WIP Post

[tj_dragonblade]

Writing is forcefully reasserting its place in my life whether I've got the time for it or not. So. In an effort to organize for myself what's really currently on the WIP list, and hopefully inspire a bit of forward momentum on any of them as time allows, I re-visit that old meme wherein one posts a sentence or a snippet from any/all works in progress.

** Warning: Some snippets NSFW **

~~~~~~
Gundam Wing

By Any Other Name, wherein Wufei challenges Duo not to 'mutilate' his name for a day; 2x5. In progress since Nov 2002.

"Good morning, Duo. Time to wake up..."

"Nnumghhnm..." Duo wriggled half-heartedly away and mumbled a complaint that would have translated to something on the order of what exactly Wufei could go do with himself at such an ungodly hour, if only the brain cells needed for speech had managed to be anything close to awake.

---
Carpe Diem, a multi-chaptered 2x3x5 thing that needs revamping and revising out the wazoo to tighten the plot and drain some of the emo, try to develop the relationship along the way instead of assuming existing attraction, maybe. In progress since Aug 2002.

Slender cafe-au-lait fingers touched the gauze gently, delicately, and Wufei's dark eyes warmed with concern. "Is the pain very bad?"

"Just bad enough." Trowa grimaced. "I'll survive."

"Perhaps another dose of Sally's--"

"No." Trowa shook his head emphatically, and the corner of Wufei's mouth quirked up in distinct amusement.

"Very well. I can't say that I fault your decision." He laid the forgotten socks in Trowa's slack hand and gently pressed Trowa's fingers closed around them, still smiling. "When you're ready, I'll change the dressing for you," he added.

"That would be helpful," Trowa answered, wondering if it was just his imagination or if Wufei's touch had actually lingered an instant longer than necessary on his hand.

Wufei wrinkled his nose slightly. "After you have had a shower, of course."

"Are you implying that I stink?" Trowa huffed in mock indignation, easily falling into the familiar rhythm that had evolved over the course of their friendship.

"I am implying nothing. I am stating it outright." Wufei's eyes held that sparkle of mischief that so few people were privileged to see.

Trowa lifted his good arm slightly and took an experimental whiff. "Ugh." He grimaced appropriately. "Ah. I'm inclined to agree with you. Are there clean towels in the bathroom?"


~~~~~~
Saiyuki

Three pieces meant to relate to one another that all take place after Unwinding, Jiipu/Hakkai and if I mean for these to be connected, I need to settle on one name and one spelling:

- Reconaissance, wherein Jeep gathers intel and ruminates on his justification of future plans. In progress since Apr 2009.

He'd been quite open in his observation that first time, perching right there at the head of the bed, and Gojyo hadn't reacted well.

'Dammit Hakkai! Can't you tell him to go away or somethin'? Fuck, talk about a mood-killer--he's staring like he's gonna eat me!'

Which was ridiculous, of course. Gojyo was not his favorite person, certainly, but he was still a companion and a dragon's companions are never his prey. Jiipu had snorted disdainfully and relocated himself across the room with a haughty flutter of wings.

Eat him, indeed.

- [title undecided], wherein Jeep acts on his plans and makes an unexpected discovery about his intentions along the way. In progress since Aug 2005.

"Hakuryuu?" Hakkai's voice fell warm around him in the darkness, solicitous and soft with concern. "What's the matter?"

"Kyuu~u," Hakuryuu whimpered, and it sounded pitiful even to his own ears. It really couldn't be helped, however; those things he had done to Hakkai in the bath had woken instincts that had lain dormant for as long as he could remember, and his body cried out now for satisfaction of its own. He stretched up, desperate, and nipped lightly at Hakkai's mouth.

"Ohh," Hakkai murmured, and Hakuryuu felt the gentle curving of his smile. Hakkai's head dipped lower and one hand rose, curling softly behind the curve of Hakuryuu's neck. His lips parted very slightly, encouraging, and Hakuryuu nibbled eagerly at the flavor of them, tongue flickering into the cleft between. The tip of Hakkai's tongue met him, very gently; Hakkai's fingertips shifted, slid down his spine, smoothed the strands of mane between his wings, rose to brush the tips of his horns and do it all over again.

- Until the Last Moment, wherein Jeep mysteriously regains manform (but not Goujun's memories) for one night. In progress since Aug 2006.

"I want to lie beneath you. As equals. As you and Gojyo do."

"Oh." Hakkai blinked down at him, the surprise in his face giving way to things more tender. "I...I see. Do you...ahh...that is--" A faint wisp of heat stole across his cheeks. "It's possible, then, in this form?"

Hakuryuu cocked his head slightly as he considered Hakkai's tactful embarrassment. "Yes, but...different." He reached a careful hand to the flat stretch beneath his belly that curved down between his legs, and Hakkai sat back to better follow the movement. "Here." Hakuryuu traced along the line where his body opened, the tip of his talon just barely skimming inside to make it easily visible. "I hold myself within; you fit as well," he explained, the words underlaid by a soft hiss of pleasure at his own delicate touch.

---
Ayatsuri, wherein a self-flagellating Kou contemplates the factors that bring him to the doctor's bed time and again; NiiKou. In progress since Nov 2004 and every time I open this up to confirm that I want to abandon it, I find myself instead remembering what I was trying to do with it when I started and wanting to finish. Maybe playing with 2nd person POV would kick it into gear...

It would be so easy to kill him like this, so easy to simply tear his throat out and watch him expire beneath me, watch the life fade from his eyes...

Would they show surprise, I wonder? Or would they continue to laugh at me even in death?

My hand trembles, sorely tempted to follow through on the fantasy. I can taste his blood, nearly; and I want it--

Instead, I let my head fall back, let my hair tease across his thighs, let his hands at my hips guide the rhythm of my body atop him while my lips shape silent protest on a breath of wordless pleasure.

He may have put himself beneath me, but I remain ultimately powerless, and entirely at his mercy.

---
[title undecided], wherein Kou and Doku have an enlightening conversation in a tree; DokuKou. In progress since Sept 2005.

Kou flexed his legs, adjusting himself the slightest bit on Doku's cock, and let out a sharp hiss. "Move."

Doku wasn't waiting to be told again. He drew back and pressed forward, carefully; Kou's body pulled and clung to the skin of his cock more than was entirely comfortable and yet--and yet--

He groaned again, pulled back and pressed in again, and the pleasure swarmed up his spine to consume him.

He swore, and gasped, and thrust harder; Kou jerked against the tree, neck arched, and made a short high sound that went straight to Doku's dick.

"Oh, fuck, Kou--" Doku shuffled quickly for surer footing and thrust up into his prince almost violently, and again, and again and again and again, settling into a frantic rhythm that had Kou gasping sharp little cries into the space between them and clawing wildly at the back of his neck.

---
Weapon of Mass Distraction, wherein Kenren finally makes his move on Tenpou; KenTen. In progress since July 2006.

"Ahh. Yes. As I was saying, then. I would much rather lie beneath you than above you this first time, Kenren, and yet propriety dictates--"

"To hell with propriety," Kenren interrupted, hands moving to the closure of Tenpou's slacks.

"Mmh?" Tenpou arched his hips out helpfully.

"You'd rather bottom? Then bottom." He was sure it was the damned dragon who'd groomed these notions so firmly into the marshal's mind, but he held his tongue on that regard. "Sex isn't about what's proper, it's about what feels good."

