#ritsumafu

[arsoniiii]

just don’t leave

[pixiefms]

i love little gay people in my phone i love them. i do however miss being happy.

[oasisdew]

'Given' and grief

The first time we see Mafuyu think about Yuki consciously in given is in code 4.

And what we see him thinking is that he doesn't feel lonely.

Mafuyu thinks here, even when he knows he'll never see Yuki again, he still doesn't feel lonely because he still carries something within himself that Yuki loved.

And this was Mafuyu being in denial about Yuki actually really being gone. He was still trying to rationalise it.

“I am not lonely!” he protests, “The person that I loved so much, couldn't just become nothing! As long as I'm here, he is here somehow!”

And he keeps carrying Yuki's guitar everywhere, symbolising that burden. That thing that Yuki loved, yes, but Mafuyu wasn't a part of.

__________________

Then the story progresses. Mafuyu learns to play guitar. Mafuyu makes new friends, he learns to smile again and be excited, he starts to fall in love again. He starts to heal.

THEN Fuyunohanashi happens.

And we see him starting the song with, “I'm not lonely”, again.

He is back there. He is protesting, “you are not gone! You can not be gone! You are still in my head! Everywhere you once were you still are!!”

He has healed meanwhile, yes, from when given manga started to when FnH happened, he has. But he still hasn't come to terms with it.

And then, while performing this song, while on stage, this sudden realisation strikes,

“I am so lonely” he thinks. He has started to realise that Yuki is fading, Yuki's memory, his presence that Mafuyu imagined, they're fading slowly, and that is sad! That's why he is lonely!

After the performance of FnH, Mafuyu thinks again, “I am not lonely”, and this time it's not regarding Yuki. This is the general feel of it, Mafuyu isn't lonely anymore. He has friends, he has someone new he loves, he has started to heal, and with that comes the feeling of guilt.

“I wish I could tell you this!” I wish I could find closure from you!

_______________________

And then we get the extra chapter 'Umi E'. Expanding on the on stage "I am so lonely" panel!

Mafuyu realised on that 'blindingly bright stage' what 'loneliness' means. It's the healing part of the trauma. It's the guilt of letting go of the person who isn't here anymore.

If Mafuyu forgets Yuki bit by bit, which will certainly happen, because people can't keep living with someone's vivid memories forever, then who'll remember the Yuki that only Mafuyu knew? He will really be gone forever! And thinking about that is sad! And THAT is loneliness.

_______________________

Mafuyu is still there during CAC. Even though he has moved on, even though he is totally in love with Ritsuka and committed to him, it still feels like betraying Yuki somehow. The more he grows, the more he changes, the more the distance with Yuki grows.

Remember, that line in yorugaakeru that literally says, “even though you're not here, I can still continue to live on, in the end, that's what makes me sad.”

This part of grieving isn't talked about as much as it should be. It's the guilt you feel when you heal.

_________________________

This brings us to the last arc of 'given'.

There were many things going on with RitsuMafu the last arc, but part of why playing 'Umi E' for Mafuyu without telling Mafuyu was bad idea was because it meant forcing Mafuyu to confront something that he had no intention of confronting just yet.

But turned out it was for the best. At least for Mafuyu to realise that he has actually really moved on. He doesn't feel guilt for letting go of Yuki anymore. From the time they performed YgA to the SYH concert, Mafuyu has healed more.

See, compared to the first 'to the sea' memories, the last 'to the sea' memories are so blurry! He really forgot the details!

It's just a vague feeling of nostalgia to Mafuyu now! And it's still anxiety inducing, yes, especially seeing that he was already dreading everything.

But there's no guilt to be found of letting go of Yuki. His only concerns are not being able to connect to Ritsuka now.

Yuki is not somewhere inside Mafuyu anymore, or he doesn't feel pressured to keep him close to heart anymore. He has accepted the truth. He has found closure. Yuki is a memory now. A fond memory, preserved in a song, the memories are blurrier still. And Mafuyu is happy with that. Forgetting the details doesn't make him lonely or guilty anymore.

