#some of it is for the InuYasha fandom and some of it is for other shows and books

[feudalconnection]

Hello fellow Inuyasha fans! With the conclusion of another award trimester, along with the joy and praise comes some unfortunate news. These awards have always been a way to give recognition to the creators for the fandom, spread awareness to lesser known authors & artists, and come together for celebration of a series we all love! However, some people have seen this as an opportunity to win above all else. The awards remain anonymous to the general fandom, but as moderators we take precautions to do our best to keep it fair. With that in mind, it has come to our attention that a few people have tried to increase votes for specific works by voting from multiple accounts. We removed the duplicate votes so those recognized can receive the acknowledgement they deserve. Let this be a reminder that we do what we can to keep the checks and balances in place, and at the end of the day, these awards are for fun - not a popularity contest. Nobody should feel the need to win by cheating. The true reward of FeudalConnection is being nominated, to have your work be recognized by the fandom, and open it up to a larger audience. Unfortunately, we have now put together penalties for those who are breaking the nomination or voting rules.

First offense, the offender will receive a written warning from the moderator team.

Second offense, the offender will be under a one term ban, meaning they may not participate in nominating or voting, and their works will not be eligible to be nominated.

Third offense, the offender will be permanently banned from participating in FeudalConnection.

In addition, pressuring others to nominate or vote for them is prohibited. If anyone is experiencing that, please reach out to a moderator. The offender will be subject to the penalties as dictated above. If, for whatever reason, you don't want your fics to be nominated, you can always reach out to us to have your username added to the "Do Not Nominate List". Thank you everyone for another fun and, mostly, successful term. The purpose of FC has always been to foster our diverse community, recognize all creators, and to have fun! We will see you in a few months! -FeudalConnection

[creative-hanyou-girl]

InuKag: I Will Fall in Love with You, Over & Over Again

Otherwise known as the InuKag reunion, but make it more angsty😭😭😭😭😢😢😢😢

So, uh..its been a while hasn't it? Last time I actually posted on here was when I talked about the eclipse, which is LITERALLY ALMOST A FULL YEAR AGO😱 Like, the heck!? Where'd that time go???? I've still been lurking in the Inuyasha/Inukag tag and have left comments here and there, but I've been way too busy and tired with life stuff to actually POST something for a long time, ESPECIALLY my own art. But I'm hoping I can change that and go back to posting regularly, or at least semi-regularly. That's my New Year's resolution, anyway. I know I definitely want to get back to drawing more than I have been for a long time, and I'm happy I was finally able to post this InuKag comic! I started it a few weeks ago, but only finished coloring it yesterday.

Its probably unoriginal at this point, but this comic is based off the "Epic: The Musical" song "Would You Fall in Love with Me Again" because I'm obsessed and the song, particularly Penelope's part, is so InuKag-Coded after their 3 year separation.

Hot take: InuYasha is singing Penelope's part here because Kagome was the one to return and make the "long journey" (AKA the Odyssey) back to the feudal era, and InuYasha had to wait for her to come back (they both did, but you know what I mean) I don't know, I thought that was clever 'cause Kagome in the roll of Odysseus and Inuyasha as Penelope in this context made sense to me.

Anyhoo, I'm actually working on an InuKag animatic with this song as well, and I even have the initial draft done! I just gotta finish the actual line work. Would ya'll like to see what I've got so far, or should I wait until I have the whole animatic done?

Close up pics:

If anyone is interested in me adding them to my tags whenever I post my InuYasha (or other fandom/original) art, just let me know, and I'll add ya to my tags!

Tags: @keichanz @lostinfantasyworlds @xfangheartx @artistefish @clearwillow @stillunderyourbed @swaggingtomboy @kaze-ranna @zelink-inukag @disneysooner @sailorbabydoll92 @lavendertwilight89 @ruddcatha @fandomobsessions016 @mamabearcat @born-for-eachother @inuyashasforest @inukag @fawn-eyed-girl @katerinu @serial-doubters-club @chit-a-to @shinidamachu

[mustardyellowsunshine]

In today's episode of Shut Up Robin, Nobody Cares:

I finished Maison Ikkoku back in February, and I had a lot of feelings about the series. (It's good, do yourself a favor and go read it if you haven't.) As I read through it, I couldn't shake the thought: this is the caliber of romantic development Rumiko Takahashi can bring to the table?? We could've had this kind of relationship development in InuYasha??? 😭😭

The other thought I couldn't shake: InuYasha fans who still question the sincerity and depth of InuYasha's feelings for Kagome might benefit from reading Maison Ikkoku all the way to the end. They should read the final chapters of Maison Ikkoku, think for awhile about the blatant parallel themes found in InuYasha, and then try reevaluating InuKag's dynamic.

Now, I should clarify: I think the InuYasha series already makes it abundantly self-evident that the Inu/Kag/Kik "triangle" (🙄) is a complex situation that puts InuYasha in an extremely difficult position. (Well, it puts all of them in a difficult position, but you get the idea.) You just have to read the series with your brain on to see that. To review: teenage boy is tricked and terrorized by a demonic murderer; that demon successfully murders the boy's ex while masquerading as him; later his ex is revived from the dead against her will, wanders the earth as a vengeful spirit for awhile (who wouldn't be pissed about being brought back into that bullshit?), and is actively stalked by the demon who already murdered her once; teenage boy is falling in love with someone else when this happens, but he still wants to save his ex from being re-victimized by the demon who already brutally murdered her once. Anyone who sees that situation and describes it with a straight face as "InuYasha needs to make up his mind already" is probably never going to reconsider their assessment of InuYasha's character. They've already formed an opinion in defiance of the evidence. That ship done sailed.

But for some folks, I think experiencing the way Maison Ikkoku explores the same relationship themes—and particularly how it resolves those themes in the final chapters—could help them re-evaluate the emotional nuances in InuKag's relationship, and maybe help to re-contextualize the Inu/Kag/Kik conflict.

The parallels between Godai/Kyoko and InuYasha/Kagome are pretty obvious—Rumiko Takahashi consistently revisits this relationship dynamic in her work (it's present in Mao to a lesser extent). But I think Maison Ikkoku more directly confronts the emotional complexity of that dynamic. You can feel the difference in how RT more directly explores the messiness, complications, and pain of a) grieving a former relationship even while falling in love with someone else, and b) loving someone who is still tangled up in grieving their past. The InuYasha series obviously deals with those themes too, but Maison Ikkoku brings more focus and resolution to its exploration.

This may be for two reasons: 1) Maison Ikkoku had an older audience, as it was published in a seinen magazine geared for adult men between 18 - 40 years old, and 2) the relationship tension between Godai/Kyoko pretty much constitutes the main story of Maison Ikkoku; in InuYasha, the plot (such as it is) revolves around a vengeance quest and the monster of the week, and the relationship tensions between InuKag are second to that. Maybe that's why RT was more willing to get into the weeds with Godai/Kyoko and to more directly resolve the tension.