"Mmh. Yes. But--"

"Just think of me as a weapon," Kenren purred, finally conquering the marshal's zipper, "to be used as you command--" He yanked the rumpled trousers open and shoved them down past Tenpou's hips; grabbed a handful of Tenpou's ass and ground himself firmly against his commanding officer, beyond all patience for the hot thrill of cock against cock. 'Weapon' was perhaps not the most seductive metaphor he could have chosen, but Kenren figured he could damn well be forgiven the shortcoming, all things considered.

"A weapon?" Tenpou's breath hitched, and his eyelids drooped. "Designed to do--ah--what, exactly?"

"Me?" Kenren grinned, hips gently grinding, hand expertly palming the curve of Tenpou's rear. "I'm a weapon of mass distraction."

---
Mistletoe, wherein young Tenpou flirts shamelessly with his commanding officer; GouTen. In progress since Dec 2006.

"...Dare I ask what you might be doing?" Goujun threaded his way carefully around the haphazard clutter of scholarly pursuits that littered the space. Such untidiness irked him, chafed at his sense of order, but he found himself developing a curious yen for the young officer's company that had come to outweigh his distaste.

"Ah? Oh, nothing really, I'll just be a moment--" Tenpou began, but the words turned abruptly into something between a yelp and a startled squawk as he overbalanced on the uneven stool and tumbled abruptly down, arms flailing.

Reflex had Goujun lunging forward to break his subordinate's fall, Tenpou's shoulder catching him square in the chest. He grunted, braced, righted them both, disregarding the upset piles of books that slid to the floor around their feet.

Tenpou met his gaze rather sheepishly. "Anh...thank you, Sir." His eyes flicked to the stool, now on its side among the books. "I suppose that was rather foolish of me, especially when it's only for the sake of a little decoration..."

Tenpou glanced up, past Goujun's face.

"My, how serendipitous!" he remarked brightly, beaming.

Goujun followed his gaze upward, to a sprig of green leaves and waxy white berries hanging innocently above their heads.

His eyes returned to Tenpou expectantly.

Tenpou simply kept beaming.

---
Bloom, wherein Tenpou jumps Kenren in the office after waking from an erotic dream; KenTen. In progress since Dec 2008.

Tenpou was shivering with the waiting for it by the time the blunt, slick head pushed between his cheeks. It slid in easily, one long swift thrust to the hilt, and Tenpou cried out with the dizzying blissful shock of it. Kenren pressed flush up against his ass, tense but still, and Tenpou clenched around him, willing him to move.

"Again," he ordered, breathless, and Kenren slid back and shoved forward obediently.

"Ahn! Again!"

Tenpou's pants had fallen about his ankles by now; he jerked one foot free of both slipper and trousers and spread his legs as wide as possible. The jolt when Kenren slammed home again was delicious and he gasped out another cry, arching into it as his head came up and back and his glasses tumbled off completely. Kenren fell over top of him, arms braced on either side and the fingers of one hand laced through his from the back, mouth landing wet and open just below his ear. "So good," Kenren panted, moving out-IN, out-IN with slow, heavy strokes. "Ungh--god--Tenpou--Sir--" His tongue licked out, hot and wet up the rim of Tenpou's ear and Tenpou whimpered piteously.

"Faster," he managed, free hand gripping the edge of the desk, legs as firmly braced as he could make them. "For the love of all you hold dear, Kenren, do me like you mean it."

---
Tokens, wherein Goujun ruminates on blood, bonding, and Tenpou, and hopes that his actions will demonstrate the depth of his devotion; TenGouTen. In progress since Aug 2009.

He laps up Tenpou's blood with careful relish, licking along the shallow wound, awash in the thrill of hunt and prey and victory, the notes of devotion and belonging beneath. Tenpou is moaning, panting, desperately close to the edge and Goujun continues to ride him slow and hard, circling his hips in languid, heavy rhythm while suckling at Tenpou's wrist. He laves the gash with his tongue, draws hard on it as the flow diminishes, presses his lips tenderly to the wound and leans back down again. He kisses Tenpou deeply, ardent and possessive; Tenpou's tongue licks into his mouth and it is the taste of his own blood lingering there that sends Tenpou over the edge at last.

Tenpou comes with a desperate whimper, open to the kiss, tongue quivering against Goujun's bloodied fangs; his body jerks, arches, spills a warm rush of fluid up inside Goujun.

It is the most exquisitely odd sensation, like his own natural fluid multiplied tenfold, perhaps, and Goujun exhales his fascination into Tenpou's mouth, breaking the kiss. Gently, carefully, he licks away the last of the blood from Tenpou's wrist and disengages himself from Tenpou's flagging sex, lying over beside him.

With a rumbling groan, he lets his body turn out, slick and wet with Tenpou's spend and his own arousal, dark and heavy and red as the blood on his lips.

---
[title undecided], wherein Goujun has a hallucinatory conversation with Tenpou about his death; GouTen. In progress since Oct 2009.

"You're dying too, you know," and he did, he knew, and part of him laughed--Goujun, Dragon King of the Western Sea, brought down by his battle wounds after the fact. Rather an ignominious end, particularly when compared to others--

"Shh." Tenpou's lips pressed his, and only when the noise was muffled did Goujun realize that he was laughing in fact, a mirthless and bitter sound at the irony of it all.