Which is why the last chapter we got, where just after being confronted by 'Yuki's song', Mafuyu still isn't sad or guilt ridden at all, he is sparkling and eager to perform alongside Ritsuka, he is so happy that he almost proposed to him, is so special!

[anonymouslyel]

satou mafuyu; as summer melts the snow

happy birthday to given's vocalist and guitarist, satou mafuyu!

may your seasons always be gentle and comfortable

*the 'ka (夏)' in ritsuka's name can also mean 'summer' & the name ritsuka (立夏) means 'beginning/first day of summer'

**yuki's (由紀) name technically means "reason, cause" and "chronicle" each character respectively but yuki, as pronounced (without minding the characters used), also means "snow"

sylvia plath - letter to ann davidow (letters of sylvia plath) // kizu natsuki - given, volume 1 // kizu natsuki - given, volume 2 // taylor swift - this is me trying // kizu natsuki - given, volume 5 // ocean vuong - on earth we're briefly gorgeous // kizu natsuki - given, volume 7 // frank bidart - half light: collected poems; "end of a friendship" // fortesa latifi // kizu natsuki - given, volume 5 // chloeinletters on tumblr // kizu natsuki - given, volume 2 bonus story "to the sea" // kizu natsuki - given, volume 2 // lindsey kustusch - calling // kizu natsuki - given, volume 2 // dua lipa - love again // kizu natsuki - given, volume 5 // anne carson - euripides // thelist on tumblr // kizu natsuki - given, volume 2 // kizu natsuki - given volume 9 // raymod carver - will you please be quiet, please? // kizu natsuki - given, volume 2 // kizu natsuki - given, volume 2 // charles bukowski - raw with love // kizu natsuki - given episode 11* // mary oliver - the pond, felicity

[vyxnilla]

Given Mix_20

I want to sing and make music with you for the rest of my life!

[ritsuvr]

after class

[nikinramblings]

About Mafuyu's feelings for Uenoyama

I said I would talk more in dept about this discussed topic and then I never did. Since we were in the middle of a crisis I decided to wait to see how it would play out but the latest chapter had an "unexpected" connection to a draft I had already written. So here's the way I see it.

I think it's impossible to discuss this matter without taking a moment to consider who Mafuyu is and the issue of something I will address as his voice. Now, we know he's a very reserved person, one who doesn't voice what he's feeling often and struggles to express it because he himself can't really discern it sometimes. He grew up with a father who silenced him and he later relied on Yuki to connect with others. Since they met Yuki became his voice, even in their group of friends he was the core that kept them all together. When he lost Yuki he also lost his own voice, he couldn't connect to his own emotions and that led him astray from his friends. But it began even before that and led to that last misunderstanding. It all started with music. Yuki didn't realize that Mafuyu felt left out and that he wanted to share music as well - not just for sake of it but because he liked it too, meanwhile Mafuyu failed to notice Yuki's inner struggle. I'll come back later to his last words to him.

Uenoyama enters the picture at this point, after Mafuyu's link to music was severed, he lost the person he loved and he wandered the world with so much to say he couldn't make sense of it; when he was silenced yet again. The first thing that happens is that Mafuyu finds out the guitar can be repaired, a new chord can give it new life. He hears its sound again when he thought he never would and that it was forever broken. At first it was probably just that. Uenoyama was just a teacher, someone who could make him connect to music, feel close to Yuki again and to everything that he felt. He woke up his heart that was so tired he felt almost numb. There was something in the way Uenoyama loved music that was different and at the same time familiar. It was similarities and chance that brought them together because Mafuyu didn't even know what he liked when it came to music but he liked when Uenoyama played and he latched on to him because of that, because it connected him back to music, something he was already passionate about even though he didn't know. It had driven him and Yuki apart but as it is established later he liked it too, as always he just didn't know how to express it. More importantly it made him feel again. It was without a doubt heightened by all the time he spent not feeling since Yuki's death, or more precisely forcing himself not to feel the loneliness, the sadness, the anger, the regret and so on.