InuYasha does have some standout chapters where it explicitly deals with the tension of InuKag's situation (e.g., chapter 78, chapter 124, chapter 176, chapter 286, chapter 458, etc.), but there's this distinct hesitance in the narrative to resolve that tension in a substantive way. That's one of my beefs with the InuYasha series: it gives us moments of standout, concrete relationship development which then doesn't impact the future narrative all that much. The same relationship conflicts play out over and over again, well past their narrative expiration dates. See: Miroku flirting with women right in front of Sango after they've acknowledged feelings for each other; also the entire Kaō arc, which just... I do not understand the narrative purpose of that arc when it just exacerbates tensions that already existed and resolves none of them. Anyway. I digress.

You could argue this hesitance to permanently resolve relationship conflict comes from the episodic nature of InuYasha's storytelling. There's some truth to that, but that's not a satisfying explanation for why the main couple's relational status quo remains inert for the latter half of the series. Maison Ikkoku also does this to an extent—the "will they, won't they?" tension is strung along for as long as possible—but in general Maison Ikkoku does a better job of allowing relationship development to actually affect the narrative. Moments of emotional revelation and growth do change the relational status quo between Godai and Kyoko. They don't stay in quite the same relationship limbo that InuYasha and Kagome get stuck in for the latter half of the series. (It probably also helps that Maison Ikkoku is significantly shorter than InuYasha.)

All that to say: I think Godai/Kyoko is actually a useful mirror for examining InuKag, because they share the same themes and relationship dynamics without sharing the same narrative failings.

Okay, so: big time major spoilers ahead for Maison Ikkoku. Stop here if you don't want to see the conclusion of that series.

I want to look at how Maison Ikkoku's conclusion simultaneously revisits and resolves the main conflict between Godai/Kyoko.

Ahhhhhh my feelings!!! Man I love this series.

Okay, let's review the major takeaways from this scene:

• Notice how the tension between Godai and Kyoko—Godai's struggle with insecurity and Kyoko's feelings for her deceased husband—mirrors the tension between InuKag. And notice that the reader is encouraged to sympathize with both Godai and Kyoko. Godai is not "at fault" for struggling with insecurity and feelings of jealousy. That's a natural human feeling to have, especially in a relationship that hasn't been anywhere near secure until very recently. And despite whatever jealousy or inadequacy he may be feeling, Godai tries to see things from Kyoko's perspective. Part of Godai's struggle—the heartache of it—is his understanding that Kyoko is also not at fault. It's not her fault that she married before she ever met Godai, it's not her fault her husband died, and it's not her fault that she's struggling with the grief of that tragedy. She's trying to reorient herself to her new life after loss; she's falling in love with Godai, but she's also scared of betraying her husband's memory. (Let's hold that mirror up to InuYasha now, shall we? SHALL WE?) Moving on from Soichiro emotionally represents to Kyoko a breach of duty to a loved one.

• To reiterate: neither Godai nor Kyoko are "at fault" in this situation. That's precisely why it's a tragedy. They both have to process painful, messy feelings; both their feelings are valid and understandable. (Hold that mirror up to InuKag, girl. HOLD IT UP.)

• Notice how Godai explicitly acknowledges that loving Kyoko means loving the Kyoko who once loved Soichiro. "On the day I met Kyoko, you were already within her. That's the Kyoko I fell in love with." It's impossible to divorce Kyoko from her feelings for her former husband: that part of her life significantly shaped her into who she is. And I just love that Godai is hashing out his feelings at Soichiro's grave: it shows a sort of respect for Soichiro's memory, but more importantly it also shows that Godai knows his negative feelings can't ultimately be "fixed" by Kyoko. If she could fix them, he'd be having this conversation with her. (And by this point in the series they have had this conversation.) But Godai knows he's the only one who can truly work through/resolve his insecurity—especially now, when Kyoko has already assured him that she loves him—and I love how the scene's setting subtly demonstrates that. Soichiro's ghost is haunting Godai's feelings, not Kyoko's, and Godai is trying to work through that with Soichiro himself. There's no love triangle to resolve here: what needs resolving is Godai's own feelings of inadequacy which no amount of assurance from Kyoko can ultimately "fix." This is his ghost to fight. (We get an echo of this kind of inner conflict in chapter 458 of InuYasha: Kagome directly wrestles with the "ghost" of Kikyo and struggles toward some resolution of her own insecurities.... Only for the Kaō arc to come along later and materially damage that resolution and character growth for no clear reason, BUT I DIGRESS.) And this scene shows that Godai wins that fight: he comes to understand that loving Kyoko has to include accepting her past. Kagome reaches a very similar understanding in chapters 175 and 176 of InuYasha.

• To reiterate: Maison Ikkoku's conclusion is not the resolution of a "love triangle." It's the resolution of a series-long conflict, which is completely different. In order for love triangles to work—to actually function as love triangles—two competing love interests have to be viable options. This is quite evidently not the case in Maison Ikkoku: Soichiro is dead at the start of the series. It's literally impossible for Kyoko to choose him in any meaningful way. RT blatantly acknowledges this early in the series when Kyoko's father-in-law tells her she has to live her life. I cannot stress enough how self-consciously the series is not about a love triangle between Godai/Kyoko/Soichiro. (Mitaka is another matter entirely, for a different post.) Rather, the series is about the damaging power of grief in our lives, the rocky and painfully non-linear journey to healing from that grief, and how messy, fraught, and ultimately profoundly beautiful it is to love another person for exactly who they are — past pain/trauma and all. (Please for the love of heaven hold that mirror up to InuKag.)

• No, you know what? I'm not leaving that at a parenthetical. I'm just gonna say it: exactly as Maison Ikkoku is not about a love triangle, InuYasha isn't either. For the same reasons as stated above, the Inu/Kag/Kik dynamic is not ultimately a love triangle because Kikyo is dead at the start of the series. And while her spirit is magically revived—in an altered/diminished form—she is still not truly alive. The story conspicuously communicates this: her body is literally created from decomposing bones and cannot sustain itself (she needs to consume souls—other deceased spirits—to remain animated), symbolically suggesting she is of the dead even as she walks among the living. This is a facsimile of life. RT is not subtle about this. Kikyo is a tragic and complex character whose arc can be interpreted in many ways, but I think it's fair to say that the series self-consciously represents her as a past which can't be recovered. The damage has been done. She is dead, time continues to move forward, and there's no reversing that. (That's, again, why it's a tragedy.) Even her resurrected body symbolically represents this reality via death imagery. Ergo, from the very start of the series—just as we see in Maison Ikkoku—Kikyo is not a truly viable option for InuYasha. He can't choose her in any meaningful way. To "choose" her would be to essentially choose death—abandonment of life—just as Kyoko choosing Soichiro would make her "a wife who hadn't died yet." Kikyo represents an irrecoverable past just as Soichiro does. And the main thematic trajectory of each series does not suggest that Kyoko/InuYasha should give up on life by choosing death — it suggests they should choose life. Godai and Kagome conspicuously represent life, the possibility of living into the future. (Kagome is literally from the future, that's how unsubtle RT is about this.)

(A quick aside while we're here: no, Kikyo's not being a viable option does nothing to diminish the sincerity of InuYasha's feelings for Kagome. Kagome is not a "second choice," for the love of God the series blatantly addresses that very thing many, many times—like it's right there y'all—and I have already written a long ass post about why Kagome's insecurity over InuYasha's feelings for her shouldn't be taken as gospel truth.)

