have to pay them back by doing jobs for them. Yeah I know you told me you don’t want to do any more of them, but I’ll be the one doing them, not you. You just need to sit tight and work on your little shop. You know that’s not what Hiroki meant. Still, I like him. So far, he’s a cool character, and I like him even more on his solo job in episode 3. But what I love the most is:

That smirk! Because yes, all this time, all we’ve seen are his facades. His facade when he is with Hiroki. His facade with Katsuragi. His facade when he does a job. And then we have this moment, this small moment, and much like how that small moment with the girl who buys guppies and her boyfriend builds up Hiroki’s character, this small moment between Katsuragi and Tsukasa, when Katsuragi tells him that his next job will be Hayashi and Tsukasa pauses for a moment before asking if Hayashi has been found, it speaks volume. Because then finally Tsukasa shows us his true self (or, at least, part of his true self). His tone changes. He scolds Katsuragi for being happy or pleased.

You seem strangely happy for someone who was outwitted for two whole years.

Tsukasa is clearly talking down to him. Katsuragi, who we thought was the boss. Katsuragi, who was the jerk who would kill people to get the job done quickly. He is surprised at the sudden change and becomes visibly nervous. He stiffens and keeps his eyes on the road. Tsukasa goes on to give orders to Katsuragi. Then Katsuragi nervously puts out his cigarette and says, somewhat formally, “Understood.” (though he’s just saying “hai” in Japanese, but it’s vastly different from the Katsuragi we know in the last two episodes). He obeys Tsukasa.

I did wonder if Katsuragi was under Tsukasa’s control, but it didn’t seem like it. Heck, Tsukasa might actually be one of the Company’s higher-ups (or he might even be the Head of the Company, if I want to stretch it). And then we have that split-second smirk, that shows he is in complete control of the situation. It makes sense with how he refers to Hiroki as his “pet” in such an off-handed manner. It also makes sense with how he makes cold, calculating judgment. Of course he’s using the Company’s money to buy the shop. Of course he’s still doing odd jobs for the Company. He’s not the good guy he shows Hiroki he is.

Right now, I can actually see Tsukasa being the “big bad boss” of the series, if this series has any kind of villain. Or, well, I think he’d make a pretty good anti-hero. Just imagine a showdown between Tsukasa and Hiroki... So far, I am most intrigued with Tsukasa and I hope he will have a great arc.

#pet 2020 #pet anime #pet #anime #musings #anime musings #pet musings #pet analysis #lol i wrote a lot for something that only has 3 episodes

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kimyoonmiauthor · 3 years

Text

Story Ideas I posted on Soompi for K-dramas.

Posted November 14, 2020. I worked on these with some other Korean adoptees. Posting here to document it. Triple back up is not a bad idea when you do this type of thing. Elevator Pitch:

- Alt Joseon History Reverse Drama Harem set after the Imjin War, Women-centric (I suggested it last round, but I'm making it more attractive)

- Heart-warming adoptee tale set with Jaebeol family as the birth family.

Reverse Alt Joseon history Harem (I left historical research notes in for you to further research too).