---
I've tabled many half-written bits of things that may never turn into fic; I'm not calling them WIPs at this point but I'm not calling them abandoned, either. There is also a 10K piece and a Hakuryuu-gen piece based on prompts from that drabble meme ages ago, neither of which actually have enough of a cohesive sentence to them to make snippet-teasing worthwhile.


~~~~~~
Naruto

The Beastly Beauty and the Beautiful Beast, a LeeGaa fairytale adaptation of which there is only a prologue, so far. In progress since Feb 2009.

But an enchanted fox lived in the forest kingdom, and he was every bit as fierce and powerful as the beautiful desert prince when they met on the field. The two clashed mightily and the forest shivered for miles around while they battled on at great length.

"I am just like you," said the enchanted fox as they fought. "I am a boy, with a demon bound inside me, and I am as powerful as you. But I live for others, for those bonds I share with those precious to me, and this makes me stronger than you."

"Not so!" cried the prince, the demon's madness boiling within him. "Fighting for others, this makes you vulnerable and weak! I am stronger than you, for I fight only for myself!"

"We shall see," said the fox, and leapt at the prince with all that he had.

In the end, the fox won the mighty battle and defeated the prince, though they both lay bruised and exhausted when the forest grew still around them once again.

"How can it be that you defeated me?" the prince wondered, utterly lost. "How can you be stronger than I am when you aren't fighting for yourself?"

"I told you," said the fox. "My bonds with others make me strong. Fighting for those bonds makes me strong. When you have something to protect, it makes you stronger than anything."

---
Learning to See, wherein Neji ponders why he's drawn to Naruto; NaruNeji. In progress since May 2009.

"I know he's training me one-on-one and all, and I shouldn't complain, but..." Naruto sighed, a huge sound full of undue drama, and his bottom lip twisted into something of a pout. "But I'm hungry, and I was totally looking forward to some home-town Konoha eats again, too!"

"Come on. I'll take you for ramen." Only after it was said did he realize it sounded somewhat like a date, however impromptu or casual.

Naruto fixed him with that narrow-squinting blank look that was one part suspicion and two parts utter confusion. "Why?"

"Because." Neji folded his arms stiffly, looking somewhat down his nose at Naruto and fighting the rush of heat that wanted to suffuse his face. "Would you rather ask pointless questions, or do something about the obnoxious rumbling of your stomach?"

Naruto's expression cleared a little. "Your treat?"

"Yes." Nothing at all like a proper date, he told himself fiercely. Nothing but a simple token gesture of inadequate gratitude.

"Well alright then!" Naruto clapped him heartily on the back, grinning broadly, any question of 'why' dismissed at the prospect of a full stomach that wouldn't further eviscerate his purse. "Let's eat!"

---
[title undecided], wherein Kakashi fills a kinky fantasy for Iruka's birthday; KakaIru. In progress since Dec 2009.

"I figure," Kakashi said, drawing Iruka's vest down his arms and tossing it aside before pulling the shirt off over his head, "if sex with me is good, sex with two of me has to be even better, right?"

Iruka swallowed a moan as Kakashi opened his fly and dipped a hand inside to stroke him briefly. "Only you would be vain enough to give yourself as a birthday present," he managed, but Kakashi was only parroting what Iruka had teasingly said on those earlier occasions.

---
[title undecided], wherein Kakashi is infected with a vampirism-like virus and Gai is his volunteer donor; GaiKaka. In progress since Jan 2011.

Kakashi kisses like a starving man eats and Gai may not be very practiced at the art but he Gives It His All just the same, a strange heat spiking through him to taste his own blood lingering in Kakashi's mouth.
~
Gai's face is hot in Kakashi's hands and Gai's mouth tastes like heaven and the scent of arousal rolling off him in waves is making Kakashi dizzy or maybe that's still the kisses and Kakashi realizes with distant dismay that he's making sounds like one of his dogs whining for attention but it's too hard to care, right now.

---
[title undecided], wherein Yamato thinks his attraction to Sai inappropriate, Sai has other ideas, and alcohol is a convenient enabler; YamaSai. In progress since Jan 2011.

Sai is still holding him with that depthless gaze, dark and promising; he leans in, closer, and the scent of him--steel and ink and ricepaper and leftover sunlight caught deep in the black of his hair--makes Yamato's head reel as it fills his senses again, close and warm and intimate.

"Yamato-taichou," Sai breathes again, very softly, lips brushing the ridges of his ear, "I want to have sex with you."

It's close enough to what Yamato has imagined--deep in the night when he's tired enough and alone enough to let himself imagine things--that arousal flares hot and wild in his gut and he realizes with giddy dismay that he's not going to say no.

Sai's hand has slid down his chest, slipped between them to grope Yamato's erection, and Sai's lips are still teasing his ear. "We should go somewhere private, Taichou," he whispers, taking the lobe of Yamato's ear gently in his teeth and tracing it with the tip of his tongue and his hand is squeezing, smoothing, stroking against Yamato's lap and oh, god, there's no turning back, not now.

---
[title undecided], wherein Drunken Jounin Bonding Night(tm) goes very, very wrong for poor Yamato; suggested YamaSai. In progress since Feb 2011.

"Oh? So what is your 'type'?" Kakashi asks.

"For me to know," Yamato says into his glass. He realizes it's a little snarky, but he credits that to the drink and hopes that if he discourages them, maybe they'll drop this fixing-him-up line of talk all the sooner.

No such luck, it seems. "Tall, cool and mysterious?" Anko grins. "Light-haired, loves dogs, loves to read?" She nudges Kakashi playfully.

"Not really," Yamato says, meeting Kakashi's curious stare. "No offense."

"None taken," Kakashi assures him cheerfully, eye crinkling up happily.

"Raidou's pretty stable, n' I think he swings that way," Genma offers, leaning his chair back on two legs--it's amazing he doesn't topple over completely, drunk as he is--and rolling his senbon between his lips thoughtfully.

Yamato resists the urge to thunk his forehead on the table. "No, thank you, really," he says, but they don't seem to be listening.

"Perhaps someone from the Hyuuga clan," Gai muses, and Yamato takes a great swig of his beer, hoping that if he drinks enough he can forget he's in the middle of this.

"Or how about that tarty little artist from Root?" Anko says then, and Yamato chokes on his beer, spraying what's left in his mouth onto the table and coughing violently.

They're all staring at him as he gets himself back under control, Anko pounding him on the back helpfully.

"Please be more respectul toward Sai," he manages, eyes watering. He knows he's a bit red in the face as well but he's hoping they'll chalk that up to the coughing fit.

---
Oral Fixation, wherein Yamato acknowledges that he's got a little problem; pre-YamaSai. In progress since Feb 2011.

He's inordinately taken with the way Sai's lips part moistly when they open, the way they press closed again around his chopsticks; Sai's mouth is shapely and full, what Yamato would almost call plump, and the way that the chopsticks indent its lush curves on the way back out is downright mesmerizing.

Yamato tries very hard not to let his gaze linger as Sai takes another bite.

He admits to himself, as he sometimes will, that there's a part of him that wants to Do Things with that mouth; he flashes on thoughts of dragging his thumb along Sai's bottom lip, of catching it lightly between his teeth and pulling oh so gently, of tracing Sai's top lip with the tip of his finger, the tip of his tongue, and licking into the warm, wet space where Sai's lips part--

And then he realizes, with an unsettling blend of shame and guilt and heady arousal, that he's thinking about kissing Sai--Sai, who is his subordinate teammate; Sai, who is nine years his junior--

--Sai, who is trying his hardest to nurture life back into even the most rudimentary of emotions that were trained out of him long ago, and who probably won't have any use for amorous attentions well into the foreseeable future.

---
Moonlight Sonata, wherein Sai and Yamato bond after a mission that didn't go smoothly; YamaSai. In progress since Feb 2011.

Sai is regarding him intently, gaze unreadable and face serious; the moonlight heightens the black of his hair and shadows the dark of his eyes and washes his pale skin paper-white and he almost appears as monochromatic as the beasts that he conjures from his scrolls.

"I've read that the thing to do when a friend is unhappy is to hug them," Sai says at last, "but I've also learned that it may not have the right effect if that friend is not expecting it." He straightens up, looking Yamato full in the eye.

"May I hug you, Yamato-taichou?"

Yamato lets a ghost of a smile pass over his face; Sai is so frightfully inept at all the little social normalties that it's become rather endearing, and Yamato is glad that Sai regards him as a friend. He's also aware that Sai is trying to cheer him up, or comfort him at the very least, and it strikes him as a very sweet gesture. "Sure."

---
There is also a Neji-and-Kankurou piece based on a prompt from that drabble meme ages ago, which is just as unsuited to snippet-teasing at this point as those mentioned under Saiyuki.


~~~~~~
Other Fandoms

[title undecided], a PSoH ficlet wherein Leon ruminates on D's awesomeness in bed, more or less; Leon/D. In progress since Jun 2010.

The way he stared, so focused, was weirdly a turn-on. He looked so...so...predatory, with the gleam in those eyes, especially the yellow one--Leon knew it was dumb, but it made him think of some big jungle cat, which should have scared the piss out of him after half the things he'd seen related to this shop--

D murmured something Chinese against his throat and bit lightly, and Leon's train of thought (such as it was) very nearly derailed.

---
[title undecided], a DS9 ficlet wherein Julian ogles Garak from across the Promenade; G/B. In progress since Sept 2010.

He was aware that Garak didn't really match up to Cardassian canons of male beauty--he didn't have the height, lacked the desirable length through the neck, wasn't quite slender enough through the middle--but as far as he was concerned, Cardassian canons of male beauty had no idea what they were missing.

---

Comments

[rheasilvia.livejournal.com]

Very nice... I'd love to read several of these. But this is my favorite:

"Me?" Kenren grinned, hips gently grinding, hand expertly palming the curve of Tenpou's rear. "I'm a weapon of mass distraction."

Aww, Kenren. How very true! :-)

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^_^ Hopefully I will not fail at finishing these, sooner or later.

