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yelpHello! I’m yelp on AO3.
Thank you for taking a look at my rambly letter. I wrote this mostly from scratch this year, but if you're interested, feel free to check out my previous rambles about these characters, e.g. my letter from last year.
I also have a general likes/dislikes post.
I cannot believe I got so into this cat and rat ship, help. First of all I’m loving both of these characters. Jane OF COURSE, so brilliant and confident and good with a blade. She must have nerves of steel and yet she’s just so relaxed and at ease during the entire story (the better to tease her captive, of course). I also find it intriguing that she seems to specialize in criminal psychology. I’m fascinated to know what she makes of the people she interacts with, both through the lens of her persona and her profession.
And Seth, I didn’t expect him to grow on me, but I loved him for dropping his shield, exposing himself to protect the civilians, and then I absolutely lost it when they went to cuff him and he hissed and arched like the cat he is. He is so pure and I just think they go so well together. I adore this dynamic of morally upright, idealistic cop pitted against someone as cunning and sharp as Jane. And I especially love his shining faith in her—whether it’s standing up for her, wrists still tied, throwing himself between her and the big bad, or staking his job and his reputation on his belief that she can be redeemed… only to find out that, uh, it was never needed in the first place. And in turn, how touched she seems to be despite herself??
Their canon interaction is so ripe for a behind-the-scenes or a canon divergence. What does Jane do with Seth while she’s got him all tied up? Does she torment him? Is she forced to harm him for show? Does she comfort him when no one else can hear?
Let’s also see her sneaky courtship of him after their mission ends, Seth stalwartly believing it would be inappropriate, he can’t give in, only to find out after the fact, as usual in their relationship, that they’re already in one.
PS. If their respective character stories come out in the next patch, I will definitely play them before FIAB reveals, so no worries about spoilers there.
Von Lycaon /& Wise
In case you can’t tell, I got really into Von Lycaon after the game gave me him early on. He’s on my main team and I like how he plays as well as his character: as the Stun class, I have him out more than anyone else, and he always takes the most damage, subduing the enemy so that Ellen can come out and wrap things up. I’m really into the “perfect assist” moment, the clang as he dives in at just the right time to defend his team.
Story-wise, I love his poise and control and dedication to being a perfect attendant, as well as how you can tell there’s something animal lurking under the surface. The moments in the voice acting when there’s a threat to take care of and his voice goes dark, I love that.
Let’s see him come work for Phaethon for some reason, or reassuring Corin when her confidence is low. I liked his tail-care moments, how panicked he seems to be about the cats and dogs that are drawn to him, and also the hints of his backstory.
I enjoy the wider Victoria Housekeeping cast in general, but Corin in particular. I read a theory that they’re meant to represent monsters from Victorian Horror - among them Lycaon the werewolf, and Corin the Frankenstein’s monster with her bolts and scars. It’s a bit morbid, but I’m curious about the history behind those. Where did they come from, and where did she come from, before she worked for Lycaon? She’s such a nervous ball of anxiety, and I’d love to see her get some reassurance and safety. Lycaon seems the perfect character for that.
(Side note, I just love the picture of this frail girl being so physically strong. Her appearance in the story - timid voice followed by her busting through with a chainsaw - made me so happy. Some art of her carrying Lycaon would be hilarious and amazing!)
As for Wise and Belle, I love their sibling relationship, I love their chill life running a video store on Sixth St, and I love their status as elite hackers who are kind of starting from scratch on a new account. The storyline where they were Phaethon pretending to be not-Phaethon pretending to be actual Phaethon was a delight. I think there is a lot of potential for them to work with Lycaon, either hired by him or vice versa. For what it’s worth, I am playing as Belle, but I’m happy to see one or both make an appearance.
I nominated the anime because it’s probably more accessible, but I’ve read the entire manga as well, so feel free to create for either one!
I want to see fic or art that emphasizes how strong and swift and charismatic Tsukasa is. He’s holding up a stone slab on his shoulders, he’s fighting a bear, he’s taking gold at the Olympics. (Actually an Olympics AU would be amazing.) Oh, and he’s charming a bunch of scared apocalypse survivors and uniting them under his frankly insane cause, just because he’s such a natural leader. Tactical, perceptive, principled, his life experiences have given him some troubling ideas, but I adore that he remembers every one of his victims, and concerns himself with making sure each of his army’s casualties receives a proper burial. (Superficial side note, I am also obsessed with his hair. The volume, the way it flows as he moves and fights. More fighter types should invest in their hair routine.)