After the Imjin War, Prince Gwanghae declared an "Honorable Women's list", which made the Queen Dowager upset with him and the crown prince (In real history he used the excuse of less arable land because of Japanese invasion to give land from widows to men, so they could get royal titles. In Nepal, in the mountains, less land has also meant that for some peoples there, the women marry a group of brothers who rotate time with the wife, guaranteeing land to her and them). So, she deposed him and installed the daughter of the Royal Consort Ui to the throne of Joseon. Joseon has been a Matriarchy ever since then with women ruling the throne and a harem to match. All of the key positions have been ruled by women. Men have to get permission to divorce, they cannot own land, and they are put on cycles per month rotation to favor their wife, who have all the power. Since then, the merit-based system has somewhat fallen apart with men severely devalued. Men are considered weaker than women in every aspect-- not as smart, frivolous, fixated on material possessions (like hair, clothes, make up, etc and landing a good woman with money), unable to learn anything other than etiquette on how to properly serve women, unable to do military affairs, unable to do magic (Based on harnessing spirits and Mugyo) [I suppose one could have a male-based magic system too that more subtle maybe based on Buddhism? since men imported Buddhism to Korea], can't do ancestor rituals but must provide the food, widows are expected to die (because who will take care of the men and provide for them if their breadwinner is gone?), and much physically weaker. They are devalued if they can't marry by the time they are 30 because they are viewed as much less virile. They are there to lead women astray from their husbands in the minds of society, and they are the ones punished for faults. If they rape or are accused of rape, they are met with death. They are considered peacocks for decoration and fill the brothels and red districts. They are allowed dance and to do street dramas, but this is considered a lesser art form compared to the lavish palace versions. Queen of Joseon, considered the most beautiful such that all the women want to imitate her... with her curly hair and freckles, is on the throne and has amassed a large portion of the men, leaving many of the Noble women unmarried. Her harem has grown huge with mostly pretty boys she's selected. She has lavish palace dances every day with pretty boys from her harem to entertain her. She also has them perform plays [Can reference previous dramas and do anachronistic references] for her more lavish than the next. The Prime Minister, has been supporting her habits to distract her from her duties while controlling the throne. The Prime Minister, while she has one husband and one concubine has been neglecting her husband and spending all her time with her concubine. There is a rebellion swelling against them... *** Extended version: In the midst of this, there are Portuguese traders that have come to shore with black men who are slaves, come to do trade (this really happened in Korean history). One of the slaves comes to the court to help refine the map of Africa (Gangnido was done in 1402 and Portuguese contact with Japan happened in 1543, so it's not that far fetched according to history). While helping the Minister of Arts, they fall in love with each other. She teaches him Korean, and he teaches her about his part of Africa. He comes from West Africa. (Hausa [Queen Amina died in 1610], maybe and maybe give him a Korean name later?) There, both men and women can be tribal leaders and share responsibilities. He comes to teach her that both men and women can be equal. The court grants him his freedom for his services, and he stays and marries this woman, despite objections, who, then becomes a part of the resistance against the Queen.

The Heads of the resistance is none other than the Prime Minister's concubine, not the Prime Minister's husband, who has been loyal this entire time. (Delaying this discovery is a good idea) Tired of having to service the Prime Minister every night, and entertain her, he has been leading a double life. He wants men in control again. The other conspirator is the Queen's top consort, who looks like a bumbling fool with his love of jokes (especially dry humor), stupid puns, food (though not fat, just fancy food), and has tried to look as useless and tolerant of the system as possible. But he loves his Queen deeply, which is why he wants to end the system and ask for equality. They have been meeting and arguing at an eating establishment since Royals aren't let into Red Districts, where a widowed lovable Halmeoni (You can get her to sell Subway sandwiches to camera, etc for laughs. Subway and Quiznos have a sense of humor... so why not ask if they are willing? Since it's alt history--make winks to the audience that you know it's not accurate.) has been slowly learning all of the court secrets... which is how the Queen learns of their dirty plots. The person who wanted this scenario fleshed out also wants the Queen to be... "Queen can’t be too flaky- forgetful to a fault, yea. Clumsy . Cold, a bit snarky, always on edge and with quite an appetite. Forgiving of the wrong folks. Always looking for good in them but not trusting. Independent and she has to drive a black carriage!"

How this concludes, with equality, crushing the rebellion, or with men, again, taking power and thus making everyone question what was better is up to you, if you choose this idea. Five Act or 기승전결 is up to you. (Or mix them).

Suggested issues to include (and why you might want to write this) and errata:

Can challenge current Korean issues of spousal abuse, feminism, gender issues (Such as nonbinary people), trans (Such as transmen), Make Mugyo a state religion since it was supported a lot by women during Joseon (also supported LGBTQIA, past and present. Baksu~~) And also challenge our understanding of history by adding in people like Lady Jang Gye Hyang (1598-1680), who would be against the current government and for rule by men, mention mention Heo Nanseorheon (Pre-Imjin war... she needs a drama done about her because she's always overshadowed by her brothers and made into a brat, rather than a full character and an intelligent woman, which she was). ImYunjidang (1721-1793) and Kang Chonggildang (1772-1832) for example... also aren't often mentioned figures. There were historical figures in real life that were for and against the new Joseon order of Neo Confucianism, though many of the women that spoke out had their papers burned by the patriarchy. Inserting those figures historically sageuk have been resistant to insert because it goes against the ideas of Joseon being an idealistic patriarchy might add spice to the drama. One can also challenge the idea that "traditional" values are male dominated by pointing out that widows in Joseon pre-Imjin war could own land and pass it to their daughters unchallenged, that LGBTQIA was more widely accepted, and that there were great Queens before that like Seondeok by upholding them as the rule, rather than the exception as reasons why the Matriarchy is "superior" to the previous Patriarchy.