Getting music back in his life was probably a way to understand what happened to Yuki better and to rekindle their connection. But also to make amend because he wanted Yuki to choose between him and music but he shouldn't have to. And this plays later on, the choice, even if it was so easy to just live it together they failed to make it work and it scared him to the point he believed he would have to give something up. He saw it happen again with Akihiko and Ugetsu and it reinforced his fears. But back to the start. The music the guys made was something Mafuyu liked and could relate to. He tried something else as Uenoyama told him to but it didn't feel the same, he probably needed their passion too because it felt familiar.

At that point Uenoyama was a mean to an end, there was something that made him stick out but it wasn't love at first sight, Mafuyu was still hang up to what happened with Yuki, he wasn't ready to fall in love again nor to understand it. I don't even think he was looking for it. He was driven by the little spark music ignited in him again. It was a way to not feel alone, it brought him friends, hobbies, a band. It was more than music, Uenoyama gave him a full and pleasant life back. It was slowly getting less and less cold while he was stuck in that that eternal winter with Yuki. It even led him to reconnect with Hiiragi and Shizusumi.

Of course Uenoyama is not an inanimate object and he is not a mirror image of Yuki. But that's for later, their differences are what is there to learn. To have him teach him Mafuyu had also to get to know him, which was easier than Mafuyu was used to. He tried to deny feeling lonely but he had disconnected to all the people he knew before and he's not shown having any new friend, barely interacting with anyone, which is to be expected when he can't speak because he doesn't know what to say and it makes him hurt even more so he just denies it. But they had something to talk about, something that connected them and all the other people Mafuyu got close to since he started playing. Once again it was music. But this time he understood it too. Uenoyama taught him how to make it close to him and what he liked.

Here we enter the crucial point of my analysis. My entire perspective relies on a single phrase in the anime ending. Because when I read its translation it lit up a new understanding in me of a recurring thing Mafuyu thinks about Uenoyama. The ending says "we ask ourselves, are we good people?" and I think this is something Mafuyu truly needs to know, because after what he said to Yuki the last time can he have never regretted his wording? Was he right in what he felt? Can he have never asked himself if that fight was the right way to go? And so Mafuyu more than once notices a single thing about Uenoyama that has nothing to do with music, nothing to do with Yuki, nothing to do with him. He's kind.

Let's make a little deep dive into some little moments which I find relevant in the development of Mafuyu's feelings and the way he started to discern Uenoyama and music little by little.

Now at the very beginning there is that scene where Uenoyama pulls Mafuyu away from a passing car, maybe it's just me reading too much into it but I think Mafuyu's expression indicates some deeper meaning. I'm going metaphorical here but I think it sort of resembles the way Yuki protected him from his dad, something Mafuyu let happen, almost absentmindedly, not really knowing what to do about it or how wrong it was. I think he felt that once again, in the middle of the numbness, also he realized Uenoyama's words held some truth, he really wasn't just trying to get rid of him but telling him the best thing to do for his sake. In fact, after that he actually listens to him and tries his way. He doesn't like it and that's it. A similarity but also a first glance into Uenoyama's personality.

Before that Mafuyu had grabbed Uenoyama but he didn't even notice because he was solely focused on music and learning how to play, but this time it was Uenoyama to do it and so unexpected Mafuyu felt it, a physical closeness he probably hadn't felt for a while.

In a way it was also gratefulness at first. Mafuyu had been feeling lonely even before Yuki died but now he's not anymore and he doesn't want to lose that so he grows even more attached to Uenoyama.

When Uenoyama asks him to join the band he refuses because he doesn't know how to express himself, he never did but after Yuki he is terrified to be misinterpreted. More people listening to him would cause more people to not understand him. But Uenoyama shows him that's not true. That he understood he was hurt. First he shouts tells him his song touched him. He was always trying to understand him and was patient with him. Then he writes the song for him, giving form to his feelings. After that we see Mafuyu socializing more, smiling even. It's a little step and we see in which direction, the one where Uenoyama guides him. He wants Uenoyama's approval because he feels that's the direction he should be headed to, kindness and a new voice.