And then throw a Senku in there for contrast, this mind-blowing genius that comes up chest-high to Tsukasa and they work perfectly together. Complete opposites, yet they’re perfectly in sync (when they’re not murdering each other for the greater good, again). Senku, with the intellect to build civilization from scratch, yet the physical fortitude of a lint ball. Senku, who can unite people just as well as Tsukasa can, but in a totally different way. The energy he brings: swift and decisive, always coming up with the next insane and brilliant idea, unafraid to be blunt or seen as the villain even though he really has other people’s best interests at heart.
One thing I find fascinating about him is that he is so brilliant but so physically incompetent. Can’t fight, can’t do careful crafting, and also so freaking unlucky. He’s basically a brain in a jar - all his genius ideas would go nowhere without the people assisting him to realize them into the physical world.
It’s all about contrasts for these two: complementary strengths, teamwork, and effortless communication from day one. They have so much history (good and bad), they’ve somehow developed into figureheads of competing ideals, but they also have their moments of loyalty and synchrony. Show me how they solve problems together, relax together, take care of each other. Give me canon divergence where one captures the other, or an AU where they’re opposing kings or a feudal knight and his lord.
I also have an ongoing fic for these two that I’d be glad to receive any kind of recursive work for.
Ishigami Senkuu & Saionji Ukyou
Ukyo is one of those characters where we have a good sense of his defining traits, but we never get enough screen time with him for him to feel like a person we know. We understand his ethics well—he’s a pacifist, and idealist, even in the worst of situations—and we get the general vibe of his personality, but we don’t get to see him much in downtime, or get a good sense of his relationships with other characters.
That’s why I keep requesting him: I love this character, and I want to know how he interacts with Senku and Tsukasa, and what he thinks of them and the war they started. One thing I didn’t internalize at first is that Ukyo is quite a bit older than the other two—nine years older than Senku, for example. They’re still in high school (though to be fair they are far from acting like it) while he’s got an adult job. I feel like that perspective, and his military experience, probably colors his view.
I’m interested to see some slice of life scenes where Ukyo interacts with Senku and/or Tsukasa, especially amidst all the transitions that happen during and after the Stone Wars. I also want to know what he thinks of waking up in this horrible timeline where at first it looks like your only option is to follow this crazy teenager (only to find out later there’s a second option—another crazy teenager).
I think anyone reading this knows what I like about the ship, so I will focus on prompts. I always love to see fresh games that the two are participating in together: especially if they are secretly cooperating, unbeknownst to the rest of the participants, who might think the opposite, especially given their very different views. (Perhaps their cooperation is even unbeknownst to themselves, in that they’ve never discussed it with one another, and are never quite certain the other is working with them, but continues on faith (Kuzuryu) or for amusement (Chishiya).
I also think it would be super fun if Kuzuryu, once he’s left The Beach (or perhaps while he’s still there), begins to design his games specifically for Chishiya. Chishiya is likely to do Diamond games. Perhaps now that they can’t see each other or anymore, or because they can’t communicate overtly at The Beach, this is the only way they can talk. Maybe Kuzuryu makes puzzles he specifically wants to see Chishiya’s solution to, or questions he wants Chishiya to answer.
Or maybe in a role reversal world, where Chishiya is the face card, he’s the one sending messages to Kuzuryu in his games. He’s intrigued by Kuzuryu’s morals, and makes games specifically to test them. Or he’s just amused by Kuzuryu in general and this is his way of playing.
Of course I’d be glad to see stories that take place in the real world, perhaps leaning on their respective professions, where one has to turn to the other for help.
Please don’t read too much into whether the pairings have a & or /, I would be happy to receive either for any of these.
I also write a lot for this fandom. I would be delighted to receive any form of recursive work of my fic.
I don’t know very much about football.
I have been a bit entranced by this pairing recently. I love the idea of these two geniuses facing off—one stoic, one cackling—while the rest of their teams look on in horror. Please give me schemes and counter-schemes, on or off the football field. Alternatively, give me some vulnerability from Takami—his leg injury, his height, waiting for Sakuraba to grow into his partner—and Hiruma being unexpectedly decent about it, as he often is about football. As another evil genius quarterback, but also someone from the distance of a different team, perhaps Takami can show that vulnerability to Hiruma in a way he can’t with his own team.
Hiruma &/ Sena
Okay, somehow I see these three ships similarly in some ways. You know the “excuse me, he asked for no pickles” meme? I feel like these three characters are all more talented than Hiruma (which in the world of sports manga kinda means they should be better?), and yet for various reasons (Sena’s timidity, Shin’s stoicism, Kid’s complete absence of self esteem), would not stand up for themselves if their order was wrong. Enter the most terrifying overkill of a guardian devil possible. Hiruma will defend you from an asshole (by blowing up his house). Hiruma will slap some self-respect into you. And he’ll make you fear for your life the entire time. That’s the kind of dynamic I think these have in common? Just Hiruma being his normal chaotic self, and it’s actually exactly what the other character needs somehow.