One of the women who helped with this premise likes Lee Min Ho a lot.... lol She'd probably request that the Prime Minister's Concubine be Lee Min Ho. (He hasn't done a Joseon historical drama in a while and I think he could play both sides well--warm and sweet and then cold and callous...).

Probably needs a woman to write this one versed in feminism and history or a woman and man team. I hope it passes the Bechdel test (Two women talk about something other than men, preferably more than one time), the Mako Mori Test (Women have a motivation other than romance or the man and doesn't degrade over time). and the Sexy Lamp test (The women have agency to make decisions, face consequences and rescue themselves)... there is no fridging--i.e. killing characters without knowing them solely to motivate the main characters to do something, and makes us think deeper about gender issues, feminism, etc. I suppose if the writer hits really hard on social issues, it would be probably JTBC material (who haven't done a Historical drama in a while). Tonally, I was hoping for a mixture of laughs and thinking about the issues more deeply, and some tight action to keep us guessing. If you want to argue marketability: I saw Romance of the Tiger and Rose (China) and Ooku by Fumi Yoshinaga. And a friend of mine (also Korean) wanted a drama with her and her (drama) harem of guys, so... we want a Korean commentary on feminism done this way, but with sharper feminism and more imagination attached. Covering modern feminist issues is fine since it's fantasy. Be transgressive.

BTW, for sponsorship: (since the costumes might cost extra, etc) easy... cosmetics advertised by men, done anachronistically to camera, on purpose. Other plugs can be done this way too... which would sell the product, but also make people question gender roles at the same time. Or you can also do plugs this way and suddenly gender them, making people question how this item is "male" or "female". Like a brush, or a wall, drink, sandwich (lol Quiznos and Subway), etc. can be called "Masculine" or "feminine" and be sold to camera, if the sponsors cooperate. (Sold by Pretty Boy actors to the audience... there's a good chance.) This should get you to at most episode 6, if it's paced well and you plotted the rest of the angles. If it's action-filled with lots of twists then the basic scenario will get you through to episode 4. The twists can come later.

And the other one was invented between me and another Korean adoptee...

Elevator Pitch: Heart-warming adoptee tale set with Jaebeol family as the birth family.

Twenty-five years ago, there were identical twins born to the same mother, but because her petition to get a paternity test failed from a Jaebeol family, she was forced by her lover's family to give them up for adoption, despite her best efforts to get into the single mother's homes (the adoption agency ones are pretty terrible because they try to wear down the women into giving up their children and seats are very few at the government ones). A woman had been stalking her while pregnant in order to give up her children for a kickback from the adoption agencies and from the family itself (There were KBS and MBC reports about it in the early 2000's), so with major heartbreak, she decided to give them up. However, her lover never knew this was a case.

The children were split up. One went to the United States, was adopted to a white family, and the other was adopted to Korean family, but never told they were adopted.

In the current time, the US adoptee, has been working for a year and a half to get her dual citizenship. She has a degree in Business accounting and is a very warm person. Despite her talents, she is teaching English in Suwon. She has an allergy to allium (Garlic, onions, etc), which makes it hard on her to eat Korean food. Every time she eats it, she gets gas and a tummy ache. She is constantly mocked by the ajumma in restaurants over it. She does not speak very fluent Korean and only knows Kindergarten Korean. She also often has delusions from Korean dramas as being real. Intelligent, smart, but has a hard time proving it to the Koreans around her because of her lack of language skills. People keep commenting on how she's single, but she finds it hard to date anyone once they find out she is adopted, so thinks she has no roots. Her records were sealed by the military. (US Military adoption is like that) So she takes a trip to Daegu's police station to get a DNA test. Meanwhile...