So, rather than being an actual love triangle, I think the Inu/Kag/Kik dynamic is a complicated emotional landscape that explores the same themes Maison Ikkoku does: how grief and trauma affect our lives, how painful and messy it can be to heal from that grief, and that loving someone—choosing to take that mutual risk with them—means trusting that they mean it when they tell/show us they love us, and choosing to trust them more than our own insecurities.

It's just that Maison Ikkoku explores those themes a little better. 😅 Which is why I think it makes a good mirror for re-examining InuKag: all the same themes without all the narrative failings and missed opportunities. ✌🏼

[feudalmerengue]

I was checking @cupidslyres blog (amazing btw go check it out) and I found this:

Im here to prove why this is super wrong.

Ok first of all, Inuyasha and Kikyo's trust issue.

Kikyo and Inuyasha never truthfully trusted each other, but that's because of the environment they lived in. Kikyo was a priestess trained to eliminate any youkai she encountered, she was then tasked with protection the Shikon Jewel and prevent it from being stolen by any youkai, Kikyo was told not to trust any youkai's at all. Inuyasha is a half-demon, who was discriminated and bullied by both youkai and human, he had to learn how to defend himself from the world that was always threatening him, and that implies that trusting people was something that compromised his safety. So its natural that they couldnt allow themselves to trust each other, they were told that people like them couldn't be trusted.

But even with all of this in mind, they became closer and eventually fell in love with each other. However, they couldn't allow themselves to lower their guard completely, Kikyo needed to protect the jewel and Inuyasha needed to survive. And that was what Naraku used to trick them into killing each other, their lack of trust.

Now, Kagome just sitting Inuyasha when he thinks about Kikyo. Again also false.

Kagome all throughout the series showed that she was more than ok with Inuyasha going to aid Kikyo if she needed. She even encouraged him to go look for her. Yes she got mad and yes she was jealous but she faces it and understands its a normal feeling and it doesn't stop her for wanting Kikyo's safety and Inuyasha's happiness. Also, the only time Kagome goes back to her time after seen Inuyasha and Kikyo together is episode 47 but this allowed both Inuyasha and Kagome the time and space to reflex. Episode 48 is all about Kagome understanding Inuyasha's position and facing her own feelings. Kagome accepts she is in love with Inuyasha and she admitted she is jealous of Kikyo, but she still wants Inuyasha to be happy no matter what and makes the decision to stay by his side knowing it could hurt her feelings.

And lastly, saying that Inuyasha never trusted Kagome, you just straight up didn't watch the show.

Kagome was the first one to know about his human night. Kagome was the first person (besides his mother) to accept and love him as a hanyo. Kagome was the first person he opened up about his feelings and past trauma. Kagome was the first person that cried for him (again, besides his mother) and the first time Inuyasha ever cried was because of Kagome.

Pls go watch Inuyasha's love confession. That is pretty much everything I just said SAID BY INUYASHA HIMSELF.

Just to finish up I want to say that I absolutely do not hate Kikyo what so ever. She is one of the best characters ever created and I love her. Im just pointing the obvious.

[bogbees]

anyway my brain has been crazy for a rarepair that features the following traits

one guy is dead

dialogue mentioning heart

opposites but they're actually VERY similar

both are family oriented

if you can guess whatever the fuck this is, you get a kewpie doll

like i will draw whatever character you want as a kewpie doll

[wreckedhoney]

^^ "coming to the conclusion that positioning the "can people enjoy things that would be immoral IRL in their fiction" debate as a proship v anti fandom debate is akin to pretending that "should we have the death penalty" is a discussion that only matters in Death Note discourse"

not proshipper not anti but a secret third thing (person who has a career in the media and, through covering legislative politics, has watched "associating with problematic fiction or entertainment is an indicator of moral degeneracy" rapidly become a mainstream GOP position that they are encoding in legislation to target the queer community under the guise of protecting children, thus coming to the conclusion that positioning the "can people enjoy things that would be immoral IRL in their fiction" debate as a proship v anti fandom debate is akin to pretending that "should we have the death penalty" is a discussion that only matters in Death Note discourse — the extent and manner to which fiction affects reality is an issue that is immediately relevant to today's US politics, and to summarize my opinions on the matter in fandom terms would be to diminish the ways this debate is affecting america Right The Fuck Now. and i have stopped taking "this person is bad for shipping the wrong anime thing and being horny about it" in any sort of good faith ever since I saw it literally used as part of a GOP smear campaign against a transgender state legislator in an attempt to defend the right from backlash after they used their supermajority in the Montana house to prevent her from speaking on the floor. Anyway I think everyone on this site, especially Americans, could benefit from ceasing to think in proship v anti vocabulary and instead developing coherent political positions on the nature of fiction that do not directly align with current fascist political tactics)

[shinidamachu]

Do you think Kikyo should’ve been nicer to Kagome and thanked her for all those times she saved her? Some of the fandom even thinks she owed her Spiritual training as well, what do you think?

To me, the thing about Kagome and Kikyo's rivalry is that it felt very one sided. Obviously, they both had extremely valid reasons to hate each other's guts at first — reasons that go beyond Inuyasha —, but Kikyo was the only one actually acting on it.

And she kept doing it even after Kagome has proved, time and time again, that she can be trusted and that she is in no way deserving of Kikyo's hatred.

I think that was a great dynamic because Kagome and Kikyo parallel each other so well: while Kagome was strugling with her own feelings in order to understand Kikyo's and accept her as a part of Inuyasha's life...

...Kikyo was fighting to do the exact opposite and hold on to her grudge. You can tell it by the way she can recognize what Kagome's true intentions were but still belittle her for it and refuse to say anything nice to her face.

It's a extremely compelling "yin and yang" sort of thing that worked very well at the start. What happened was that, at a certain point, Kagome has done so much for Kikyo that any ressentment towards her just felt a little ridiculous.

And I'm not even saying Kikyo should've been nicer and thanked Kagome. I think it's perfectly okay for a female character to dislike another. They don't have to be friends just because they're women, especially when there's so much bad blood between them.

In fact, I don't think there's room for a canon friendship there without it feeling awkward and forced — even though Kagome was obviously trying. I also think Kikyo being nice and thanking Kagome would be out of character and honestly a little underwhelming.

After everything that happened, a simple "thank you" doesn't even begin to cover. And as much as Kagome deserved to hear it, she didn't do anything because she wanted to be the better person or for Kikyo to be in debt with her. She did it because she's a good person and therefore will always do the right thing.

In my opinion, it wasn't exactly to Kagome that Kikyo owed anything, but to the narrative, as a way to earn her so called redemption by being held accountable for her actions, which she never really was.

Rather than Kikyo being nicer to Kagome, I think it would've been much better for both characters if Kagome was allowed to tell Kikyo off every now and then without it being an illusion.

And rather than Kikyo thanking Kagome, it would've been way more natural and meaningful for her to die saving Kagome's or Inuyasha's life instead of Kohaku's. It would've shown more regret and gratitude than any words ever could. Everything would come full circle — since she tried to kill them both while they were only trying to save her — and her closure would feel actually earned.

As for the spiritual training thing, I see where people are coming from and in another universe I think it would've been totally cool for them to have a dynamic like Aang and Roku had in Avatar, but again: it doesn't really work in canon.

More importantly: it goes against a theme that was introduced very earlier in the show, which is Kagome being her own person, doing her own thing, aside from Kikyo.