When Hiiragi asks him if he's stuck or moving forward he doesn't know because he's still in a limbo where everything he has inside keeps him detached from the world, he's trying, not really knowing himself if it will work. He hesitates, he's stuck, he can't write the song, but Uenoyama reiterates his faith in him so he tries. He first tells him in a vague way what he's trying to convey and then actually gets to polishing his words, but it's a slow process and he still struggles and it causes tension. Right at this time Mafuyu sees Uenoyama for who he is one more time.

Confronting his past, like Akihiko said, talking to Hiiragi and his own insecurities and doubts, admitting his confusion even to himself he does find the words but he still doesn't say them. He doesn't sing at the rehearsals and he feels the loss of trust around him.

It's when Uenoyama finally gives up too that he breaks down and something snaps again, physically represented by that same guitar chord breaking again but most importantly inside.

Uenoyama was the first to believe in him, to tell him he can use his voice to express himself. He gave him a voice again, a way, a place, a stage and music to express himself, it was freeing, it lifted a burden on his shoulders because he could finally process and push out what he was feeling. So when Uenoyama gives up it feels like a condemnation. If even him doesn't believe he can do it anymore how can he believe in himself? How can he hope to make other people understand what he himself struggles to grasp? He made a mistake again, he let down Uenoyama too, he wasn't able to make himself be heard again.

At this point Uenoyama is an anchor, yes, but it's also something new, he's not just a link to his past, he's a hope in the future too. He is a very distinct person. When the second chord breaks it's about Yuki AND Uenoyama because it was a repeat of the same thing but it was about disappointing Uenoyama and losing the life he was just getting back together. (Do I feel like this means Mafuyu needs to distance himself and find his own way? Yes, but it's not bad to rely on other people when you struggle with yourself, to seek help. He needs to do it step by step and I think the current arc it's about that too, finding himself while balancing his relationship and his interests. But this is just how I feel)

But Uenoyama being Uenoyama, kind and dependable if a bit emotional and inexperienced, realizes his own mistake, the damage he was doing and fixes it again; even going to the extent of asking Mafuyu's permission to do it because he knows it's more than the physical "wound". That wasn't the end, he stuck around, he asked to change the chord - even though Mafuyu could do it by himself by then - to make amend. He does even more, he explains his own confusion, his own mistake. In doing so he shows him that it happens to everyone from time to time and that it's okay.

At this point Mafuyu admires Uenoyama, he sees him as an example. So for him to say he doesn't know what to say, that even he - kind and confident - can be misunderstood, can struggle with his words, can express the opposite of what he intends to... it's huge. Because despite that he keeps trying and it is because while he's saying it he's also admitting he likes this mess better than the clarity from before. That is what gives Mafuyu the confidence to sing, to speak, to make his inner thoughts heard again, because it doesn't matter how much of it he can put out there, as long as something does, as long as someone hears and understands.

The first chord change made his heart beat again, it got him moving, the first one was about Yuki, it "fixed" him as in it started his healing process. The second is about his new life, finding an outlet. The song is about all that he's started to process since then. And we know that Mafuyu needs to elaborate things before he can talk about them (it's even spelled out for us later) and that means what he says is what he has in a way "moved past". So even if in these kind of things there is no easy fix, no turning point and he still has a lot to work on, I think we can confidently say that by the end of the live he's fully conscious of what this new stage in his life entails.

That is why he can finally cry. That is why after Uenoyama kisses him he can admit he likes him, because he can now see things a little bit more clearly. If they had gotten together before that I would think of Uenoyama as a "replacement" but that is not what happened.

I think the ambiguity lies in the way we can see the new chord replace the old one as if nothing happened but that's not true, it's not the same chord, it's just one that can make it play again. It's about growing up, evolving and moving on.

Amidst everything else he also felt abandoned by Yuki and he finally faced it all during the song, he admitted he felt lonely, despite trying to deny it till the very beginning of the live, but getting it all out, he had space for everything else, the fog inside him dissipated and he saw everything else clearly, he saw everything he gained and made him happy. After getting it all out around him it was too bright and he couldn't see anything, he could barely hear himself but he turned around and Uenoyama was there, smiling at him. In that instant once again he really saw him. Not some abstract image of him, he saw him.