Meanwhile her twin has grown up in a steady Korean family, but there are things that never quite matched about her story and the family she's lived with. Their profession aspirations are totally different from hers, everyone else has a baby picture, but she doesn't. That feeling of "Jeong" sometimes feels like it's missing. The neighbors talk behind their hands when she passes them. This is when she accidentally discovers the truth talking to a neighborhood recycling Halmeoni. Unlike her twin, she has no allergy to allium and loves it. She mainly works at PC Bang and menial jobs and never really aspired to much because she's always felt like she didn't really truly belong.

*** Extended Pitch At the same time, their father has become the head of the company and a major CEO of a conglomerate. He is unaware of the twins' existence... so there are lots of passing shots between the family members as we get to know them. The company politics have become tricky because the father's seat was never really guaranteed. He still thinks about his lover from time to time, but his seat has become more and more unsure as he's opted adamantly out of marriage. The twin's mother is working at a small time job, and is forced to keep silent about the time she's tried very hard to forget. People shame her if they find out she had children.

When the twins finally get to remeet because of DNA, this shakes up their father's position and his company. The family secrets come out and the mystery of who sent the mysterious woman to stalk their mother starts to unfold, not only the secrets of the company, but of their father and mother's relationship, and of the family relations. But in the middle of this is that feeling of "Jeong" or instant belonging. (I don't think the love of the adoptive family should be diminished or it should be written like if you have more family, you have less love... but that there are things that connect people in different ways and the drama explores those ways of connection and disconnection.)

Issues that can be covered: Single Motherhood, Paternity testing (There was a recent Korean case on this and also another case about 10 years ago, where an adoptee found out they (male) were the son of a Jaebeol person, but the family refused any contact, etc--should be in Korean as well.), Economic differences, what Pres. Kim Dae Jeong called Adoption as the "brain drain" of South Korea (He said it on film, too, just before the reforms <3 Still my favorite president), Prejudices against foreigners, adoptees, and addressing the fact that finding family is difficult because of the shame around adoption and it's not instant. A person can start at 13, and still go through a ton of work and hoops to try to get any info. (The Korean agencies can also be mean/overworked with one person working all of the cases, like for HOLT and ESWS it's this way.) Also can address problems like how cousins can want to find each other, but get blocked because of adoption (You can't marry up to Second Cousins, but if you're adopted, you can't find your extended family members, even if you had connection to them in the past and they know you exist and they aren't allowed to search for you either because the agencies and law block them). Agencies lying that children are either dead, or that they never got communication, when they have. There is a story I know where a mother inquired every year about her child and wrote letters and then the agencies told her they got nothing, and then the matching adoptee wrote every year too, hoping to find their mother and equally got nothing. The agency lied to both of them. Also the old proxy system before it got outlawed where women would stalk pregnant single women to get records. (It's updated to the lawyer proxy system where lawyers stalk single women).

Warmth, not makjang, emphasis on Jeong and nunchi... and Warm and Fuzzy in the end at least... with spurts of humor interspersed would be nice.

Personally, I think if MBC or KBS is willing to help with the footage from the Proxy system report in the early 2000's where women were stalked by other women, those are the networks to pitch it to. It's up their ally. If not... cable. (I love SBS, too, no lies, but they didn't do a report back in the day.) Oh and make it 16 episodes-ish. Not family drama. We don't watch family dramas for length reasons...

#k-drama #ideas

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eurydicees · 3 years

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You gave us amazing theater associations for the Hosts, but what about films??? Are there certain movies you feel vibe for the hosts or they would like?? For me, for whatever reason, "In the Mood for Love" makes me think of Kaoru

oooh okay lemme think about this. i’ve never seen “in the mood for love” but i just googled it and it looks like a cool movie!

under the cut bc wow i am incapable of being concise, but after much, much thinking, here are my thoughts:

*just a note, these are gonna be super america-centric, because i am american and do not have the emotional capacity to research japanese movies right now. maybe i’ll come back to this one day and do it with more accurate movies that the hosts would like, but for now this is just movies that make me think of the hosts.

tamaki:

“let it snow:” god i’m exposing my terrible taste in movies in sentence #1 but here we go. this is based on a series of short stories, including a story by john green, and it’s just. sweet romances about a group of teenagers. visually, it’s a really beautiful movie. plotwise, debatable. i also watched it with some of my best friends during winter vacation, so i definitely just associate it with good memories, so that might be part of it. but tamaki is a hopeless romantic, and i think he would like a super cheesy romance. it is a christmas movie, so maybe not, but even if it’s not true to like. japan, i personally associate it with him.