We literally see her trying to channel Kikyo's powers and failing...

...Then just being herself and succeeding:

If anyone was obligated to train her, that's Kaede, but particularly I like the idea of Kagome being self taught and making the moves up as she goes even better. I think it adds a lot to her character, I just wished Takahashi had explored it properly.

Plus, let's be honest: Kagome was doing a fine job on her own. Kikyo was the one making her life a thousand times harder by coming up with those nonsensical plans. In the end of the day it wasn't Kagome who needed Kikyo to defeat Naraku, but rather Kikyo who needed Kagome.

That being said, if Kikyo were to be nicer and thank someone, I think that person should've been Inuyasha and I will die on this hill. He was risking everything he had because she guilt tripped him into thinking he owed it to her.

"You came for me, that is enough" was not a thank you nor an apology. I can understand her reluctance when it comes to Kagome, but I can't justify her treatment of Inuyasha. Not when she was supposed to love him.

[friendlyneighborhoodamara]

Can't sleep so I'm gonna talk about Akane Tendo's reputation among fans. It's no secret I'm an Akane fan, and I'm glad that the fandom seems to be kinder to her today than in the past. In light of this, I'd like to address some of the common arguments people make or used to make against her.

For reference, a significant chunk of the humor in Ranma 1/2 involves Ranma, often intentionally, pissing Akane off, to the point that she hits him really, really hard. This is a pretty common comedic trope in shonen anime prior to like...I wanna say the 2010s? (I never watched Naruto since it looked bad but I am pretty sure that's Sakura and Naruto's dynamic.) Anyways, while I joined the fandom recently, I have learned that when the show came over to America in the early 90s, Akane was SUPER controversial for treating Ranma like this, with her critics calling her a violent domestic abuser and misandrist, and her reputation has only really recovered recently.

Now, if the "girl character beats up boy character in fit of rage" trope is something that isn't your taste in comedy, then it's not your taste in comedy. However, it's important to keep in mind qualifiers for Akane's behavior. Akane at the start of the series has been harassed by boys at her school who want to beat her up and force her to date them, leading to her having a justifiably poor perception of men and boys. Her hating boys and seeing the worst in them is very different from a man hating women due to patriarchal expectations, and even then she treats boys who are nice to her like Ryoga well.

Honestly, the only area where her dislike of boys gets kinda like morally problematic in my view is if you interpret Ranma as a trans girl: while I joked in an earlier post that Akane is a TERF, one could argue that, albeit unintentionally, Akane's negative reaction to seeing Ranma naked in her bathtub (even if accidentally) and then calling him/her a pervert plays on transphobic rhetoric against letting trans women use the women's restrooms like we're supposed to. (Humorously, most of the people mad at Akane seem to be, ah...not exactly fond of trans!Ranma headcanons, but I digress.) If other trans girls or our allies don't find the slapstick funny for that reason, fair enough, but I don't feel bothered by it given how most of the time Ranma gets hit it's for being legitimately rude and again the violence is very unrealistic.

Admittedly, if Ranma 1/2 had a more serious tone and grounded level of violence, Akane hitting Ranma would be abusive. But in the series, martial artists can walk off stuff like being crushed by a boulder, so Akane beating Ranma up by kicking him/her 50 feet into the sky because she thought he/she was trying to feel her up is not so much like domestic abuse and more akin to a wife giving her husband a light dope slap. Remember, much of the violence in this series is basically just that of a Tom and Jerry cartoon, albeit with an early Dragon Ball aesthetic. Furthermore, Ranma - as much as I love him/her as a character - is usually the instigator, with the wiki even having a list of the cruel nicknames he/she gives her, so it's not as if her actions are unwarranted:

There is, per some people, a gendered component to this discussion, that if the genders were flipped, this wouldn't be funny since Ranma doesn't hit Akane. Now, firstly, if you're a man and a 35-year-old anime not having a boy beat up a girl enough is your worst experience with "sexism", well...get over it. Secondly, in terms of wider media, men commit violence against women that is framed for laughs all the time (ex.: Miroku in Inuyasha, another Rumiko Takahashi series, is a male character where his running gag involves him groping women, which is a more realistic form of violence than anything Akane dishes out), so the notion that it's only women who hurt men in media for laughs is untrue. Thirdly, the notion that hitting Ranma is viewed as okay because "he's a boy" is dubious since he does canonically turn into a girl and Akane hits Ranma regardless of gende, and despite his claims to the contrary he/she doesn't really hate being a girl as much as he/she claims. As a concession, I will note that especially in the past some writers can be reluctant to show slapstick against women, but this is more due to internalized misogyny and viewing women as weak and needing protection. Personally, even assuming that Akane was a boy and Ranma was wholly a girl, I'd have no problem with the slapstick since it's clearly goofy and unrealistic.

Anyways, I'd like to conclude by saying (1) I am glad that I joined the fandom at a time when Akane is being perceived more and more fairly as a flawed but generally pretty nice and hilarious character who has a good deal of pathos despite the clearly slapstick-y nature of the series, and (2) thanks for reading this long, very sincere post.

[inukag-archive]

Merry Christmas!

On behalf of the Fic Finder team please enjoy this compilation of some of our favorite Christmas themed stories. We couldn't even make a dent in the number of holiday stories across the platforms, so please add your favorites in the reblogs!

A Quick Note: As the world continues to spin through the holiday season, hold your fandom friends close. We may not all be at the same party or curled up under the same tree, but we're together all the same.

Wishing you peace, love, and hot chocolate- The Fic Finder Team.

Pixie, Rudd, KStew, Anisa, Lost, & MamaBear

Silver and Gold by @splendentgoddess (E)

Christmas Eve is a time to celebrate family, love, and togetherness. Not something Kagome gets a lot of while trying to stop Naraku. But everyone deserves the occasional night off, right? Takes place during manga chapter 512.

--

Apple Pie and Mistletoe by @ruddcatha (M)

Called out of town unexpectedly for work just before Christmas, Inuyasha Takahashi asks his best friend Kagome, whom he's secretly loved for years, to house sit. When a storm grounds his plane, will the two friends admit their feelings, or continue to stay silent? What role does Apple Pie and Mistletoe play in what is about to unfold?

--

'Tis The Damn Season by @akitokihojo (T)

Best friends, to nothing, to one of them putting every ounce of their effort into avoiding the other. Christmas was supposed to be about visiting her family, but Kagome noticed the snow on the ground wasn't the reason an icy feeling crept down her back. Her childhood best friend, and neighbor, was home for the holidays as well. Turns out, being an adult doesn't help you escape from messy assumptions and the repercussions of being too scared to go after what you really want. For either of them.

--

A Piece of Home by omgitscharlie (E)

At winter's first snowfall, Kagome finds herself reminiscing about Christmas back in her time.

--

Mistletoe: Inuyasha by masterhiccup (K+)

Christmas in a remote cabin? Check. Best friends trying to play matchmaker? Check. Stunning girl that makes your heart go pitter patter despite constant, inward disapproval? Double check. Oh man, Inuyasha was in for one hell of a ride from the very beginning. How was he going to make it through the holidays if he could hardly handle the Hallmark movie he was currently living?

--

Everything But The Pear Tree by @fandomobsessions016 (E)

After going through a rough break-up, Kagome decides she's going to pull herself out of her slump by diving head first into holiday preparations. With her friend Sango and the help of her new neighbor, Inuyasha, Kagome is reminded why the holidays are so special to her.

