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Our Sleeves Were Wet With Tears | Chapter 3
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“Yes. Yes, I do.”
He could barely hear her voice, so weak and unsure it was. And yet, there wasn't any real hesitation in it – as if she'd been sure about her own wish but not at all confident as to whether she should voice it, whether it was alright for her to admit what that wish was.
Taichi didn't know if he wanted to crush her in an embrace and apologise for making her feel anything of the sort or kick his own bottom for causing that, first.
It had never been her fault.
No.
It was his.
"Come on, then," he replied simply, stepping aside and reaching for both of their bags, hanging them over his shoulders as if it was the most natural thing for him to do. Chihaya didn't react to his actions in any way, but he was no longer surprised by that. She was clearly not herself, lost and confused, bouncing from one emotion to the other, regardless of how contradictory they might have seemed.
He could hardly expect her to flinch or move just because he suddenly wasn't standing next to her.
He shifted his gaze back to her and saw that she was, once again, turned to her right and staring into the distance, presumably focused on the same spot she'd been looking at before. No longer having to choose his priorities, Taichi allowed himself to follow her gaze this time, curious to see what it was that had managed to catch her attention not once, but twice... To determine whether it really was something worthy of paying attention to or if it was just the fact that it was in the opposite direction to where he was.
He was surprised to see that the object she'd been looking at was no less than the playground he himself had mentioned right before he'd stepped through that wretched gate.
Heck, she really had good instincts.
"Looks like you've found a perfect place to make that fall," he said cheerfully, though he still made sure that his tone was gentle. "This is the place I told you about earlier. Seems like I was right, too. About no children around, I mean."
Chihaya nodded in confirmation, her eyes still fixed on the small yard. Then she turned around, sharply, unexpectedly – and winced, seeing the bags in Taichi's hands.
She reached out for hers immediately, but he raised his arm to stop her.
"It's fine, Chihaya, I've got this. Let's just go."
He set off towards the entrance to the playground, about a dozen metres away. He didn't wait for her, didn't insist that she should walk by his side and not behind him; if she had followed him before, there was no reason to think that she wouldn't follow him now.
And the one thing Taichi had no doubts about at all was that she sure needed her space today.
They reached the yard in no time and soon were looking for a bench they might sit on. Taichi made sure that the one they chose wasn't placed directly next to the street, but at the same time, he certainly didn't wish to settle down in some distant, secret spot on the other side of the playground, and not only because it would be foolish to make Chihaya walk any more than she had to. They wanted some privacy; they didn't need absolute seclusion.
He still didn't trust himself enough to stay with her like that.
So he looked around and soon he found a seat that was perfect for their needs. It was close enough to where they stood not to make their stroll towards it seem like a strain, but far enough not to make them feel like they were sitting by the pavement they had just left behind. Without asking Chihaya's opinion, Taichi began to walk towards it, with nothing but a nod to indicate his intentions.
She didn't need a decade of friendship between them to understand that clue.
He glanced back at her a few times, both before and after reaching the bench and couldn't help but notice that her attitude had changed. It wasn't much; just a simple fact that her eyes were no longer cast down, but instead searching the environment around her, as if she'd been trying to determine something, though he couldn't for the life of him tell what it was exactly she was pondering about. She looked calm, on the outside at least. Like...
Like she was too preoccupied with her thoughts to think of all the distressful issues that had been bothering her so far.
She joined him next to the bench just a few seconds after he'd arrived at it himself, her gaze still scanning every bit of the yard she could view from where she stood. Her arms were folded now; her fingers tightened around the fabric of her shirt as she rumpled it unconsciously, completely unaware of the damage she was doing.
Just as he had thought, she was too lost in thought to care.
"You’d better sit down, you don't want to harm that leg any further," he said evenly, putting both of their bags in the very middle of the bench. "I know you don't think it's serious and you're probably right; still, it's no reason to overstrain yourself when there's no need for that."
Chihaya turned towards him then, though her gaze still wasn't fully focused. "It's just a cut, Taichi, not a broken bone. It doesn't matter if I stand on it or not."
"So it's not hurting, huh?"
