Multi-fandom (Valvrave, FFXV, The Last Remnant, Nier, Drakengard, Fire Emblem: Awakening) blog. Fic writer. Cosplayer. Likes console RPGs with very small fandoms for some reason.
So I have read several people complaining that they can't be expected to know the "unwritten rules" of fandom. So here's what I wish people knew:
Fanfiction is fiction.
Fictional people are not real.
Fictional people do not have rights.
Fictional people cannot be abused.
Reading or writing about something does not mean the desire to do or support it in the real world.
If I find art upsetting/triggering/disgusting/outraging/unpleasant/squicky/distressing/offensive, it is on me not to read it, not the creators and hosts to remove it.
Curate your own experience. The back buttons exist for a reason.
If you don't trust yourself to do that, get someone you trust to do it for you.
Fandom is an adult space. Adults create and own and host fandom spaces. If minors want to participate, then the onus is on them and their parents/guardians/trusted adults to ensure they participate appropriately, not on strange adults to stop being adults.
You often don't know the assault status or mental health status or neurotype or race or nationality or religion or gender or sexuality or age of a creator or consumer, and they do not have to disclose to you to justify their fantasy.
AO3 is not a safe space. It is not intended to be a safe space. Proceed accordingly.
Just because you don't like something or find it offensive doesn't mean it is a "problem" that "has to be dealt with".
Most characters in anime are not white.
There is no onus on you to reblog or share anything.
Everyone makes mistakes in fandom and is less than their best self sometimes.
Persistent pseudonyms encourage long term relationships.
Ship wars are stupid.
Someone else enjoying things does not impact on your own enjoyment of other things.
Tagging and warning is a courtesy, not a requirement. Assume any fic might contain untagged content.
Rating is an imprecise art, not a science.
Don't hassle IP creators.
Most people who are in fandom are hoping to make connections based on a shared passion.
Trying to profit from transformative fanworks puts us all at risk.
No one is obligated to share your head canon or fanon.
Being kind rarely fails to pay off.
It is okay to block and remove people who make your experience unpleasant. You don't have to placate them. (Learn from my mistakes).
Britpicking is a good thing.
You don't have to justify why you like a canon/pairing/trope/kink. Sometimes navel gazing is fun, but you don't have an obligation to explain yourself, especially to strangers. I share the overwhelming desire to refute an unfair accusation, but the people accusing you are rarely doing so in good faith, so you're batting a losing wicket.
I'm not your Mum. (Well, okay, a very few of you can call me Mum or Mom, but if you are one of them you already know who you are ❤️)
If you aren't mature enough to take responsibility for your online experiences, you aren't mature enough to be in fandom spaces.
I'm convinced the people who translated this book have never played the game and had no idea what they were talking about like, at all.
I’ve only been through the first section (story retelling) and so far I’ve found incorrect facts, bad translations, and awful printing:
I'm convinced the people who translated this book has never played the game and just went did a plain translation job which just hasn't worked. Whined? I'd love to see the original Japanese. Maybe "whine" is one of the possible translations but it certainly isn't the correct one.
Also er, he hadn't even complained that way? So I don't know what the writers are on about. He was angry about his dad and then basically went, fine, I've got no choice. But there was no whining or complaining or any sort? Or is my memory failing me?
"....Umbra appears. Umbra runs off...." For a professionally printed book that’s an awful paragraph.
Gentiana was apparently "lying in wait"? To shiv Noct, presumably?
SYLVA, not Shiva.
I think they mean Niflheim. I'm dying of second hand embarrassment.
Thirty years ago, when Regis was both prince and king. It was a confusing time indeed.
That's not how it happened??? Or is my memory failing again??? She went to him, he was unconscious, but by then his battle was done, he didn't wake up to finish off the Hydraean???
A kingdom, certainly, but not his kingdom. Or did Regis become king of Tenebrae?
Gentiana is the sole deity clinging to power? I’m so lost?
I think "rejoicing" is taking it a bit far. Just a tiny, tiny bit.
"Shrinking in disgust?" Did they?
AFTER saving the world? But it's the eve of the final battle? I mean even if you don't know the game you'd know that doesn't make sense?
Someone needs to get to the altar quickly! So the tactician ponders his next step.
And lastly let’s talk about quality. Look at these massive patches of black. Look at Aranea’s armour. I get that these are console screenshots not high res Windows edition but even on my PS4 the screen didn’t look like THIS:
And this is only the first part of the book.
I don’t know if I dare to read the rest of it, or if I should just return it for a refund now.