--

The Best Present by @fawn-eyed-girl (T)

Inuyasha helps Kagome bring a Christmas tree home to the Higurashi shrine. Kagome tells Inuyasha about the traditions of Christmas Eve, and he gives her a special gift.

--

Slipped by @witchygirl99 (E)

“I was worried it’d be more of a sex thing.” A sex thing. Inuyasha makes a face at the ceiling. God, why does Miroku say shit like that? “Yeah, well,” he grouses, grabbing at his cell phone so that he can look his friend in the eye. “Give me some fucking credit. I’m trying not to fall in love with her.”

Miroku looks, in that moment, far too smug. “And how’s that going for you?”

“Fuck you,” comes his automatic response, a knee-jerk reaction. Begrudgingly, unhappily, Inuyasha sighs his next admission. “Not great.” Inuyasha has a life plan that is viciously, cheerfully and quickly dismantled the moment he becomes temporary roommates with one Kagome Higurashi. Unsurprisingly, this is all Miroku's fault.

--

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by FrameOfMind (T)

AU. God, how he hated Christmas carols. Now, if someone would only think to write one about the overcrowded shopping malls and the sticky pine needles and the damn Salvation Army, that would be the Christmas carol for him...

--

Secret Santa (series) by @splendentgoddess (E)

In a modern world where most youkai stick to the wilds, hanyou are stuck in the middle, forced to live in human society. Inuyasha has an okay job and okay coworkers, but he's lonely, until one year when the office Christmas party changes everything.

--

If You Dare by @fawn-eyed-girl (E)

Inuyasha hates Christmas, and looks forward to spending it alone. Kagome loves Christmas, and is devastated that she has to spend it alone. She decides to leave a notebook in the stacks at a bookstore, in hopes of making a special connection. When Inuyasha finds it, does he dare take her challenge? And will she dare to accept his Commissioned Artwork by Clearwillow

--

Skeins and Schemes by @cannibalsforbreakfast (G)

Inuyasha didn’t understand why she was insisting she needed to go back to her time, because this time last year Kagome had said her school was on “ho-li-day” and that there were no classes. She’d tried to put Inuyasha off with excuses — she had a makeup exam, her school had changed its schedule — but she could tell he didn’t believe her. Because how could she tell Inuyasha that she needed to go back to her time to make him a Christmas present?

--

No Matter The Storm by @lavendertwilight89 (T)

Kagome gets taken and Inuyasha comes to save her but the can't outrun the winter storm. Trapped in a cave, what could happen?

--

Ego & Bias by hoshi-ni-onegai (T)

Sometimes, first impressions are everything and Inuyasha wasn't winning any contests. While attending a holiday party, Kagome runs into a guy who grates her nerves like no one has before. AU.

--

Christmas Traditions by @ideasthatbuildcities (G)

It's Christmas time and Kagome is eager to start sharing with her daughter the Christmas traditions she used to do with her mother. She only hopes Moroha would like to be as involved as Kagome wants her to be. Inuyasha is helping in his own way. [InuKag Family Christmas fluff for ruddcatha for the 2020 Inuyasha Fandom Secret Santa on Tumblr]

--

Mistletoe Tales by Reinamy (T)

The holidays are a time for miracles, even of the romance-variety. A love story told in bits-and-pieces.

[olderthannetfic]

I'm in a couple anime fandoms, mostly from series I started when I was a kid and was a part of the target age range (but not necessarily demographic bc many are shonen and I'm a woman), and I've recently started re-reading and rewatching some series I thought I really understood. Turns out I had a lot of the characters wrong and so does a lot of the fandom to this day. I was vaguely aware of the Yashahime "controversy" with Sesshomaru and Rin and just thought it was funny how many people found issue with what was obviously endgame (Let's be real, the only purpose for Rin's character was Sesshomaru's character development. There's not much else to her 🤷🏽‍♀️), especially because of the many people saying Sesshomaru was so mature and was like her father, which I partially thought, too. I'm about 20 chapters from the end, and he's so petty, vindictive, and childish from beginning to end! He wasn't parenting anyone and had no reason to initially pursue Inuyasha besides spite, entitelment, and arrogance lol. Did we all think that a stoic personality is the same as maturity as kids?!

Then watching and reading Naruto again made me realize a lot of the fanbase is really odd about Sasuke as a character. I also thought he was whiny, dramatic, and overemotional as a kid, but now he's definitely one of the most compelling parts of the story for me. He's just a traumatized kid with an avoidant attachment style and insecurity complex who's scared of getting close to people because he doesn't want to be hurt again while constantly mourning his entire clan. That and Naruto takes place in a feudalist-based world with a daimyo wherein clans are integral to society individual identity, but Sasuke's prevented from being a socially "good son" in avenging his clan's honor because blind nationalism is good or something 🤷🏽‍♀️, despite the narrative allowing other characters like Shikamaru to get revenge. Very cynical and a bit too realistic for me in that aspect. Honestly, pretty glad I never picked up on any of that as a kid, or it'd be too depressing.

So yeah. I've been pretty surprised from these re-reads and rewatches. No idea what comes next, maybe Sailor Moon or Fushigi Yuugi. Has anyone else experienced something similar when revisiting stuff from their childhoods?

--

Did we all think that a stoic personality is the same as maturity as kids?!

Yes.

[creative-hanyou-girl]

ATTENTION IY AND KAMISAMA KISS FANDOMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANNETTE MARIE IS HAVING A LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER COPY OF ALL 3 OF THE RED WINTER TRILOGY BOOKS IN ONE BEING OFFERED!!!!

The Red Winter Trilogy is a masterpiece especially if your into Inuyasha and Kamisama Kiss or Japanese mythology in general. You guys won't be disappointed!!!!!!

Here's some more stuff:

AND I KNEW THIS SERIES WAS INSPIRED BY INUYASHA!!!! I FREAKING CALLED IT!!!!!

I will say that this offer is a big project and that nothing is guaranteed until Annette and her team have reached their pledge goals and have some stuff finalized. Already though, some of their purchasing offers involving this hardcover have been fully met. By the time I got to this, they had only 2 offers for the hardcover open, so this is a limited time thing!!!!!