"It won't hurt less if I sit down, that's all I'm saying."
She did sit down, however, and without any more prompting on his part. Taichi smiled weakly, his expression a mixture of contentment and relief, and took his seat next to her – or better said, next to the bags he'd so cleverly put in between them.
Perhaps he should have thought it through more carefully.
"I really hope it will heal quickly," he offered, randomly shifting his attention back to the conversation at hand. "You've injured that knee quite severely, given the circumstances. I'm still having trouble understanding how you even managed it."
She shrugged. "I must've fallen on a pebble or something. Anyway, I'll just need to wear the bandages for a little while until it's back to normal. It's not like I'm entering any beauty contests in the near future, so I don't really care how long it takes to heal."
Taichi gave her a curious glance. "It probably won't be very comfortable to kneel on the tatami with it, though. You might want to think of a cushion or something – Doctor Harada has been using those for years, it can't be much of an obstacle. And it would only be for a short while for you."
"That won't be necessary," she cut him off, her head bowing a little lower again. "I mean, the cushion. I won't be needing it. I'll be fine."
"The mat is pretty rough though, if you rest your knee against it, even wrapped up it will get-"
"Taichi," she interrupted him again. "That won't be a problem. I promise."
He didn't contradict her again, in spite of how little he understood her protest. And so they sat together for a while, wrapped up in an awkward silence, neither of them knowing when or how to pick up the conversation again. There was so much to talk about, and yet, each and every subject appeared to be banned, as they all led back to the moment they had last talked openly.
On one hand, Taichi wanted nothing more than to throw himself into it, without hesitation, without second thoughts, ready to risk the last bit of sanity he had left, if only that meant learning what was really going on in Chihaya's mind and heart at last. To finally hear her answer in full, with all the excuses and explanation she might provide, with her telling him what exactly his confession had meant to her – to see for himself if it had left any other trace than the cursed abashment and confusion she displayed every time they as much as passed each other by at school.
On the other, he was terrified by the very idea of what she might say to him if she decided to open up in this way.
At some point, she let go of her crumbled shirt and straightened her arms, choosing to tighten her fingers around the edge of the bench instead. Yet again, Taichi found himself watching her, mesmerised by the sight of her focused, composed expression that at the same time left no doubt about how busy her mind was.
Just what was she thinking about so intensely?
"It's here, isn't it?" she asked suddenly, once again managing to take him aback with her volatility. "This playground. It's the one we used to go to when we were kids, right?"
"I... suppose so," he answered her eloquently, unable to understand why she should bring that particular thing up now. "I mean, we went to so many playgrounds over the years, it's hard to stay on track. Though I guess this one is close enough for us to visit it, from time to time anyway. And it does seem... familiar."
"I'm sure it's the one," she continued relentlessly, her gaze still fixed on some distant spot. Suddenly, she straightened up and pointed with her finger at the direction she'd been looking at. "See that swing over there? They always build those in a way where there are two, so kids can swing together with their friends. But here... There's only one. I don't remember any other playground with a single swing like this one."
Taichi's eyes widened a little in recognition, but also in astonishment at the thought process she had just presented to him.
"You may be onto something, actually," he agreed. "I never even thought of it. I guess it didn't seem important at the time."
"How so? It made us take turns swinging, and we couldn't do our jumping contests properly, and-"
"And half the time you made me rock you, no matter how many swings there actually were. I could bet that the jumping contests you've just mentioned were the only reason why you didn't insist on me doing it all the time."
She opened her mouth to oppose him but closed it almost immediately, short of a proper argument. Taichi smiled good-heartedly, amused with her fierce reaction that seemed so contradictory to her previous behaviour, however, one that was so typical of her in general that he couldn't even bring himself to question it.
"Chitose hated coming with us, you know," Chihaya changed the subject, but again, he didn't protest. "She would always whine about how childish we were and how she was forced to babysit us, even though in reality, she was too young for anyone to allow that. It didn't stop her from complaining though... And since I've always looked up to her, I really felt bad about it every time."
"Even though you knew she was exaggerating?"
"I didn't know it then. She seemed so much older at the time, and acted as if she really had been. And we surely were a handful when we were ten."