Concept: A Yakuza AU where EVERYTHING takes place in December 2005
- The 10 billion yen goes missing, and the Omi immediately catch wind of it so Ryuji’s like “hey this is the BEST time to invade Kamurocho!”
- The Okinawa military base/resort deal is proposed. So on top of the Omi, the Triad, and the MIA, the CIA and Black Monday are also in Kamurocho. Shit gets confusing fast
- Kiryu gets released from prison, and somehow accidentally breaks Saejima out
- By the time they arrive in Kamurocho together, Kiryu’s picked up 8 orphans. Reina adores them, but also tells Kiryu “what the fuck”
- Majima tries to ambush Kiryu but nearly gets a heart attack at seeing Saejima
- They make friends with Hobo Akiyama in their quest to find a place to sleep because Reina’s bar is only barely enough for 8 kids, she can’t accommodate 2 whole adults too
- Kiryu, while meeting with Nishiki at Serena: “Bro, bro I know you’re evil and all, but listen: I have 3 boyfriends now! :D “
- Nishiki stops being evil just to grill Kiryu for juicy details on how the fuck he managed to obtain 3 boyfriends as soon as he leaves prison. They forget to discuss Yumi’s pendant
- Katsuragi tries to claim revenge for Arai killing the Ueno Seiwa lieutenant, but Shimano is like “oh my god who the fuck cares, we have real issues here!” and it never comes up again
- Kiryu: “Dad, I respect you and all, but you gotta admit, Uncle Joji is much cooler”
- Every single boss fight takes place on top of Millenium Tower at the same time. It’s … really cramped. Half of the fights are immediately resolved because the antagonist accidentally gets elbowed off the roof
- Halfway through the Omi invasion, someone releases zombies a la Dead Souls. Ryuji becomes a playable (and romanceable!) protagonist at this point
- The whole game is 100 hours long, but it takes you 500 hours to finish it because every single karaoke song is available and Kiryu can have a karaoke date with anyone he wants
Feel free to add more, I’m only halfway thru Y4 so idk much beyond that
Tachibana’s ghost at Millenium Tower lying on a ghostly lounge chair, sipping champagne and watching like a hedonistic god as all the buff shirtless men punch each other
aAAA the joy of seeing an update on your current favorite fanfic is just aAAA
I always felt that kiwami 1s Nishiki was just a bit too,, I dont know how to describe it; but essentially he just felt off, granted yakuza 1 is a product of its time and therefore the plot is a bit dated and whack as all hell
The way you write Nishiki just feels so much better and realistic; in the original he just seems so uncaring towards Kiryu? which just feels kinda OOC? You'd think he still cares about Kiryu despite it all, especially when you take Yakuza 0 into consideration; and i feel like you portray Nishiki much more accurately
I never thought much about Yumi, because honestly, in the original she was kinda just, there? You actually made her a very interesting person! like I'm actually invested in her in your story! (side note you ever think about her clone who got tortued and died? yeah who WAS that???? thats never brought up is it??)
Theres so much more to talk about but in short; This is the best fix it/rewrite of a game plot I have read to date and it brings me joy in my current stressful school life. and no I will not stop praising it or the author, because this work has made me very happy. ;)
I just have a gift for picking favorites that end up dying,,aand another favorite of mine is Mine
imo theres a lack of soft, reassuring Minedai, i just feel like he'd need a reminder that people love him as a person and not just for the money he can provide, even if its obvious
I'd love to see how you'd write them, but I understand if theres more interesting/appealing drabble requests!
- Carp
CARP, thank you for this <3 this is so sweet!!!!! I’m so happy you enjoy my Nishiki! I had fun playing with what Yakuza 0/the Kiwami additions gave us about Nishiki’s personality and outlook on the world, and trying to reconcile that with the plot that Yakuza 1 initially had. Ultimately, I fell on the side that you did: even if Nishiki’s ambition took him down a monstrous path, I don’t think he’s the sort of person who neglects to pay back his debts. And he’s aware of the huge debt he owes Kiryu. Not to mention, their bonds of trust and love vanishing completely because of jealousy felt unreal to me. Their relationship becoming twisted or strange? Yes, but vanishing entirely felt unsatsifying to me.