When he says he's not lonely then it's not because of denial anymore but because he has a lot, he sees it now. He just wants to see Yuki one more time because he's fine now, even without him, but he wants to say goodbye, to make amend, to say how he felt now he knew how to do it, and to understand Yuki too. It's not about finding a place for him in his "new" life, it's about coming to terms with the past. Talking to Hiiragi and telling him about his feelings for Uenoyama almost feels like asking permission to move on. For so long he had been afraid to confront him because of what happened but now he can even admit he's not stuck anymore.

I would also note a difference between Yuki and Uenoyama at this point. Yuki heard Mafuyu humming and started to write a song for him, Uenoyama heard him and gave him the song he couldn't write and let him use it to express himself. I'm not judging their different approach, born from different circumstances too, I'm just saying it seems nothing but it's a lot when put in context. It drove Yuki and Mafuyu apart but it brought Uenoyama and him together. Mafuyu is so scared because of what happened with Yuki that he thinks going after music for himself would inevitably break them up, but it's what brought them together in the first place and he's starting to understand that in the current chapters. Also, ignoring it because it scares him doesn't make the problem go away, which it's something he seemed to have learned before but it's not unusual to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, it helps us grow too.

Obviously it's not something that's fixed and done with because life is not like that. He's still learning to differentiate and he doesn't fully realize it, like with the clock, he looks for or maybe just notices easily the similarities and that's why he's so scared when he feels like history is repeating itself and he's losing Uenoyama. I do believe Mafuyu's feelings are genuine even if he may need to take a step back to fully comprehend them.

When he meets Ugetsu, who only wants to be understood, his feelings resonate with him he and wants to see Uenoyama because, even if he's not totally aware, he comforts him in that respect. He says that he wants to write a different song and in a way it's what happened already. The first song was about coming to terms with what happened, the second is about moving on. It's not random that Uenoyama feels him more distant while he works on that because Mafuyu is learning what he likes, because he's still trying to understand how to accept that the past is behind him, he does by connecting to the experience of others, that's why now he knows he can communicate what he feels he wants to reach others too, even help them.

He says it himself, he doesn't really want to do it, to leave the past behind, but it's impossible to stay put and as long as he has music, which by now it's become his voice but it's also what he (they) loves, he can still make it right. I think it's meaningful that in the panel with the line about going as far as we want there is him kissing Uenoyama.

He's not ready for the debut because he's not sure to jump fully into it yet, he still needs reassurance, still scared to lose to music. But also scared to lose music. He likes them both and he thinks he has to devote himself to only one. Because of his past he's still scared that any little thing could destroy everything he has found in one go. That fear is also deepened by how fast things are going and how everyone around him seems to have no doubt whatsoever but it's more his impression than the truth.

He's not totally wrong because to write the song, Uenoyama had to connect to Yuki so the situation really is similar in a way but the thing is he's just seeing a portion of the reality.

Mafuyu is one to think a lot about things so he wouldn't just date Uenoyama if he wasn't sure, him seeking advice from Kaji and Shizusumi and ultimately Ugetsu shows he's mature and is trying, he's not shutting down again. He just needed that final confrontation to make order in his thoughts.

He's scared to be left behind but also to move and realize he's gone in a different direction than everyone else, that whatever he does will be the wrong choice. As of now every live made him close a door on a phase of his life. Now that he and Uenoyama are more distant than ever he thinks this is the turning point but he doesn't want to leave anything else behind. Except with this song Uenoyama (and Hiiragi and Shizusumi) are not cutting him out. They're giving him something back.

Now, I've seen different translations of these last few lines but deep down the meaning stays the same and I think, no matter what happens after this, they truly show that Mafuyu is still seeing Uenoyama for who he is, he still loves him and not an idea of him, he's still scared to lose him. Feelings are never easy, especially coming out of a trauma, but this is a story about healing and finding a way in life. They're young and they're doing their best, none of their feelings is fake, they're just learning.

P.s. obviously Uenoyama is more than just kind, I know it, you know it and Mafuyu knows it too. I think it's just a way to show that he is seen and loved for who he is, not to reduce his whole personality to a single trait.