Similar to the above, I think some time with Hiruma would do Unsui a lot of good. Just to see someone else who wasn’t blessed with physical talent, yet manages to kick ass regardless. If they were to spend some time together without Agon, I think Unsui would come out a different man. Let’s say, after Agon gets Kurita kicked out of Shinryuuji, Hiruma decides to retaliate by taking Unsui with them. Unsui goes to Deimon and he does the dual quarterbacks thing with Hiruma instead, and Agon is seething with jealousy.
Ogata is such a fascinating and messed up character. I always want to see more shows of skill from him: how he can snipe things no one else can (and how pleased he is to bag some game and bring it back for dinner—a cat!), how he settles in, motionless, for days on end, in order to take the perfect shot, how eerily ruthless and competent he is.
Also eerie was how calmly he took the loss of his eye. Simply accepting the loss of his main skill, and steadily practicing his way back up. He’s such an “off” character, without the normal emotional responses that you would expect from anyone else, and I would enjoy seeing more situations where he unnerves people with his flat affect in addition to his, you know, ease with killing.
I think Vasily is a great outsider POV to appreciate Ogata’s abilities. As another sniper, he understands what goes into it; as an artist, he can capture it in his notebook; and as a clear fanboy, I just love the lengths he goes to meet Ogata again. What was he hoping would come of their meeting? I was dying to see them meet face to face, perhaps forced by circumstances to work together for a time.
Artwise, I’m obsessed with all the visual gags of Ogata as a cat. Would love to see more cat memes with Ogata subbed in. Cat swatting things off the counter. Cat on your keyboard aggressively interfering with your work. Trying to pick up a cat but it’s boneless. All with Ogata’s soulless deadpan eyes.
Thank you for taking a look at my rambly letter. I wrote this mostly from scratch this year, but if you're interested, feel free to check out my previous rambles about these characters, e.g. my letter from last year.
I also have a general likes/dislikes post.
Zenless Zone Zero
Jane Doe/Seth Lowell
I cannot believe I got so into this cat and rat ship, help. First of all I’m loving both of these characters. Jane OF COURSE, so brilliant and confident and good with a blade. She must have nerves of steel and yet she’s just so relaxed and at ease during the entire story (the better to tease her captive, of course). I also find it intriguing that she seems to specialize in criminal psychology. I’m fascinated to know what she makes of the people she interacts with, both through the lens of her persona and her profession.
And Seth, I didn’t expect him to grow on me, but I loved him for dropping his shield, exposing himself to protect the civilians, and then I absolutely lost it when they went to cuff him and he hissed and arched like the cat he is. He is so pure and I just think they go so well together. I adore this dynamic of morally upright, idealistic cop pitted against someone as cunning and sharp as Jane. And I especially love his shining faith in her—whether it’s standing up for her, wrists still tied, throwing himself between her and the big bad, or staking his job and his reputation on his belief that she can be redeemed… only to find out that, uh, it was never needed in the first place. And in turn, how touched she seems to be despite herself??
Their canon interaction is so ripe for a behind-the-scenes or a canon divergence. What does Jane do with Seth while she’s got him all tied up? Does she torment him? Is she forced to harm him for show? Does she comfort him when no one else can hear?
Let’s also see her sneaky courtship of him after their mission ends, Seth stalwartly believing it would be inappropriate, he can’t give in, only to find out after the fact, as usual in their relationship, that they’re already in one.
PS. If their respective character stories come out in the next patch, I will definitely play them before FIAB reveals, so no worries about spoilers there.
Von Lycaon /& Wise
Von Lycaon /& Belle
Von Lycaon & Corin
In case you can’t tell, I got really into Von Lycaon after the game gave me him early on. He’s on my main team and I like how he plays as well as his character: as the Stun class, I have him out more than anyone else, and he always takes the most damage, subduing the enemy so that Ellen can come out and wrap things up. I’m really into the “perfect assist” moment, the clang as he dives in at just the right time to defend his team.
Story-wise, I love his poise and control and dedication to being a perfect attendant, as well as how you can tell there’s something animal lurking under the surface. The moments in the voice acting when there’s a threat to take care of and his voice goes dark, I love that.