And Yumi!! I had so much fun excavating her character from the clues we get of her in canon. I worry sometimes, that she’s unrecognizable, because you know, I’ve given her a college education, and a whole bunch of interests beyond hostessing alone, but people seem to like it and like her, which is great!! I hate fridging women characters, so keeping her and Reina alive was important to me, hahaha. (RE: fake!Mizuki, there’s this substory in Kiwami that actually addresses who she was, BUT IT’S EVEN MORE HORRIFYING. So that’s why Yumi in my fic is the one captured and tortured by Nishiki’s men, because the thought of this poor innocent woman getting dragged into the mess was just untenable to me.)
Anyway, thank you for your support and kind words, and I hope you’ll continue to read and that my fic can continue to relieve stress. I--tried to write this about Mine, but Daigo kind of stole the spotlight a little??? I hope you still like it--if not, I will try a ficlet from Mine’s perspective too. I enjoy minedai a lot, but I haven’t had room to think out their dynamic yet, so this took me a while.
Daigo’s no stranger to being desired. He’s attractive, he knows this—his mother’s beauty lives in his veins, and he’s always had the money to look after himself. Fancy soaps to wash his face, the invisible retainers to keep his teeth straight, fancy suits and skin-tight shirts to show off his frame. For all that Kiryu insists his charisma is something that comes from the soul, Daigo knows it wouldn’t be able to draw the sort of attention he does without being attractive.
Which is to say that Daigo’s not especially thrown off by the intensity of Mine’s gaze. It’s happened before, and it’ll happen again. The thing that surprises him is how much he relishes in being seen by Mine.
Maybe it’s because Mine’s an island in a stormy sea, one of the only yakuza his age who’s sensible and level-headed enough to make it big. Maybe it’s because Mine’s gaze is always so reserved, polite, never overly lusty or overstaying its welcome, and Daigo has so rarely been desired so quietly. Or maybe it’s because Majima and Kashiwagi so clearly disapprove of him—Daigo’s always been something of a rebel, and he hasn’t shaken that off, even now he’s in his thirties and is the arbiter of rules for the Tojo Clan.
Daigo can’t quite put a pin on why he’s so comfortable with Mine’s yearning looks, but he’s never been one to hold back when he wants to indulge in something good. Not exactly a hedonist, not by yakuza standards, but Daigo has never kept himself from enjoying life, in the name of some dubious ‘honour.’
Which is why, in an after-hours meeting with Mine, as they eat cheap takeout sushi together, Daigo takes his chance. A momentary slip, the slightest hint of wasabi left at the corners of Mine’s lips and Daigo swoops in, rubs a thumb over the corner of Mine’s lips. Mine stutters to a stop, mid-sentence through a rundown of the real-estate that the Hakuho Clan’s been purchasing up, and stares at Daigo, eyes bewildered.
“Sixth Chairman?” he asks, his voice still remarkably composed.
“Wasabi.” Daigo says, nonchalantly, as if it’s nothing, and sticks his thumb into his mouth, slowly licking it off with a lingering lave of his tongue. He feels a sharp stab of satisfaction as Mine’s eyes turn darker, and his gaze follows Daigo’s hand down.
Daigo straightens up, languidly, and cracks his neck, casually. At this point in the day, he’s untucked his shirt, and he knows that a slight strip of his stomach will be visible when he stretches out his arms towards the ceiling. And as predictably as clockwork, Mine’s gaze darts downwards, to that pale expanse, to catch that brief second of skin. Daigo can’t help but feel warm. Something about being watched by Mine is exhilarating.
“Smoke?” offers Daigo, but as usual, Mine refuses, with a polite shake of his head.
Daigo knows from hearsay that Mine’s something a health-freak, so he’s not entirely surprised. It’s already too late for Daigo to preserve his health—he knows that his liver’s already been pretty ruined from long nights of binge-drinking as a youth, and this job’s too stressful to withhold from vices like smoking and drinking, without an optimal end-goal. So he walks over to the window, cracks it open a little, and lights up.
The breath of nicotine curls over his body, a tender caress, and Daigo feels his shoulders drop, as the relaxation hits. He pulls off his cufflinks, tosses them into his pockets and rolls up his sleeves. He takes it slow, runs his fingers over his skin a little more than strictly necessary. Surreptitiously checking the reflection in the window, Daigo watches Mine watch him, and smirks at how intense that gaze is, how Mine’s mouth has opened, and Daigo can just see the soft pink of his tongue.
“Dojima’s just fine, you know. When it’s just us two.” Daigo says, turning over his shoulder. He smiles, one of those charming smiles that had always gotten him whatever he wanted as a child, “We’re same-aged friends, after all.”
“Dojima-san.” Mine acknowledges, after a brief pause.