You guys can go to KickStarter here where Annette Marie is making this offer:

Tags: @serial-doubters-club @intoevernightfanfic @keichanz @clearwillow @disneysooner @inukag @ruddcatha @lavendertwilight89 @chit-a-to @born-for-eachother @sailorbabydoll92 @artistefish @lostinfantasyworlds @stillunderyourbed @katerinu @mamabearcat @swaggingtomboy @zelink-inukag @xfangheartx

[bomber-grl]

Hiro Hamada + Anime watcher!Reader

Pairing(s): Hiro Hamada x Gn!Reader (no pronouns)

You can’t tell me that Hiro doesn’t watch anime

He’s literally the biggest anime watcher ever so imagine how ecstatic he is at the possibility of you guys sharing favorite anime’s

Honestly he’s the type to watch shonen like Full metal alchemist, Bleach, and most definitely One piece

But he also watches shoujo

He LOVES shoujo

Ouran High School Host Club? Yes. Kamisama Kiss? Absolutely

Honestly you probably had to hold him by force to get him to watch ohshc fully because we all know how weird it is sometimes 😭

One day , before he found out you also liked anime, Hiro catches you watching anime or even sees that you reposted an anime edit

Let’s just say he goes off on you

He’s automatically going to ask you all your favorite animes/ any fandoms you’re into and if you cosplay (which is a whole other post)

If you’re into ranma 1/2 and inuyasha (I personally love u)

Hiro though, he’s not really into them, if you try to get him to watch them then he probably will

That goes for any anime that you recommend him even if he’s acting like he won’t

He also needs you to be there to watch it with him

Otherwise he’ll forget and never end up watching it 😭🥲

You found that out the hard way

Also if you’re into Studio Ghibli then he’d definitely want to watch any of the films with you

Honestly Hiro probably knew of Studio Ghibli because Cass probably bought like Totoro merch or something since she thought it was cute 😭

He never watched it until you offered to watch a film with him

From then on he’s likely to buy some cute merch for you both

Also, if you have crushes on characters in the animes that you two talk about-

Best believe he’s judging you HARD like the turd that he is

Like literal side eyes constantly

As if he isnt subconsciously talking about liking Naruto 💀

Like damn

And if you tell him anything about liking certain characters he’d go off about how they’re good and how you’re wrong

Besides these arguments when it comes to anime characters he’s strangely protective of he’s honestly the best person to watch anime with

You don’t watch anime together often though cuz you both have your own things going on

When you’re specifically watching a romance anime he’ll point at certain scenes as if telling you

Let’s do that

(Or vise versa)

Again, he’s great to watch anime with despite his constant yelling and talking over the show, then failing to react to your favorite parts

[feudalconnection]

Get Ready...!!

It's the start of the 2nd Term 2024 Inuyasha Fandom Awards!

We hope everyone has had a good start to the year! A huge shout-out to everyone who participated last term and made it such a huge success! We look forward to all of the amazing new fanfiction and fanart to be shared with this beautiful community!

A special thank you goes out to @elevenharbor for donating her time and talent to creating banners for everyone! (If you have not received your award banner for last term, please reach out to one of the mods asap!)

We also wanted to let you know that the lovely @yukinon-writes has stepped down as being a moderator for FeudalConnection. She has brought such amazing elements to our awards, and we will always keep a mod-spot open should she wish to return.

With her parting, we've had a seamless transition in welcoming @the-lone-huntress into the fold, and we look forward to all of her ideas and innovations she brings with her.

At the end of last term, the voting form also included the possibilities of the Roulette Categories for this term, and we have taken the top choices for both Fanart and Fanfiction:

The Fanfiction Roulette Category for this term will be Best Rising Author. This is defined as: A piece crafted by an Inuyasha fandom creator who has not placed first, second, or third in any previous quarters. A category to recognize lesser-known authors and show them some love.

The Fanart Roulette Category for this term will be Best Underappreciated Fanart. This is defined as: An Art piece with under 100 notes or retweets, designed to highlight some of the newer or lesser known artists.

In addition, we are adding a Roulette Romance category for both Fanfiction and Fanart. This term the pairing chosen will be Inuparents (Inu no Taisho x Izayoi).

For Fanfiction, it will be defined as: Stories that have developed a believable romance between Inu no Taisho and Izayoi (aka Inuyasha's parents). "Believable" is subjective, and it is up to those nominating/voting to draw their own line on that quantifier and vote their "Best". This includes canon universe and AU/AR settings. A thruple can be included, but only if the focus is on Izayoi and Inu no Taisho's relationship.

For Fanart, it will be defined as: Any romantic depiction of Inu no Taisho and Izayoi (aka Inuyasha's parents).

The original Best Romance categories will remain, so all other pairings, including LGBTQ+, can be nominated into those categories. All other pairings will be up for voting again next term.

If it wasn't mentioned above, chances are it hasn't changed. Please be aware that the moderators always take suggestions regarding how the awards are run and category changes into consideration, and each new term may bring about new changes. You can read up on the most recent FAQs, Rules of Eligibility, and Categories for more information [these links are only available on desktop].

For ease of access on mobile, the FAQs, Rules of Eligibility, and Categories can be accessed through this link.

As nominators, please make sure that each term you take a peek at our list of creators who can’t be nominated to make sure you are staying current with who is eligible to be nominated.

Here you can find the mobile-friendly link for all current nominations for this term.

The 2nd Term 2024 nomination period will begin on May 1st and go until the end of the day May 15th. Please send your nominations in through the submit button! If you have any other questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to send in an ask or reach out to one of the mods! We are also frequently available on the FC Discord!

Mods: @classysassy9791, @ruddcatha, @dchelyst, @the-lone-huntress

Please reblog to spread the word of the start of the new term!

[summerofspock]

Tagged by @shichidikai and @bageltopia to answer 20 writerly questions. Thanks so much for the tag! Some of these answers are embarrassing lmao

How many works do you have on ao3?

194 (in my defense I have been on there for over 10 years)

What's your total ao3 word count?

2,392,769 😩

What are your top five fics by kudos

Just One More (It Couldn't Hurt) - Star Trek

Car Trouble - Good Omens

mad or well-advised - Good Omens

South Downs - Good Omens

Under Construction - Good Omens

What fandoms do you write for?

Currently? One Piece and I'm fiddling with Arcane behind the scenes without posting. But I have written for Avatar The last Airbender, Game of Thrones, Star Trek, The Magnus Archives, Silmarillion, My Hero Academia, and MXTX works.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

OK so my inbox is a fucking mess. I do try to respond to comments but once I fall behind I fall so behind. And once I start getting mean comments or concrit, it's hard for me to go back and respond to comments on a fic. Usually, I'll respond in a big wave to comments on the last chapter before posting the next but sometimes I forget.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't really write unhappy endings. 🤔 I currently have an abandoned wip that ends at an unhappy spot and I have a few dead dove oneshots that are pretty angsty but no multichaps. Maybe feather of lead.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

They are genuinely all so happily ever after fluffy that it's hard to choose. Maybe Car Trouble. Or after all the angst, you might consider the ending of such small words super happy. Idk.

Do you get hate on fics?

Depends on how you define hate. I get comments telling me I made incorrect choices or that my fics are wrong in some way for doing xyz. I get character hate. I've been told I'm a bad person for writing certain kinks or tropes on pwps or that I'm perpetuating stereotypes and that's damaging. Annoying shit like that.

Do you write smut?

Lmao yes

Do you write crossovers?

I've done it once! Star Trek/Good Omens for shits and giggles.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

One time. It got taken down fairly quickly though.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah! A handful of times. It's always so cool when people ask.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Yes. With my beloved collaborater naromoreau. I think we have like eight fics we wrote together? Probably about 200k collaborated words at this point. I've learned so much from her and nothing is as fun as writing with her.

What's your all time favorite ship?

I will probably never get over spirk.

What's the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hot Sugar. I'm so sorry but I lost the will.

What are your writing strengths?

I am a fast writer. My methods of getting through writers block almost never fail. But those aren't strengths that translate to the page.