Let’s see him come work for Phaethon for some reason, or reassuring Corin when her confidence is low. I liked his tail-care moments, how panicked he seems to be about the cats and dogs that are drawn to him, and also the hints of his backstory.
I enjoy the wider Victoria Housekeeping cast in general, but Corin in particular. I read a theory that they’re meant to represent monsters from Victorian Horror - among them Lycaon the werewolf, and Corin the Frankenstein’s monster with her bolts and scars. It’s a bit morbid, but I’m curious about the history behind those. Where did they come from, and where did she come from, before she worked for Lycaon? She’s such a nervous ball of anxiety, and I’d love to see her get some reassurance and safety. Lycaon seems the perfect character for that.
(Side note, I just love the picture of this frail girl being so physically strong. Her appearance in the story - timid voice followed by her busting through with a chainsaw - made me so happy. Some art of her carrying Lycaon would be hilarious and amazing!)
As for Wise and Belle, I love their sibling relationship, I love their chill life running a video store on Sixth St, and I love their status as elite hackers who are kind of starting from scratch on a new account. The storyline where they were Phaethon pretending to be not-Phaethon pretending to be actual Phaethon was a delight. I think there is a lot of potential for them to work with Lycaon, either hired by him or vice versa. For what it’s worth, I am playing as Belle, but I’m happy to see one or both make an appearance.
Dr Stone
I nominated the anime because it’s probably more accessible, but I’ve read the entire manga as well, so feel free to create for either one!
Ishigami Senkuu /& Shishiou Tsukasa
I want to see fic or art that emphasizes how strong and swift and charismatic Tsukasa is. He’s holding up a stone slab on his shoulders, he’s fighting a bear, he’s taking gold at the Olympics. (Actually an Olympics AU would be amazing.) Oh, and he’s charming a bunch of scared apocalypse survivors and uniting them under his frankly insane cause, just because he’s such a natural leader. Tactical, perceptive, principled, his life experiences have given him some troubling ideas, but I adore that he remembers every one of his victims, and concerns himself with making sure each of his army’s casualties receives a proper burial. (Superficial side note, I am also obsessed with his hair. The volume, the way it flows as he moves and fights. More fighter types should invest in their hair routine.)
And then throw a Senku in there for contrast, this mind-blowing genius that comes up chest-high to Tsukasa and they work perfectly together. Complete opposites, yet they’re perfectly in sync (when they’re not murdering each other for the greater good, again). Senku, with the intellect to build civilization from scratch, yet the physical fortitude of a lint ball. Senku, who can unite people just as well as Tsukasa can, but in a totally different way. The energy he brings: swift and decisive, always coming up with the next insane and brilliant idea, unafraid to be blunt or seen as the villain even though he really has other people’s best interests at heart.
One thing I find fascinating about him is that he is so brilliant but so physically incompetent. Can’t fight, can’t do careful crafting, and also so freaking unlucky. He’s basically a brain in a jar - all his genius ideas would go nowhere without the people assisting him to realize them into the physical world.
It’s all about contrasts for these two: complementary strengths, teamwork, and effortless communication from day one. They have so much history (good and bad), they’ve somehow developed into figureheads of competing ideals, but they also have their moments of loyalty and synchrony. Show me how they solve problems together, relax together, take care of each other. Give me canon divergence where one captures the other, or an AU where they’re opposing kings or a feudal knight and his lord.
I also have an ongoing fic for these two that I’d be glad to receive any kind of recursive work for.
Ishigami Senkuu & Saionji Ukyou
Saionji Ukyou & Shishiou Tsukasa
Ukyo is one of those characters where we have a good sense of his defining traits, but we never get enough screen time with him for him to feel like a person we know. We understand his ethics well—he’s a pacifist, and idealist, even in the worst of situations—and we get the general vibe of his personality, but we don’t get to see him much in downtime, or get a good sense of his relationships with other characters.
That’s why I keep requesting him: I love this character, and I want to know how he interacts with Senku and Tsukasa, and what he thinks of them and the war they started. One thing I didn’t internalize at first is that Ukyo is quite a bit older than the other two—nine years older than Senku, for example. They’re still in high school (though to be fair they are far from acting like it) while he’s got an adult job. I feel like that perspective, and his military experience, probably colors his view.
I’m interested to see some slice of life scenes where Ukyo interacts with Senku and/or Tsukasa, especially amidst all the transitions that happen during and after the Stone Wars. I also want to know what he thinks of waking up in this horrible timeline where at first it looks like your only option is to follow this crazy teenager (only to find out later there’s a second option—another crazy teenager).