Kenren and Tenpou are so good together. I sometimes get so caught up in my GouTen mental wanderings that I almost forget that.

[saiyanzrepublik.livejournal.com]

oh damn they all look so good and promising!! even the ones that I haven't watched yet!! <3

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

^_^ Thanks! I'm curious, since you mentioned it - are you familiar with any of these fandoms besides GW?

[saiyanzrepublik.livejournal.com]

LOL DEFINITELY familiar with Naruto!! Who isn't these days?? LMAO and Saiyuki I've only seen a few eps but it's ful of bishies so HEY!!! ;) the only ones I'm not familiar with is the "other fandom" ones... XD but they still sound interesting non the less!!! :D

[syndelar.livejournal.com]

I love these, but I must admit that the ones 'm most expectant are the Gundam wing ones... Ah, Trowa and Fei-Fei. Yum. ^_^

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Yum, indeed. Oh, these old fics. I look at that 'in progress since 2002' date and I wonder if I will ever get them finished. Yet I can't give up on them. So...someday. Hopefully. ^_^;

[syndelar.livejournal.com]

If you can't give up, the chances are they will be finished. Eventually. ^_^ but better late than never, right?

[pfmoi.livejournal.com]

OMG, anything Gaiden, ESPECIALLY Tenpou and Goujun creams my twinkie. Also, the Hakkai/Jiipu one looks awesome. :3

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

I'm all for creamed twinkies. ^_^ And GouTen. And much as I love the main timeline, Gaiden really does fire me up just a bit more. So many of these fics I need to finish. *_*

[entitys.livejournal.com]

we 'am' so pleased to see Carpe Diem maybe, eventually, someday making a come back. and the NejiNaru. YES! can't wait for the conclusion. so stoked.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

OMG, Carpe Diem. I cringe when I re-read it, yet I'm still very fond of it on a basic level and I want to 'fix' it and finish it. Just never seems to garner my full focus on the rare occasions (well, rare until recently) that I can muster any focus for writing.

The NejiNaru - ee, I'm so pleased to be writing it, even if it's not coming along as swiftly as the new YamaSai obsession. Their dynamic is somehow very familiar, and I like the pairing quite a lot even though I almost never run across it in the fandom. Was catching up on the manga (I've now finished vol 48 and have 49/50 on hand to hit next); the few frames where Team Gai arrives and Neji is the one vehemently and insistently demanding that they go back up Naruto while he takes on Nagato - that made me grin. ^___^

(And holy crap, Naruto really does have Jesus-powers; he talked down Nagato and Changed him - I mean, it's awesome that Naruto is truly That Awesome, but I did not see that coming. And this is totally not related but WTF is the daimyou thinking making f*king Danzou hokage over Kakashi??)

And 'cause you guys are awesome and patient and all, have another snippet:
~~
Naruto scoffed at the idea of fate, declared boldly that anyone could make of themselves anything they wished; he believed it, wholeheartedly, and he had made Neji begin to believe it as well.

Did that make him the moth, then, fluttering blindly into the draw of the flame? Or the bird, newly freed from his cage, winging eagerly for the warmth of the sun?

He stared fiercely at Naruto while the boy slurped the last of the noodles from his bowl of ramen, looking endearingly ridiculous.

He'd like to think he had more sense than the moth.

And Naruto, after all, was the one who had shown him the way free of his cage.
~~

[entitys.livejournal.com]

you know what. at it's very basic level Carpe Diem isn't so bad. i think the problem is more so you evolved as a writer, and because it wasn't finished before your metamorphosis you feel the need to bring it up to your new level. but hey, we get it. eventually is its own time. we will strike this bargain, you work on Carpe Diem we will work on Revival. *sigh* GW. if it had been a better anime we probably wouldn't have this problem.

NejiNaru is so familiar because it is almost Wufei/Duo. truly, the dynamic is there. but the reason we like NejiNaru is because in the whole series, of all the characters presented there has only been 3 living who have been able to tell Naruto's chakra to sit down and shut up. Jiraiya -> but he's more master/father figure and doesn't work. Yamato -> but we all know he belongs to Sai. and Neji who had to learn to see him. Naruto with a chakra master makes sense no matter how you look at it.

you don't see that pairing simply because Neji falls into obscurity. there are so many other characters and then when you think Team Gai you really do think of the awesome, green beast, lotus master, genius of hard work, Rock Lee. and there's nothing wrong with that. we love Lee. but we tend to favor less appreciated characters more, and Neji is just that.

Nagato vs Naruto, thought for certain, swear, that Nagato was going to blow Naruto into afterlife to see his parents, swear. but then he revives everybody! WTF!! then we talked it over and we came to the conclusion that most bad guys in this 'verse really do just want peace. but the argument comes in on how to achieve that. Naruto offered peace through understanding, instead of violence, and because Nagato was already tired of fighting it was the best option. recently found a seeder. so we'll be reading up this week. think those elders are getting a little too old and senile.

ooh fic! yes that's exactly how i imagined the dynamic between them! ooh. can't wait to read it all together.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Carpe Diem - that's it exactly. I dropped it for a new fandom and by the time I return, the growth between Then and Now is painfully apparent. But I'm fond of the core story, though it needs reworking, and after all the time I put in on it it's just a shame that it still sits there, untouched. But, like you said. 'Someday'. Heh. I always said that 'Someday' I'd get a tattoo, and I finally did that this weekend, so my 'Someday' for CD will eventually come 'round too, I suppose.

*g* I'm so glad you mention the NaruNeji -> WuDu similarities. I had the same thought when I first considered the pairing, which I think has a lot to do with why it took root as a pairing worth spending time on. I was never sure it wasn't just me, though, since I have a tendency to over-analyze character similarities between favorite series. ^_^; But Neji has reminded me of Wufei in certain ways for a long time. Probably part of the reason I like him so much.

And yes, Naruto with a chakra master does make so much sense. Although your 'sit down and shut up' phrasing makes me giggle, and gives me odd crossover flashes with that 'Sit, boy!' thing from Inuyasha (which I've never really properly watched, but have absorbed somewhat through peripheral exposure).

I guess that's the unfortunate downside of having a huge cast of interesting and appealing characters - some of them are bound to fall through the cracks of the wider fannish attention span. A lot of the attention I do see pointed at Neji is more the negative variety--failing to see past his initial arrogance, that sort of thing. Too bad. But, then again, it does tend to leave the playground a little more open for the people who do want to play there.

Naruto vs. Nagato. Dude. I mean, I figured Naruto would eventually win, because it's his series no matter how much unwarranted attention Sasuke still gets and all, but I had assumed it would involve the usual masses of chakra and innovation flying back and forth and eventually, finally he'd manage to be just that little bit better. It's really kind of awesome that yeah, he had that in the great battle against the Pein that used to be Yahiko, and then went and took a totally different approach for that final end level confrontation. It demonstrates a maturity that Naruto doesn't necessarily exhibit on an everyday basis, and it makes for a rather profound moment in the series. The two of them understanding that they both want the same thing, that they're really not so different, and Naruto pretty much immediately slotting Nagato in as a 'brother disciple' in his life--it's...pretty cool. Lame and insufficient way to really express it, but still. I mean, the whole Pein thing was set up as such a major antagonist for so long, and then to resolve it in the end the way it went...I'm just impressed. And like you said, so many of the 'bad guys' aren't really 'bad' at the core; it's all in how a person looks at it. Part of what makes Naruto so enjoyable/satisfying to follow, I think.