On the page, I think I'm good with character psychology and motivations which I think shows up well in dialogue, pacing and plot beats. My writing is concise mostly because if I don't have a reason for including something, I will cut it. I'm a brutal editor and will kill my darlings without remorse.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I am a fast writer lmao which sometimes means I write too much and quality dips massively because the mental reservoir will empty and I end up tapping an empty well. While I like to think I am concise and efficient at conveying things, I sometimes think I "underwrite" or perhaps "overtell."

Thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages?

As a younger writer, I did it but only because I spoke that language. I think there might be value. Here we come back to, if you can make a compelling argument for *why* it serves the story then I'm open to it but also you better check with someone who is fluent.

First fandom you wrote for

Star Trek. Unless you count my notebook scribbling of inuyasha fic when I was 14.

Favorite fic you've written

God ok. I've written nearly 200 fics across a gazillion fandoms so there's a few. Most recently life in your shape for One Piece because I challenged myself to write something low conflict and loved how it came out. Watermark from Good Omens. And Grossly Undeserved from Star Trek.

I just love writing about what love means to different people!!!

If you read this whole ass thing then have a kiss on the forehead and know i love you.

I'll tag @naromoreau @softzosan if you'd like! Most other folks I know have gotten tagged already!

[ssukidesu]

don’t be a stranger

Fandom: Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

Pairing: Inukag

Rating: T

Inukag Week 2024 - Day 5: Personal Space

Summary: Kouga doesn’t respect Kagome’s personal space, and Inuyasha runs an experiment.

Read on AO3

Read below the cut

Evening came and went in a blur. Kagome’s eyebrow twitched at the sensation of golden eyes on her back as she cooked up some stew for the two of them. The others had gone back to the village, each for their own convenient reasons, but she knew that it was really because they, too, thought it best to leave them some time to resettle. They would be rejoining them after nightfall.

She sat on the opposite side of the fire he’d built to eat her serving of stew in peace, but as soon as he finished his own bowl, Kagome knew she wouldn’t be able to keep him at bay much longer.

Well, time to embrace the inevitable.

Taking her food with her, she pulled herself with a grunt to her feet, circled around the fire, and plopped right next to Inuyasha on his left side. He was leaning his back against the closest tree to the flames. He clearly still felt disgruntled about the day’s events, but he was long past growing angry with her about it, surely. All of his disdain was for the pushy wolf—and she appreciated that, at least. Alongside the disdain, though, there seemed to be something else bothering him.

Kagome leaned forward, bracing her arms over her knees, her own bowl still between her hands. It was warmer in her previous spot; she wasn’t as close to the fire now, and the wind bit through her clothes when it blew. She mused that she’d likely be more comfortable if she changed into her pajamas.

She’d been dreading when he’d finally start this stupid conversation, but the sooner it began, the sooner it’d be done.

The sudden sound of his voice wasn’t unexpected.

“So, you don’t like that kinda thing, huh?” he probed.

Kagome frowned, digging at a piece of cabbage stuck in her tooth with her tongue. “What kind of thing?”

After a beat, he spoke flatly, “Getting felt up.”

She cringed. Inuyasha was an all or nothing sort of man: either he would beat around a bush until he made himself dizzy, or he’d spit out something so blunt it made her dizzy. Right now, she wasn’t sure which she would have preferred more.

…

Kouga’s arm was crushing over her shoulder, more of a confining weight than a sweet affection. His words were equally heavy on her waning patience.

“Kagome, you don’t have to play shy—I know you’re only saying that ‘cause the mutt’s feelings will get hurt. Don’t worry about him.”

Her eyebrow twitched. “I’m not worrying about anything. I just don’t want your arm on me.”

“What, is it too heavy? I have been putting some muscle on recently—”

“It’s called personal space, Kouga. Can’t you respect mine?”

…

Kagome filled her mouth with a final spoonful of stew, chewed, and swallowed. Inuyasha was looking down at her expectantly, already having finished his bowl. She clunked hers on the hard ground.

“Didn’t you hear what I said to him?” she said, curling her lip. “Of course not. I like my personal space, thank you very much.” She straightened her spine and planted her hands on the ground behind her.

“Hmm. You sure about that?” he asked in a strangely calm voice. She turned her head to inspect him and found him gazing at her sideways. It wasn’t an accusatory look, but it did contain a clear serving of doubt.

…

“Bastard!” growled a familiar gruff voice before landing a hard fist to Kouga’s head.

“Ow!” cried her captor, who whipped around and cradled the wound with his free hand.

“Keep your filthy hands to yourself,” Inuyasha spat.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. At least this meant Kouga would probably let her go so that he could square up with Inuyasha.

He did just that. Lifting his arm from her shoulder, Kouga turned to face the half-demon, who had landed only a couple feet away. Kagome turned, too. She found Inuyasha not looking at Kouga, but at her. She sent him a look of tired gratitude before the wolf could steal his attention fully.

“Oh, you’re still around? That’s surprising,” drawled Kouga.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s just that there was hardly any trace of your scent on Kagome… I figured she finally got tired of you.”

…

Didn’t he believe her by now? It wasn’t like she hid her discomfort earlier. Even she could still smell the wolf’s unkempt stench on her shirt. How could he even think she was okay with it?

“Is that so hard to believe?” she grit out, clearly offended.

“Honestly?” he grunted. “I know for a fact you were lying about that.”

What the hell? Was he delusional? Was he that jealous? Kagome glared at him in pure horrified agitation—but his own expression, surprisingly, didn’t seem exactly angry.

…

Kagome grit her teeth. What was she, some kind of fire hydrant?

“What is she, your personal pissing post?” growled Inuyasha. It wasn’t the most gracious of phrases, but she appreciated the sentiment.

She thought now would be a good time to say so herself, too. For the hundredth time.“Kouga. My answer is the same now as it’s always been: I’m. Not. Going. With. You.”

“Come on, Kagome! You know I’d treat you better than this flea brain?”

“Kouga… how Inuyasha treats me has nothing to do with me going with you,” she said. In the corner of her eye, she saw Inuyasha’s expression tighten bitterly, but it was back to normal in a mere flash. She continued, “I just don’t want to. I don’t like men who touch me like that. It’s not complicated. Now please, get out of here before Inuyasha tries to tear your throat out.”

“Heh! As if he could!” scoffed the wolf. But he turned his back to them nonetheless and reared to go. “Catch you later. I won’t give up so easily.”

And then, he was gone.

…

“What could possibly make you think I was lying!?” she cried.

But when he elaborated further, Kagome realized that they weren’t precisely talking about the same thing: “I just think it’s not true, is all. You liking your personal space. In general.” He shrugged.

Their eyes locked.

“Huh?” she squeaked. “W-What do you mean?”

“Maybe just with him you do,” he went on. Then, to her growing horror, he smirked.

She tore her eyes from him and turned her head to the side to hide her rosy cheeks. She sputtered, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I wonder if you’re lying again,” he mumbled, and it almost sounded like a chuckle.

She was going to rebut him, but the sensation of fingers on her left elbow almost made her jolt. Somehow, she managed to keep still. She was staring at the fire now, waiting to see what he was about, and she felt his hand climb slowly up from her elbow to her upper arm.

When he scooted himself an inch closer to her, she finally lifted her head to look at him. His bent arm was pressed along her lower back. He’d halted for a moment—maybe to allow her the chance to respond—but all she could manage was to stare dumbfounded at his nervous but still altogether patient and watchful gaze.