Daigo turns around, to properly look at Mine and lifts an eyebrow. “Dojima. Or Daigo, preferably. Dojima-san’s always my father in my head.”
Mine nods, face impassive. Daigo can’t read him like this. Maybe that’s why he likes when Mine stares at him, filled with longing. At least then, Daigo feels like he knows him. In moments like these, his implacable gazes might as well be a brick wall. “Right. Your Father was also in the Tojo Clan.”
Daigo smiles, wryly, and blows out a puff of smoke. “One of the most horrible men I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting—and I had to call him Father. But damn if he wasn’t good at the job.” He sighs and stubs the cigarette out against the ashtray. “...sometimes feel like I’m competing with his dead spirit. Everybody’s looking at me and wondering if this is what my Father would do. Or what Kiryu-san would do.”
“You’re doing better than any of them.” Mine says, immediately, with a vicious ferocity that Daigo wasn’t expecting. He can’t quite stop his eyebrows rising in surprise, and Mine straightens upwards, looking self-conscious immediately. Daigo regrets his instinctual reaction, immediately. “That is to say, Dojima, that I think that you’ve pulled this Clan into somewhere far more respectable. From what I’ve heard of your Father, he didn’t have the temperament to do proper business on this level—too insistent on formal obeisance and unable to be flexible as the times require. And Kiryu-san might be very honourable, but we are yakuza. There are certain things you have to do as a Chairman, that he couldn’t bring himself to do. But you are practical and do what is necessary, while also not overstepping into excessive violence. You are uniquely suited for this job, Dojima.”
...he’s taken aback a little, he can’t deny it. Daigo wonders if his cheeks are colouring, wonders if his obvious shock is offputting, wonders if this is how Mine feels every time Daigo teases him lightly about his obvious attraction. A startling warmth spreads through his chest, and Daigo can’t stop the slight smile that touches his face. Has anybody ever said something so unreservedly kind and measured about Daigo before?
Maybe this is the difference between everybody else’s gazes on him, and Mine’s gaze. It’s based on something more than desire alone. Respect.
Daigo runs a hand over his slicked-back hair and ruffles it free, with a rueful smile, a smile that he couldn’t take away from his face, even if he tried. “I appreciate that. You know I couldn’t do it without you, right?”
He’d never really believed himself capable of attraction to a man like Mine. All of his previous childhood crushes had been on bright, cheerful conversational, pure-hearted people. Daigo had always figured they would balance out his sardonic cynicism. He’d never thought someone as reserved and principled as Mine would ever make his heart flutter. But then, there was something about that deep hunger and passion that Daigo craved. Perhaps it was because he was no longer the gloomy punk of his youth. Maybe his tastes have changed towards tall, dark and handsome. Maybe Mine’s just that special.
“Dojima—” Mine says, clearly trying to refute it, but Daigo cuts him off.
“I mean it. Everybody in this fucking Clan wants me to do something or be somebody else. Kashiwagi-san wants me to be my mother. Majima-san wants me to be Kiryu-san. Everybody else expects my Father. But not you. You deal with me honestly, and with candour, and never hold any expectations against me except success. I appreciate your faith in me.” Daigo takes a couple of steps forward, until his shoes almost brush up against Mine’s own. He leans down over Mine’s chair. “I could not do this without your backing and help. Truly. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone like you in my life. A true friend.”
Mine tilts his chin up to meet Daigo’s gaze, a hungry devotion in his eyes, and Daigo, for a moment, wonders if this is wrong. If he should hold back, like Kiryu would. But Daigo is Daigo, and Mine clearly wants him anyway, so he leans down and kisses him.
Mine’s mouth is velvety smooth and wet and hot and it is oh-so satisfying a feeling to put his hand against Mine’s broad neck and feel his warmth up against Daigo. He pulls back, with a satisfied sigh, and feels the burn of wasabi across his lips, a final parting kick.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Speaking of writing, and MineDai, I finished this recently.
Title: Ghosts That We Knew
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Brief mention of past suicide attempt
Pairing: Mine/Daigo
Other characters: Majima, Saejima
Words: 5462 (finished)
Summary: "It's been ten years since I was shot and woke up on the rooftop of Touto Hospital. A line has been drawn under Tojo. Are we finally ready to talk about it?"
Set after Y7/LAD, with changed ending from Y3 (Mine lives).
Hi, I’m getting (back) into the Yakuza games, please suggest accounts to follow? Not much of a shipper apart from MineDai but I don’t mind shipping content overall and I basically like all the characters...