[magicpotatoobsession]

I was so happy to see you grace my tl again - if only for a few posts. I miss your given metas and would LOVE to hear your take on syh's Straight and Parade and any predictions you might have for Umi e!

Thanks for the ask! It has been a while! I was going to do a proper analysis of the songs once I've seen the mix movie but I thought I might share some initial observations for Straight!

EASTER EGGS in SYH's STRAIGHT

Mafuyu's key in C minor, the relative minor key. The song is in Eb major, the relative major key. It's also what I call the sunshine key (Uenoyama's key) ☀️ which is the same key as all the songs on the Given mini-album release.

Chorus 0:22 has the same chord progression as the first part of Fuyunohanashi, which can indicate that Hiiragi and Shizu are also trying their best to heal from Yuki. Seriously, try singing the chorus of Fuyunohanashi on top of Straight's first chorus, they literally layer perfectly on top of each other!!!

CHORDS ARE SO INTERESTING HERE

Chord progression diverges from Fuyunohanashi in the second part of the chorus 0:41 to go from VI -> VII -> I, which is the same tiers di picardie chordal progression as Kizuato's (Given OP) ending as well as Yorugaakeru!!! This chord progression finishes in major to show that the boys are healing from Yuki and trauma.

Lyrics in that chord progression are super meaningful here

Kizuato "Whatever you left behind has now become my life".

Also Yoorugaakeru lyrics are "Look this Dawn is about to break that's why it'll be ok"

Straight: "I will keep singing until it reaches you"

Doesn't that sound like Hiiragi/Yuki/Uenoyama talking directly to Mafuyu???!! 🥹😭❤️🙏

Guitar Solo by Uenoyama has a delicious easter egg

1:01 same as the lyrics "Time and Time again" in Given's mini album track stagekara kiminisasagu. Meaning that time and time again he'll be here for Mafuyu ❤️😭

I am almost 100% certain that every other part of that solo is a reference to lyrics in Given songs because all the other bits are so I'll have to have another proper listen.

That's it! Hope this made sense coming from a music nerd's ramblings! ____

My Given Metas

[skyfish7]

Writing Pattern Tag Game

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern. (Got tagged by my dear friend @29daffodils, thank you, this looks interesting! If you're interested in any of those fics, please click the title and it will guide you to the fic on AO3.) More Beautiful than the Moon [ How would you like to continue your romance storyline? A. Stay with Luo Binghe. B. Try to seduce Liu Qingge. This might or might not be reversible, so choose wisely…/ ] ship/fandom: Liu Qingge/Shen Yuan|Shen Qingqiu, The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (I'm already cheating in the first one but I think the first sentence only isn't enough to convey anything so please excuse XD)

------------------------------------ Safe With You Cold. Wet. Dark. The boy's eyes can't see through the blurriness, his ears can hear only muffled noises of struggling. ship/fandom: WinTeam, Between Us|Hemp Rope, canon-divergent (Technically three sentences, I know but words alone don't make much sense right?) -----------------------------------

Convince me Otherwise It's the first day at uni for Team and things are supposed to go well, but in fact, Team's morning has already been quite eventful. ship/fandom: WinTeam, Between Us|Hemp Rope, musician AU -----------------------------------

Come Home With Me It's one of those days, Win spends working from home. ship/fandom: WinTeam, Between U|Hemp Rope, post-canon -----------------------------------

With You through the Seasons It happens in early spring, in the middle of the day, in the middle of the road, in the middle of town without any prior warning – Xie Lian's car dies. ship/fandom: HuaLian, Heaven Official's Blessing, Modern AU ----------------------------------- We'll still be Us It was one of those nights when Megumi was lying wide awake, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom into the endless, merciless darkness. ship/fandom: GoFushi, Jujutsu Kaisen, Yakuza AU (OK those last four definitely followed a pattern and I don't really know what to think about that XD) -----------------------------------

Dragonfly “Hey, Akihiko,” Haruki starts when he can't stand the atmosphere anymore. ship/fandom: AkiHaru, Given ----------------------------------- My Boyfriend might suck at Games but he holds the High Score in my Heart Exam season sucks. ship/fandom: RitsuMafu, Given -----------------------------------