He continued to elevate his arm, the action displacing her hair that was once on her back to drape messily over his bicep.

His face was pretty damn close now. But she couldn’t look away—she was fascinated by his own fascination, his own carefulness, his own daring expression. There was a slight tilt to his brow, as if his increasing confidence brought him to the cusp of amusement.

When the full weight of his arm was over her shoulders and behind her neck, he softly tugged her backwards the few inches it took to recline fully against the tree trunk.

They settled, and he stared down at her—waiting.

During the process, Kagome had been so focused on tracking his movements that once they stopped, her body caught up to her all at once: her heart began to pound in her ears and in her chest, and her face grew rapidly hotter.

His downturned chin was perhaps half a foot from her eyes, which were still gawking up at him. After a full ten seconds of her silence, she watched his lips curl into a smile that could only be described as pride incarnate.

Ah. So that’s what this is about, Kagome noted absently.

And of course he had to go and ruin it by opening his stupid mouth: “I thought you said you didn’t like this sort of thing, Kagome.”

She forced her throat to swallow, and she hardened her face into a weak scowl. She could tell by his continued smirk that her blush kept the expression from looking very intimidating, but there was nothing she could do about that, really.

She was going to say And I still don’t, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t like the feel of being under his arm—but she also didn’t want to just hand him a victory at her own expense. It was Kouga he wished to defeat in this endeavor—not her.

…Right? Right.

“You’re one to talk,” she managed evenly. “Kouga wasn’t wrong earlier when he said you had the affectionate instinct of a puffer fish.”

Yeah, that would work for now. Deflect, deflect, deflect—avoid the truth, but also avoid lying.

“Keh. That isn’t…” he began, surprised at finding himself on his heels in this conversation. She saw his struggle plainly: he wanted to tell her she and Kouga were wrong, but in doing so, he’d have to defend himself as being some kind of touchy-feely person—and even if he was (which she didn’t quite buy wholesale), he’d never admit to it.

She did somewhat pity his dilemma. “Well, I guess it’d be more accurate to say that you’re affectionate when it’s on your own terms.” She looked away as she spoke, and if she allowed a touch of dejection to leak into her tone, well… so much the better.

It worked.

“Hey,” he grunted, angling his head to stay in her periphery. “It’s just ‘cause—well…”

She hid her rolling eyes. He was so bad about leading himself into dead ends. He’d begin to say what he meant, and then once he came close enough to actually feel the sugary words on the tip of his tongue, he discovered he didn’t approve of their taste. He didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, after all.

When she turned her head back to him, he staggered his own back a few inches. She stared at him with a raised brow.

“You mean to tell me that you’re okay with receiving affection, too?”

He froze. “Uh…”

She scoffed and gave him a derisive look. “You’d rather jump off a cliff.”

Her words seemed to agitate him. “You’re wrong,” he said, returning to his closeness from before, expression obstinate.

Was she cruel? Maybe. It was his own fault for turning this into a competition between them instead of just between him and Kouga.

“That so?” she prompted simply.

Kagome brought her left hand up to tangle her fingers with his where they draped over her shoulder. She watched his face contort with first confusion and then embarrassment, which he just as quickly moved to quell.

He was a stubborn one.

The sky was at dusk now, and its gold only highlighted the matching tones of his eyes. She watched as he resettled himself inwardly.

She’d push a little more, then.

In one movement, without disturbing his arm or their joined hands, she twisted her waist and flung her legs over his lap.

He clearly was struggling to suppress the coughs that came after he choked on his own spit, but his eyes grew fixed and firm on her face.

Her torso was adjacent to his now, and she could look straight up at him without having to turn her head.

Still holding it in, she mused. One more try.

Her right hand, which was free on her own lap, came to snake around his back and settle on his waist. She gripped his robe in her fingers. Then, she loosened her left hand from his and brought it to rest on his left leg, right beside where her own thigh was pressed atop his.

His fingers instinctively latched onto her shoulder. His expression was outright pained now, his own face beet red and a bead of sweat trailing down his temple. His eyes weren’t on hers—they were somewhere lower—and their expression was not a sweet one.

She wondered if what he did next was done out of spite or something worse. Proving a point could be a dangerous game—and he was quite competitive. He was growing vexed with her, clearly, but she knew better than to think herself the victor just yet. Especially after he leisurely brought his own right hand to sit on top of her thigh.

Her upper thigh. High enough that his fingertips would brush the fabric of her skirt.

She stopped breathing. Whatever look had been on her face, she hoped it was a pretty one—because it was now frozen there.

He saw her panic, and he smirked with notable strain.

Kagome wondered if she should somehow return them to the point that this was all supposedly about. She said the first thing that came to mind: “…I definitely wouldn’t like it if Kouga did this,” she admitted. She realized when the words were halfway out of her mouth that it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say.

Inuyasha’s fingers tightened on her leg, the claw of his thumb pressing into the skin of her inner thigh. “As if I’d let him try.”

She gulped. “And what about you, huh? Don’t pretend like this is normal behavior for you. You can’t blame me for thinking that you didn’t like doing stuff like this. Or maybe…” she paused, flicked her eyes away, and mumbled her finish: “…maybe that you just didn’t like doing it with me.”

He brushed his thumb on her sensitive skin, and she returned her meek gaze to his.

His golden eyes softened. “You think I’d have you in my lap if I didn’t want you there?”

Her face heated again. His did, too. When her eyes lowered to his mouth, his head dipped an inch, and she felt his warm breath flutter against her lips. His arm tightened behind her neck, and he tugged her the rest of the way to him.

The first time they’d kissed, he’d been unconscious for most of it. When he’d awakened, he found his claws buried into her stiff shoulders. They felt different this time, his lips, when they met hers. They were firm, but not from a grimace; they were soft, and expressive, and thorough. She’d been afraid of his thickened fangs last time, but now, she almost wished he’d use them a little.

It was only half a minute they got before he smelled Kirara on the wind. When he pulled away, he sighed mournfully and told her this. She stole another kiss, which he gave generously.

They untangled from each other slowly and came to stand.

“Maybe don’t be such a stranger from now on,” she said with a timid smile. “Kouga did say he didn’t smell much of you on me. You want him to leave me alone, don’t you?”

His look grew weak. His fingers twitched at his sides.

He would have responded, but Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were greeting them from above, and Kagome turned her back to him to welcome them back.

[madamechrissy]

Hi Chrissy,

Another question here! Can you tell us about some of your favourite fics (any ship!), Fics that inspired you etc etc

Heyy! My fave fic of Gojo x Reader is Symptoms and Causes by @lostfracturess that one is just amazing, intricate and insanely well written. I can't sing enough praises about it! And Remedies and Reasons by her is amazing (Geto x reader) she's just an amazing writer.

I also really love Guiding light by Astrayas (idk if they are on Tumblr!!) That was literally the first gojo x reader fic i fell in love with. And Sacrilegious by Bungeeclown (also dk if they're on here) that's a multi x reader (preists OMG)

as for other fandoms, You and me After All is an amazing Sesshomaru x Kagome fic (Inuyasha) by Chiaztolite I adore it is the ultimate Slow Burn ahhhhhhh. And another Fandom I'm in is TBHK - an amazing Hanako x Nene fic is Washed Ashore by NIIM it's SO fkn good. Those are like my OG fics!!!