kyoya:

“kiki’s delivery service:” genuinely one of my all time favorite movies, i love it so much. i tend think of it as a movie about learning to let yourself relax and step back from your work; making your way in the world when you don’t really know what you’re doing; letting yourself recover from burnout; and learning to let yourself love. that feels a lil kyoya.

haruhi:

“parasite:” i think it would be really fucking funny if she watched this with the hosts.

hikaru:

“cabin in the woods:” this is a great bad movie. it’s a horror comedy, it’s got zombies, it’s got weird gods, it’s got evil scientists, it’s the source of the “we have defeated the evil” and the “who had ___ on the board” memes. iconic, truly. i have this headcanon that the twins really like horror films, but hikaru secretly gets scared really easily, so they only watch horror comedy and then talk a really big game about it— and this is like. peak horror comedy.

kaoru:

“eurovision song contest: the story of fire saga:” god this is such a weird fucking movie, and i could not tell you if it’s actually like. a *good* movie, but it’s definitely entertaining. i think kaoru would like the music, just because it’s so weird and fun. also he’s a romantic, and this is a cute romance. again, weird movie, and idk why, but i think kaoru would be into that.

mori:

“hugo:” what an iconic movie. i saw it in theaters and got yelled at for opening a thing of m&ms. but i digress. what’s really cool about it is that the first ~10 minutes are completely silent, and i Love that as part of the film, because you really never see that in modern movies, and i love it. it’s also just a sweet movie about kids helping a filmmaker via the power of art and love and clocks. idk if the rest of the movie fits, but i do like the silent film part.

honey:

“willy wonka and the chocolate factory:” i feel like i don’t even have to explain this one.

honorable mentions:

tamaki and kyoya:

“whisper of the heart:” i keep saying i’m going to write a tamakyo whisper of the heart au and i keep not doing it, which is so tragic of me. it’s genuinely such a perfect movie for them. like you’ve got a beautiful cat, you’ve got a boy whose a lil standoffish and closed off, and a girl who comes into his life by force and makes him open up, you’ve got violin x singer. also the boy goes off to study in another country (i think it’s england or france, but i forget the details) and that’s just. perfect. also i really love this movie and i want happiness for them

tamaki:

“carol:” this is just. such a good movie. oh, it has its issues, and there’s probably a callout post for it somewhere, but like. it’s a *beautiful* film aesthetically. it’s a love story between an older lesbian and a more newly-discovering-her-own-homosexuality woman (both full adults, dw), and it’s just a really beautiful story. tamaki is def a hopeless romantic, and i think he would love films about secret/forbidden/true love.

“always be my maybe:” i’ve only watched this movie once, but i LOVED it. tamaki as a hopeless romantic would like really heartfelt but cheesy romance movies, and this fits the bill. it’s about a couple who keep meeting and getting together and then falling apart and then getting back together again, rinse and repeat. but not in like an unhealthy way, just in a… life does this sometimes kinda way. (it could also work as a parallel to tamakyo and i am incapable of thinking about anything else.)

kyoya:

“pride” (2014): i think he would like true story-based movies, and this one is iconic queer history movie, and i adore it. it is american history, though, so idk. but also, english is canonically one of his favorite subjects, so maybe so.

hikaru:

“pet sematary:” on the same note as hikaru liking horror movies that aren’t actually that scary (i am defining this as not scary because *i* got through it), i think he’d like this one. they watch it as a group and it makes tamaki cry, and hikaru teases him about this for ages.

mori:

“miracle” (2004): i don’t remember if mori liking hockey is canon or something i made up in my head and then decided was legit, but now when i think about mori and sports, i think about hockey. anyways, this is a solid sports movie about an underdog ice hockey team; it’s been a while since i’ve watched it, but i feel like mori would like sports movies, and he likes ice hockey imo, and so here we are.

anyways pls let me know your thoughts! i had so much fun with this, let me know what movies you guys think of!

#ohshc #ask #tamaki suoh #kyoya ootori #haruhi fujioka #hikaru hitachiin #kaoru hitachiin #mitskuni haninozuka #takashi morinozuka

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