Analyzing the whole Danzou-as-Hokage thing, I realize it's the same tactics one sees in politics all around. Danzou butted in with a fearmongering spin on history, on the 'current administration' that completely made sense to the ears of the jaded and out-of-touch elders, and drowned out the sensibility of Shikaku's suggestion. Sad, but realistic. Rule and/or wield influence by the power of fear. I know he doesn't keep the seat forever, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he dies a death he deserves, but potentially this could get very interesting (in the ancient curse sense) in the meantime.

And again, he's a bastard and he gets my hackles up and I'm glad he's going to die, but at the same time I believe that along with increasing his own power base he really does want what's best for Konoha. It's just that his idea of what's best is not necessarily what really is best, in the grand scheme.

And I have to wonder, when there's that much discernible dimension and personality in even someone like Danzou, why it is that Sasuke still comes across so flat and one-dimensional. Hrm.

Now that I'm caught up to the licensed releases, I've got to see about finding somewhere to catch up online.

[entitys.livejournal.com]

congrats on tattoo lifetime fulfillment.

Resemblances: ah. that takes me back. we dropped GW for RK. i remember it vividly . . . and if you think about it NejiNaru could vaguely resemble KenSano too. it even works with SaitouSano if you're into that one instead. to stretch it, because i'm familiar with Saiyuki but not to the extent you are, i'd say Sanzo/Goku. you can blast me on that if i'm dead wrong.

Chakra: i use the phrase sit down and shut up because Naruto's chakra fuses with trickles of Kyuubi's all by itself for the most part. i'm not saying Naruto would be smarter if that didn't happen, but i do think he'd be calmer. to me, after any of Naruto's battles where he's just completely drained afterward, even if he lost, its almost like its such a relief for him to just be still. like, even during the Neji vs Naruto fight while Neji was explaining his history, normally Naruto doesn't understand anything the first time its said, or he asks a lot of questions. but that one time when his chakra was sealed he was capable of processing. after going all out against Sasuke that first time and he was in the hospital, again, he could process. so, yeah, a calm person, a chakra master, specifically Neji, makes sense. nobody else has to see Neji's awesome, i can be his number one fan.

Politics: *sigh* never followed it before, and now that we do, it just pisses me off. can't talk about it in any capacity just yet.

Inuyasha: never seen it. though lately my brother and i have been marathoning Ranma 1/2. i keep telling him Naruto is awesome but he saw an American'd episode and it may have ruined his perception cause he keeps saying 'hell no' to watching it next. guess i'll suggest Inuyasha instead.

Manga: E. and i spent all day sunday after church catching up. so we offer MangaReader.net so you can too.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Tattoo: What's funny, in a way, is that in all the time I've been thinking about it, there have been a couple of long-term ideas (a yin-yang on the ankle, some still-undeveloped design on a Dragon theme) that have always been there. And yet, when I finally acted on it, I went with something much more recently decided on (a slight variation of the ANBU tattoo - I know, I'm a geek) because it's a simple (and defined) design on a non-ticklish part of the body and I figured that's probably the best way to find out how well I can deal with the pain and the whole process (and it's seriously not that bad, at least not on the upper arm).

Politics: I've never followed much until the last couple years either. And I think I was happier that way. Not really equipped to have any meaningful political discussions either; politics in general tends to piss me off. So I totally hear you. Trying to break the husband's habit of pausing his channel-surfing on cable news channels, because he always ends up ranting. ^_^;

American'd Naruto anime: I give them props for casting, at least. It's obvious that there was effort made to match the 'feel' of the original seiyuu in most cases, and I've heard somewhere that at least some of the English cast studied the Japanese performances to help shape their own. But the mispronunciation of various names really bugs me, and the translation (while still less annoying than the Viz manga) makes me go 'grr, argh' here and there (they still call Root 'The Foundation' which, okay, I can see how 'roots' and 'foundations' are conceptually related but dammit, fandom had it cemented as 'Root' in my consciousness long before the licensed versions came out and it's jarring to watch/read around that). The thing that bugs me most about the anime, aside from all the filler arcs, is how. Bloody. Long. it takes for anything to f*cking happen. Things move at a much less frustrating pace in the manga, I've found. In any case, I hope your brother can eventually be convinced.

I recall you saying at one point that you guys had quit watching the anime at about the point where Sasuke defected and instead of going off to train with Jiraiya on the road for three years, Naruto went tripping about on dozens of filler arcs instead (you're not missing anything and I never finished all the filler crap either). Did you ever pick it back up again with Shippuuden? Just curious.

Manga: OMG, bless you both. Thanks for the link - I should be up to speed within the week, if all goes well. ^_^ I left off last about chp 490-ish I think - Kabuto just proposed teaming up with Madara. Oh, and also? Madara reminds me more and more of Ukoku (err, Nii, since I'm not sure how far you got with Saiyuki), somewhat. On a side note, it has been totally awesome to see Gaara and his sibs again for the Kage Summit, and to see him being all Kage-awesome and diplomatic and such. Sure he was in the first major arc of Part 2, but he spent most of it dead, y'know? ^_^;;

[entitys.livejournal.com]

tattoo: happen to love the design for the ANBU tattoo, so, there is no doubt that any variation is great. got one 6 years ago. on our foot. don't ever want anymore now.

politics: we started watching John Stewart and Colbert lately cause if we're gonna be pissed off we at least want to laugh about it.

American'd Naruto: dude it is definitely Root because they're at the bottom of trees. Danzou even explains that in Shippuuden. that's the proper translation anyway, though i can see where they may have confused what he was saying. because he says something more like 'Root is the foundation which supports the tree that is Konoha'. damn metaphors.

and oh holy damn. its not the pace so much as all the f*cking flashbacks! each episode has at least 5-6 minutes of crap they'd used in previous eps (e and i counted!) and it drives us psychotic. but let's face it, 19 pages is not enough to get a full 25 minute episode. we do appreciate the pace of the manga, less bs, straight to the point. but the anime has the right feel and clarifies action sequences. so there you have it. we fast forward a lot.

y'know, while i was gone, e d/l'd about a 100 eps. and we just didn't get around to watching them because of all the other crap i'd missed. but now, we've been Naruto marathoning all week for refresher (and i got my brother to watch a couple eps and he says he can watch the Japanese version but he never wants to see the American'd version again). and we started Shippuuden yesterday or so. i didn't realize i'd never seen Sai in color or heard him speak until watching the 2nd Shippuuden movie. i was like, whoa! he's spent a little too much time underground though. and not real fond of Kishimoto for making a Sasuke clone, but hey, one can't have everything.

speaking of Sasuke, even on the second watching through, he's still worthless but gotta give him some credit. he did take a beating for Naruto. repeatedly. of course, his superiority complex would allow nothing less, but still. and he did give Naruto the 'its not you, its me' speech. but the problem comes in where Naruto just never had friends before, so when one decided to quit, he just didn't know how to react. he's just so angry. dude, that's definitely not sadness. he's so pissed that he doesn't know how o express it because its against his personality. it comes across as 'oh, i gotta bring Sasuke back, and to make sure i do, i'll promise Sakura because if i say it out loud then i can't go back on my word.' but the more i watch Naruto/Sasuke interactions, i get 'bored now' from Sasuke (and i don't even blame him at this point) and 'so betrayed, so pissed' from Naruto and even the Kyuubi, who is rage personified, backs me up.

hell, even Gaara backs me up. Naruto told him specifically, "i'm just not good at saying goodbye". dude, seriously. we love seeing Gaara well-rested and in his Kazekage role too.