Waking up with You "Rise and shine, Sunshine, it's a beautiful day and we have plans today," Nao's whisper tickles Natsuya's ear as he bends down to wake his lover. ship/fandom: NatsuNao, Free! -----------------------------------

With You by my Side Once a year, sometime in April, without any fail, the former swim team of Iwatobi High makes an effort to meet up in their home town to catch up with each other and wallow in the nostalgia of their beginnings. ship/fandom: MakoHaru, ReiGisa, AsaKisu, HiyoIku, NatsuNao, SouRin, SeijuuGou, MomoAi, Free! ----------------------------------- So, do I see a pattern? A few of them start similarly, like the four that I pointed out. Then there are two starting with direct speech and a few starting with very short or only one-word sentences. Honestly, I don't really think too much about how to start a story because that's usually the easiest thing for me to do - to write the beginning. I just go with whatever pops up in my head when I start writing. I hope it's interesting enough to keep people reading but that's not for me to judge, so you tell me! :) Another thought that just crossed my mind is, why do most of my titles sound so lame? ;_; (It's truly one of the most difficult things when writing, if I don't know the title from the beginning, it's a struggle until the very end when I put the fic on AO3) Tagging some of my writer friends (no pressure to do this but I'd love to see it!) @tehalex3-blog, @radiodread, @berrynthewood and... I think my other writer friends aren't on here or I forgot their handles, sorry. Whoever comes across this and wants to play along, please feel free to do so!

[gemini-ink]

RitsuMafu. 🩷✨

[roger-maylor-brian-tay]

Given Free Talk Live Streaming: the Junior Group

"The 1st Given free talk live streaming ~~~"

Ritsuka: I think it's a mistake to choose the two of us on the first try...

Note under Mafuyu: an airhead

Note under Ritsuka: bad at live streaming

Mafuyu: um..., I will choose one comment immediate- ly. "I have a question! What kind of band do the two of you think is a cool band?" That's what it's said..

Ritsuka: well... I can talk about that...

Ritsuka: a band that has a steady bass sound and a drummer with a fit upper body!

Ritsuka: and also, the bass and drums are in perfect harmony! That kind of band!

Ritsuka: even when they're both looking down, but once the song starts it's amazing!

Ritsuka: makes you wanna see them play a lot, it feels really good.

Mafuyu: I see...

Mafuyu: by the way, this is probably a story about our Haruki san and Kaji san.

Note at the bottom: self praise

===

Ritsuka being proud of AkiHaru 🥰💕

October 18, 2022

Do not repost.

Thank you @harukistan 😘 for sharing

Translation by @roger-maylor-brian-tay

[arsoniiii]

mafuyama!!! and kedama, lmao

[pixiefms]

HE LOOKS SO PRETTY IN MAFUYUS POV

[oasisdew]

Remember Mafuyu (winter) was frozen with snow (Yuki) when he met Ritsuka (summer) and was saved.

Remember Aki (fall) was withering away with rain (Ugetsu) when Haruki (spring) brought bloom in his life.

[anonymouslyel]

kizu natsuki naming her four main characters with the kanji from the four seasons. akihiko with aki 秋 (autumn), haruki with haru 春(spring), ritsuka with ka 夏 (summer), mafuyu with fuyu 冬 (winter) then makes major events happen in the season connected to the character like yuki's death in winter, mafuyu falling in love with ritsuka in summer, akihiko confessing to haruki and them getting together in spring, akihiko leaving the basement and breaking up with ugetsu in autumn, haruki meeting akihiko for the first time in autumn.

not to mention how she emphasizes it.

yuki's death in winter:

mafuyu's first performance with the band and singing fuyu no hanashi as well as mafuyu admitting to hiiragi there's someone he likes (ritsuka) in summer

haruki meeting akihiko in fall and started to grow his hair from then on

fall season and akihiko leaving the basement and breaking up with ugetsu (i love how kizu really said "there was no going back")

akihiko confessed to haruki and they got together in spring

[ecargmura]

Flying kiss~~♥️

(sorry if this is a bit messy, it's my first time drawing the Given characters)