Alice in Borderland
Chishiya Shuntarou/Kuzuryu Keiichi
I think anyone reading this knows what I like about the ship, so I will focus on prompts. I always love to see fresh games that the two are participating in together: especially if they are secretly cooperating, unbeknownst to the rest of the participants, who might think the opposite, especially given their very different views. (Perhaps their cooperation is even unbeknownst to themselves, in that they’ve never discussed it with one another, and are never quite certain the other is working with them, but continues on faith (Kuzuryu) or for amusement (Chishiya).
I also think it would be super fun if Kuzuryu, once he’s left The Beach (or perhaps while he’s still there), begins to design his games specifically for Chishiya. Chishiya is likely to do Diamond games. Perhaps now that they can’t see each other or anymore, or because they can’t communicate overtly at The Beach, this is the only way they can talk. Maybe Kuzuryu makes puzzles he specifically wants to see Chishiya’s solution to, or questions he wants Chishiya to answer.
Or maybe in a role reversal world, where Chishiya is the face card, he’s the one sending messages to Kuzuryu in his games. He’s intrigued by Kuzuryu’s morals, and makes games specifically to test them. Or he’s just amused by Kuzuryu in general and this is his way of playing.
Of course I’d be glad to see stories that take place in the real world, perhaps leaning on their respective professions, where one has to turn to the other for help.
Eyeshield 21
Please don’t read too much into whether the pairings have a & or /, I would be happy to receive either for any of these.
I also write a lot for this fandom. I would be delighted to receive any form of recursive work of my fic.
I don’t know very much about football.
Hiruma &/ Takami
I have been a bit entranced by this pairing recently. I love the idea of these two geniuses facing off—one stoic, one cackling—while the rest of their teams look on in horror. Please give me schemes and counter-schemes, on or off the football field. Alternatively, give me some vulnerability from Takami—his leg injury, his height, waiting for Sakuraba to grow into his partner—and Hiruma being unexpectedly decent about it, as he often is about football. As another evil genius quarterback, but also someone from the distance of a different team, perhaps Takami can show that vulnerability to Hiruma in a way he can’t with his own team.
Hiruma &/ Sena
Hiruma &/ Shin
Hiruma &/ Kid
Okay, somehow I see these three ships similarly in some ways. You know the “excuse me, he asked for no pickles” meme? I feel like these three characters are all more talented than Hiruma (which in the world of sports manga kinda means they should be better?), and yet for various reasons (Sena’s timidity, Shin’s stoicism, Kid’s complete absence of self esteem), would not stand up for themselves if their order was wrong. Enter the most terrifying overkill of a guardian devil possible. Hiruma will defend you from an asshole (by blowing up his house). Hiruma will slap some self-respect into you. And he’ll make you fear for your life the entire time. That’s the kind of dynamic I think these have in common? Just Hiruma being his normal chaotic self, and it’s actually exactly what the other character needs somehow.
Hiruma & Unsui
Similar to the above, I think some time with Hiruma would do Unsui a lot of good. Just to see someone else who wasn’t blessed with physical talent, yet manages to kick ass regardless. If they were to spend some time together without Agon, I think Unsui would come out a different man. Let’s say, after Agon gets Kurita kicked out of Shinryuuji, Hiruma decides to retaliate by taking Unsui with them. Unsui goes to Deimon and he does the dual quarterbacks thing with Hiruma instead, and Agon is seething with jealousy.
Golden Kamuy
Ogata Hyakunosuke
Ogata is such a fascinating and messed up character. I always want to see more shows of skill from him: how he can snipe things no one else can (and how pleased he is to bag some game and bring it back for dinner—a cat!), how he settles in, motionless, for days on end, in order to take the perfect shot, how eerily ruthless and competent he is.
Also eerie was how calmly he took the loss of his eye. Simply accepting the loss of his main skill, and steadily practicing his way back up. He’s such an “off” character, without the normal emotional responses that you would expect from anyone else, and I would enjoy seeing more situations where he unnerves people with his flat affect in addition to his, you know, ease with killing.
I think Vasily is a great outsider POV to appreciate Ogata’s abilities. As another sniper, he understands what goes into it; as an artist, he can capture it in his notebook; and as a clear fanboy, I just love the lengths he goes to meet Ogata again. What was he hoping would come of their meeting? I was dying to see them meet face to face, perhaps forced by circumstances to work together for a time.
Artwise, I’m obsessed with all the visual gags of Ogata as a cat. Would love to see more cat memes with Ogata subbed in. Cat swatting things off the counter. Cat on your keyboard aggressively interfering with your work. Trying to pick up a cat but it’s boneless. All with Ogata’s soulless deadpan eyes.