Madara: so powerful that he broke himself. hmm. that he could play the role of Toby for as long as he did intrigues me. i couldn't say if he was like Nii or not, we watched almost all of Reloaded but quit Saiyuki after that i think.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Tattooist did tell me that feet are the worst place comfort-wise to get tattooed. *sympathy*

Agh, yes. All the recap material scattered in annoys, and the long dramatic shots of stillness in between Profound Inner Thoughts and such. I much prefer to watch with a fast-forward button at the ready. It is fulfilling (not quite the right word but eh) to see the story brought to life in motion and color, but I'm always a little jarred by the difference in pacing between manga and anime. Storylines that seemed extra-super long in the anime were finished in a snap when I got to the reading, and now it's reversed - I see the animated version of the storyline I've already read and am going 'JFC how many episodes are they going to drag this out over??' And then the bloody filler arcs they're throwing in so that they don't outpace the manga - grr. First major filler arc of Shippuuden has its good points (more Sai in the beginning, a hysterical moment of misunderstanding between Sai and Naruto in ep 57, more Yamato, and it expands on the backstory presented for Asuma and hey, some of the supporting characters get a little screen time too) but omg, elsewise it's just gaaahhh. So much about it strikes me as really dumb, and the characters it introduces are really f*king annoying.

I tend to wonder if Kishimoto has anything to do with the filler, like throwing them basic plotlines he'd considered but not included for one reason or another (time/space/lack of interest), or if it's the anime production staff coming up with the filler all on their own.

And yeah. Sai totally needs a little more UV exposure. You'd almost think he was related to Orochimaru. I can live with his physical resemblance to Sasuke; his personality makes a massive difference. I'm sure the resemblance is meant to compare and contrast them in the first place, since that's exactly what Sakura and Naruto do almost right away. ^_^

Yeah, Sasuke. *eyeroll* I can see, in the beginning, where he might have made some progress toward becoming a decent human being eventually, but once Itachi shows up there's no hope for him.

Funny, Itachi used to bug the hell out of me too, but that fully-enlightened backstory makes a hell of a difference. He'll never be a favorite, I don't think, but he's moved up from the bottom ranks.

[entitys.livejournal.com]

tattoo: *sigh* E says i was laughing and carrying on a conversation with the group of us that went. i don't remember that. i do remember them having to pry my hand from the armrest and how painful it was to have blood return to my fingers. never again.

but yeah, exactly. i like seeing it animated now, but at the same time it's like 'c'mon man! really? really?'.

with the Asuma arc (we stopped at ep 56 to um . . . assimilate information), i think the problem is Asuma has a death sentence. but the fact that not much attention was paid to him even though he is the son of the Third, so he doesn't get the sympathy vote because nobody really knows him. ok fine, let him shine a bit. whatever.

the other problem is that they have to throw in those worthless not canon characters because they aren't allowed to contradict Kishimoto's portrayal of anyone native to the Naruto'verse. i don't think i made sense. so Naruto can only be a dumbass in the filler, Sakura heals. Sai (even though he's more a free agent) can only be that dude who's trying to learn emotion but sometimes gets it wrong.

it would probably be better if Kishimoto offered ideas for filler on things he wanted clarified but didn't have time for (like all the crap we've mentioned wanting expanded).

fine. we'll keep Sai as the likable not quite clone.

sasuke . . . well. the thing is *pauses* oh holy damn, i was really about to defend him. *looks horrified* though i still might later *shame. so much shame*

Itachi . . . the first i saw him, i thought, 'He's.The.Shit.' E. didn't like him cause he was 'Just another damn annoying Uchiha stealing the show'. gawd i i felt so vindicated when he turned out to be a good guy.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Filler:  Yeah, I get you.  I tend to kind of hate those non-canon characters; Sora in particular seems very Sue-ish.  Oh, he's got Kyuubi chakra sealed inside him too?  Really??  *headdesk*
 
There's a scene in the first ten minutes of ep 57 that I love, poor Sai, but even as I'm laughing my ass off I'm thinking they're playing too much into the surface 'caricatures' like you mention above purely for comic value.  Sai's logic that leads up to the scene is a bit of a stretch, imo, but I see myself kind of using that whole scene as a substantial building block in my Sai characterization nonetheless and then I start wondering all over again if I'm making him too naive, too out of touch, etc.  >_<  And this belongs in a different conversation.  Let me know if/when you've seen that scene, because I'd love to hear your thoughts on its...its Sai-accuracy, I guess.
 
You've got me very curious about your newfound hints of leniency toward Sasuke.  Share?  See, I've been trying to cultivate a more sympathetic understanding of him for a long time just because fandom tends to be more fun when you don't actively hate one of the principal characters.  I eventually got there with Heero, but it took awhile.  Ideally I'd like to do the same with Sasuke. I don't think I'll ever like him, and he'll always be better on crack, but if I could get past the dislike of him, I'd be happier.
 
*grin*  E's reaction was pretty much my reaction.  But I'm perfectly happy to eat crow on that front; Itachi turned out to be a surprising and very complex character, and I feel a lot of sympathy for him in the end.

[entitys.livejournal.com]

also. completely all for any Yamato/Sai cause it has taken root. pun intended.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

XD Yay!

I swear, this is just insane. The YamaSai bunnies keep breeding, much faster than I can ever hope to keep up. The inebriated porn fic is already longer than any other WIP (except Carpe Diem with it's ten chapters, of course) and longer than all except two of my finished one-shots (those two being GW pornfics). I haven't produced like this in years. What. The Hell. Damn porn muse was never this gung-ho in all the time I've been writing Saiyuki. And I somehow think I ought to be embarrassed that most of my longest works are porn. >_<

And yet, I'm just stoked to have this drive, to be producing, and I'm going to ride it 'til it runs dry. I've already finished the little Oral Fixation ficlet, and need to find myself a beta. The drunken fix-up-Yamato conversation one is growing an additional bit that may end up being clipped off into a second chapter/sequel kind of thing - I guess it depends on overall flow and tone and whether or not further scenes keep growing behind it. >_< The big ol' pornfic needs some kind of ending; hopefully I'll know it when I get there. And it needs a lot of detailing work throughout also, to keep motivations and objections and persuasion and emotional considerations all properly aligned.

And that Moonlight one, the one that I actually think will have the most Respectable Fic value in the end, is patiently waiting its turn to take over my brain again. Never mind the side-piece to the pornfic that wants to be written, and the fluff-bunny that bit while I was reading the manga last night and reached the chapter where they start rebuilding Konoha after Pein destroys it, and the handful of other ideas clamoring for attention. *sigh*

Oh, what the hell. I itch to share:

~~
"I'm often in a position of authority over him. I shouldn't do anything that could be misconstrued as an abuse of that authority."

"Seriously?" Kakashi chides. "Yamato, it's Sai. He wouldn't know sexual harrassment from a hole in the ground."

~~~
Yamato touches Sai's hand gently. "Tell me what you want, Sai."

"I am not supposed to want anything," Sai says, and it breaks Yamato's heart how free of bitterness Sai's voice is when he says it. Root is nothing if not thorough in training its operatives.

"But I am not like that anymore. I am learning to have desires. I want to form bonds and have friends, feel emotions. I wanted to have sex with you, last night."

Yamato reaches gentle fingertips beneath Sai's jaw, tilting his face up. "And what do you want now?"

Sai's dark eyes are intent and introspective. "I want to have sex with you again. I want to be the person you want to have sex with. I want a bond with you that is more than comrades on missions and in battles--"

Yamato muffles the rest of it with a kiss; he's got the gist of it already and it touches him that Sai has taken that sort of interest in him. There's no telling where this will go or when it will end or what will happen along the way and there will certainly be people who disapprove, but if he has the opportunity to help Sai learn anything about desires and bonds and emotions and living a normal life outside of Root then he will take it, whatever the risk.

Sai pulls away from him, frowning. "Your mouth tastes very unpleasant, Yamato-taichou."

"Ah, sorry--I suppose it does," he says sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his head. Vaguely-hungover morning breath doesn't taste so good in his own mouth, at that, and he wishes for a glass of water at the very least.

~~~
Currently wearing nothing but his pants, Sai opens the door.

"It's alright, Naruto," he says, and Yamato can hear that he's practicing his cheerful smile as he says it. "I slept here with Yamato-taichou last night."

Naruto is caught up short in the doorway, gaping; his eyes dart from Sai's placid semi-nakedness to Yamato's barely-adequate towel and back to the random pattern of lovebites around Sai's throat, and then his face scrunches up like he's eaten something very unpleasant.

"Aw, geez, you guys!" he wails, hands waving in front of him spastically as if to ward off the revelation. "I didn't want to know!"
~~~

[entitys.livejournal.com]

ok. this is purely Ken. may i say, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. hell. i envy you, your Porn Muse. i didn't get one. i feel so discriminated against, alls i have is a lousy Angst Demon. when it sleeps i can sometimes eek out a fluff and humor something. but no porn. none. and i've been trying to get Neji and Naruto horizontal for quite some time now in The Fall of Icarus

i itch to read!

~ *snickers* sounds like Kakashi.
~ *collective awws* i do think Sai would eventually evolve into the person in that fic.
~ *laughs* sounds like Naruto.

anticipation for them all.

-- sidenote.
i do wish we were more helpful in the whole beta process, but hell, you've seen how i throw sentences together. somehow i think a train wreck is less painful to look at. and while i can recognize bad from good, and excel at spelling, i don't know if that's enough for you. what we would like to do is host these at our site whenever their complete, if that's ok?

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Dude, you can totally host. Assuming I finish them. >_< I'm optimistic at this point, 'cause the drive is still pretty strong even if it's fallen somewhat from the levels it hit earlier in the month, but I have to look at my track record and admit that it's not exactly stellar when it comes to finishing fic in less than a year or five. ^_^;

Honestly, I feel pretty comfortable with my own skills grammatically, enough that I don't worry too much about that from a getting-my-shit-beta-read perspective. At this point, what's really got me concerned is characterization. Especially when I've read up on characters to find out relevant information from future arcs, but haven't actually gotten that far in the series yet, and then I stress over where to place the story in the timeline and whether or not it really fits and then agh, okay, what does this mean for Sai's Development--is he too much in touch with his emotions for as early as I'm thinking this should be, or if this is meant to be beyond the current point of the series then is he not Emotionally Developed enough and I can make myself crazy going in circles. Especially when I almost think that he's developing feelings and attachments and such too easily/quickly in canon, which then makes me wonder if a) my impression of Root training is perhaps too severe or b) he's not as completely repressed as he/we are initially led to believe (i.e., the training is easier to counter than we'd thought) or c) Kishimoto either can't or doesn't really want to take the time/depth to really fully explore Sai's Progress since he's a supporting character and thus Sai can feel and deduce whatever he needs to at any given point in the story to further the plot. *siiiigh*

Any maybe I'm worrying about it too much--fanfic is kind of supposed to be an individual's take on the character anyway, so...egh. It doesn't help when most of the fanfic I've read with Sai tends to focus on the comic value of his bluntness and social faux pas and apparent fondness for talking about male genitalia (I have not seen any basis for this in canon myself, but suspect that whatever it stems from has been carefully censored out of the mass-market english translations and dubs. Kind of like Konohamaru's girl-on-girl/boy-on-boy versions of Sexy no Jutsu).

I fret somewhat over Yamato, too, but the fact that he's so wonderfully normal makes me more secure in what I'm doing with him. Also, I think we've seen a little more of him than of Sai since the two of them entered the story, so I've got a little more to go on.

I wonder sometimes if I'm making Sai too naive, too out-of-touch with the world, and keep analyzing and re-analyzing the core purpose of the Root ideal and how a person raised to it is most likely going to turn out and balance that with what we see in canon and tweaking what I've written to try and match up with whatever my brain decides the proper balance is. >_< It's kind of exhausting when my brain never quite settles in the same place each time. *sigh*

And then there's the whole can of worms I've discovered in analyzing what really constitutes emotion vs. perception vs. intuition (and how much of intuition is based on emotion in the first place?) in general, and then specifically how much and what portions of typical sexual responses/behaviors tend to be emotional vs. physiological vs. 'learned' vs. 'instinctive' and trying to pin down the right balance of Adequately Responsive But Not Very Expressive for Sai-in-the-sack. >_< It's challenging, but that's also what makes it fun and fulfilling, in the end.

So, beta or no beta, if you're up to bouncing conversations like this on characterization back and forth, that would totally be helpful in the short term and the long run.

[entitys.livejournal.com]

i offer our 8.5 year incomplete fic streak if it helps you feel better.

characterization? *perks up* dude. dude! i am so out of nerd persona saying this but, holla at'cha boy! that is the one thing i'm completely confident about. i read the Naruto manga religiously, and i'm always over-exploring characters because i'm like you, i want them to be accurate.

for the implementation of Root, you got to stop and think that Kishimoto has a lot on his plate as far as this 'verse goes. we both acknowledge that. the most he can do is touch on the idea, but never really go into it because he's got to keep the story going, they don't pay him to be a psychologist and the story is called Sasuke. wait. Naruto. though, if it helps, i tend to think 'Dark Side' of the Shinobi world when it comes to certain systems like Root, ANBU, and how Bunke Class Hyuuga are/were treated. damn you Angst Demon!

once you've read up, you'll understand Root more. but for your sake, because you're writing now and anxious, i will say, Sai is capable of attachment. remember his brother? Sai really loved him, they'd been together for a really long time. in a way though, Sai is defective for a Root member because of how his brother died. i would say he ended up more traumatized than emotionless and talking to Naruto helped him remember/unlock the good instead of the bad about his brother. if he weren't an artist though, it may have been worse. he could have been more dark like other Root members and like Sasuke, but Sai's not. if anything, after the discussion with Naruto and learning how to genuinely smile, Sai would want to be more honest at all times.

fanfic I've read with Sai tends to focus on the comic value of his bluntness and social faux pas and apparent fondness for talking about male genitalia (I have not seen any basis for this in canon myself...

ah. that's actually true. when Sai first meets Naruto he does say something about how weak Naruto is must correlate to the size of his penis. and he does look and comment when they visit the baths. and he does say a few more things concerning size and usage if i'm not mistaken. y'know, E and i buy American'd Naruto manga to be supportive, but we never read it. we stick with fan translations because of things like that.

for Yamato there's only one person who freaks him out, but that should be obvious. aside from that, i'd say yes he is wonderfully normal.

holy damn, Sis. are we really going to discuss porn? really? *lip trembles, bubbly eyes* i could, i could nurture a Porn Demon eventually? this is huge. i'm so happy. i will definitely discuss porn and characterization with you! thank you for the opportunity.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Development: Yeah, I've sort of made peace with the fact that most of these awesome awesome side-characters are never going to get the kind of in-depth development I'd love to see them get, because there's just not enough time in the deadline and/or space on the page to do more than touch on it, most times. That's what fanfic is for, right? ^_^

Translation: In the Viz manga and english dub, it's something about 'Are you a boy or a girl?' at first and 'Oh, looks like Naruto is a boy after all!' at the hot springs. I figured that was the sanitized version. >_< Downside of reading something that's marketed largely to a younger audience in translation, alas. Now that I've got a source for fan-translated reading, I may backtrack to earlier chapters just for reference once I catch up completely. Fan translations are generally much more satisfying than commercially-licensed ones, I totally agree. Wish I had an understanding of the original Japanese myself; I wonder for example if Sai actually called Sakura an 'ugly bitch' and Sasuke a 'gutless little homo' like I've seen in a couple of fansub screencaps - it feels 'off', to me, but it was in the beginning and he did say something about trying out a 'certain personality type' so...I dunno. The english versions went with 'ugly girl' and condemning Sasuke as a traitor, which 'feels' more IC, but then I see what they did with the insulting-Naruto's-penis-size thing so I have to wonder.

Yes, we are totally going to discuss porn. And characterization. If I can just figure out where to start. ^_^;

[entitys.livejournal.com]

Sai on Sakura: yes, he did. ugly is 'minikui' (wish i was on my Mac and able to switch to hiragana right now) but both Konohamaru and Sai used the exact same wording when describing Sakura 'busu' <-- which can translate to ugly, disagreeable, foul-tempered hag. in short 'an ugly bitch'.

Sai on Sasuke: 'gutless little homo' um. not really. as i understand it (and its been a long time since i've translated japanese so forgive me because i'm paraphrasing and embellishing even if it is more accurate) Sai said Sasuke was a 'weak-minded coward, and a traitor, who willingly abandoned his country to suck Orochimaru's dick for power'

damn that penis obsession, huh?

if you can get a (copy of/or have seen) the 3rd shippuuden movie, (i'll seed it if you want a link to the torrent) it shows Sai's blossoming personality more. just remember that everything he does is learned from self-help books.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Good to know - thanks for the input. Are you able to give me any guidance on his vocabulary when discussing penis, by chance? Does he use the actual proper/clinical term (which strikes me as more IC, but I could be wrong), or is it the cruder more commonly-encountered slang terms that would translate to dick, cock, etc? I've seen people write him both ways, and I wonder.

No sense in seeding the torrent - it would be forever before I got around to watching it. Unless it's an ipod-compatible format, which is probably very unlikely.

[entitys.livejournal.com]

i had to go back and listen (cause i suck at written japanese). and. dude. there is no real right way to answer that because Japanese is a context-based language. far as i could hear, Sai said 'chinko' which mean 'penis' all three times i chose. but . . .

situation #1: insulting Sasuke in the beginning = dick/cock for effect.

situation #2: responding to Naruto after Naruto disparages Sai's drawing at the onsen resort = penis if he meant to be cheeky/dick if he meant to be crude. it depends on how you look at it.

situation #3: right before Sai draws the final pages for Shin's picture book and he mentions how even Naruto and Shin's 'chin--he get's cut off by the uncomfortable noise Naruto makes' are similar = ?? depends on personality at that point. could have been clinical, could have been slang. no idea.

ipod format . . . MP4? that version does exist. *points down* moving to email.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Sai. Emotion. What you said about him being 'defective' as a Root member because Shin dies before they can fight each other to the death in that final 'killing off' of emotion/attachment/etc. I may have more thoughts once I've actually read that bit, but here we go.

That tends to be one of the things that I stick on in developing him; he has demonstrated a clear ability to feel emotions and attachments and desires, but it seems he doesn't always recognize them for what they are. Or doesn't know how to name them. That conversation early on where he tells Sakura that he doesn't know what kind of face he should have been making when his brother died--that struck me as knowing that he was feeling something, but not how to express it or even what to call it. Finding out that his Root training wasn't ever technically completed kind of backs that up; it's like he got all the Root 'software' but never activated the licensed version, didn't get the full AV package to go with it which leaves him vulnerable to 'infection' once he's deployed to Team Kakashi. Which makes me tend to settle on the idea that he does (or can, at least) feel things, be they emotions or attachments or desires, but doesn't necessarily recognize them for what they are or know what to do with them or know how to express them. There's probably a lot of hind-brain/subconscious feeling going on underneath a lot of fore-brain/conscious-level repression.

But he's definitely 'defective'; I very much doubt he would have been so intrigued by the idea of bonds and friendship otherwise, would not have had the desire to stay assigned to Naruto's team for the chance to learn more about such things. That boils down to Curiosity, which may or may not be an emotion but is definitely Feeling Something in any case.

I tend to have him operating from a place where, while he's still not inclined to actively want a thing, he is able to speculate that this or that might be pleasant or enjoyable or somesuch and will eventually put together enough of these small thoughts to realize that he is cultivating a desire to act on them.

I think his art has definitely been an anchor-point to his humanity, also, and grinned when you said the same thing because I've already got Yamato thinking that point in one of the WIPs. Art is a pursuit that's often very closely bound to emotion; if Sai's battle jutsus were the only drawing he did I'd probably give it less weight but he's got the book he was drawing of him and Shin, and all his abstracts and even if he can't pin down how he feels about them or what they should be named, the fact that he's creating despite it all shows at least a remnant of individuality, of personality, of all the things that Root aimed to purge. It's stunted and repressed, but it's still there and even if Sai's attachment to it is sub-conscious and largely unrealized, it's still kept him from being totally swallowed up by the Dark Side.

Other points I want to discuss that will be way too long for this comment:
- ANBU vs. Root; ideals and methods of both groups
- Social ineptitude and social conditioning and how Sai's blankness relates
- Directness and honesty and how much is deliberate vs. conversational misteps
- Sai and naivety, logic and analysis
- Physiology vs. emotion vs. learned response
- What It All Means for Sai and sex and non-platonic relationships
- Specific examples of Am I Over-Doing This?

Will probably take this to email, at some point.

[nouvellebrielle.livejournal.com]

Good luck with these! :) They're seriously good, I would love to read more but at your own pace/inspiration. =) 10K ♥ There doesn't seem enough of it these days.

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^_^ Y'know, if I ever sat down and just focused exclusively on any one of these older pieces, I know I could get them moving again. *sigh*

And 10K - it kind of feels like the fandom in general is getting very, very quiet aside from the three '_smut' exchanges going on every year. It's sad to think it might finally be fading. It's been such a wonderful 'home' to me for the past several years; I'm not anywhere near ready to let that go.

[nouvellebrielle.livejournal.com]

>< I completely understand how you feel. I've been trying to get back into writing myself, but its creeping out ever so slowly. ):*cheers for you*

It's true that the fandom has been a lot quiet than when I went AWOL from LJ a couple'a months back. Here's to hoping that it renews itself once more; I'll definitely miss all the fabulous people I've met, and I agree with you, I'm not ready to let go either.

[gokuma.livejournal.com]

It's so cool you manage to change these snippets into fics! I have so many of this kind of fragments - and stories I want/wanted to tell but don't know/didn't know how. And I've got even more 'broken' texts - fics already finished but not as good as the starting ideas, fics I don't want to delete but I also don't know how to mend...

[tj-dragonblade.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks!  I had to re-organize my Works-In-Progress file a little while back and say 'Okay, you know what, this half-written fragment of an idea is never going to turn into a proper fic' and 'I never really 'felt' this one in the first place, so it'll probably never get finished' and so on.  The bunnies build up over the years.  These are the partially-written fics that survived the cut, so far.
 
I can't even tell you how many ideas never make it into words at all, grand multi-chaptered things that I know, deep down, I'll never manage on account of them needing some sort of plot to frame them, and Real Plot just sort of escapes me on a larger scale.  ^_^;;