"Speak for yourself," Taichi disagreed humorously. "I was a good boy, who listened to his mother and followed rules all the time. I was the easiest kid to look after in the world."
The playful brag earned him a glare from Chihaya, who then said, "In the fifth grade you dared me to race you all the way from school and then cheated by taking a shortcut I didn't know of. I was so confused when you disappeared that I ran into the nearest lamp post and bumped my head so bad that I thought I'd faint on the spot. I actually had to get stitches afterwards."
"Oh, I remember. I was the one who let your parents know, while you pretended to be fine," Taichi replied. "Funny, how often that happened. Also, I didn't cheat. We never agreed on the route we should take."
This time Chihaya didn't even try to argue her point. Instead, she brought her legs to her chest, grimacing slightly at the stinging she felt after bending her injured knee. Still, she didn't back out, and only made sure that her chin rested on the good one instead. Yet again, Taichi was left wondering as to what she might be thinking of, but chose not to pester her about it. It was one thing to tease her about their childhood adventures and the many messes she'd found herself in – messes he'd sometimes provoked but always made sure to get her out of whenever he'd noticed it was too much for her to deal with; but to bother her with his questions when he still couldn't be sure how much she was willing to tell him...
That was just not the right thing to do.
So he waited, his eyes opened wide and his ears pricked in anticipation for when she would finally decide to speak. He could feel the atmosphere around him thicken and the tension build up; it wasn't long before he felt like after a silence like this the words she said next would be ones that would knock all air out of him, regardless of what subject she decided to touch upon.
You don't take that much time to think of an answer that would bear no meaning to it.
And yet...
"Those were good times, weren't they?"
It was all she cared to say.
And Taichi just stared, because hell, how was he supposed to react? Yeah, I guess, he might have said. It really was, he might have added afterwards. Or perhaps something like, The time outside was fun, though I sure wish my mother hadn't made me take all those violin lessons and extra classes, or that she at least wouldn't have made such a great deal about it and just let me spend more time with you.
He almost did say all that; but just like in most of the matches he'd played against her, he simply wasn't fast enough.
"Taichi..." he heard her whisper so quietly that he could barely tell it was his own name she was pronouncing. "Is... Is it true? That you've had all those feelings for me for so long?"
So, there they were. The words that knocked him out.
He didn't answer her, staring at her wide-eyed instead, swallowing nervously as he thought of the best way to respond. It was then that she finally turned towards him, even though the lower half of her countenance was still concealed behind her legs. Her big eyes bored into his with expectation for a short while, before she turned away again, slouching even further as she hid her face in her knees.
She shouldn't have asked him that.
No, he berated himself. It's exactly what she should do, what she should have done all those weeks ago when he'd told her that he was in love with her. Back then she'd been too stunned, too terrified to ask about it, to ensure that she'd heard him correctly – now, calmer and with more than a few hours of thinking it over (he was now sure that she had thought of it), she was finally requesting the confirmation of what she suspected.
Of what she feared, perhaps.
"You mean, if I was in love with you when we were in primary school?" he asked placidly. "I don't know. I didn't really think of it in these categories back then. I don't suppose ten- or even twelve-year-old boys do in general. I liked you; I was fond of you. You were important to me."
"That's what you could say about any close friends, though," she muttered under her breath.
"Not like this, I couldn't," Taichi refuted. "I mean, of course: I liked Arata as well. I was fond of him. And in a way, he was important to me, too, though I'm still not sure if it was because of him or simply because you were so determined to stick with him yourself. We both know he wasn't someone I would've chosen for a friend on my own."
He half expected her to cry in protest again, telling him how she had no doubt that he would have, even if it wouldn't have happened as quickly as it had with her help. However, she remained silent; and as uncomfortable as it made him feel, Taichi had no choice but to continue.
"You were special to me, Chihaya, much more so than I was ready to admit," he said. "When we graduated... When we got separated in middle school, I hated it. I almost told my mother that I wouldn't go to the one she chose for me," he added with a small smile, one which only grew when Chihaya turned her head to glance at him instinctively. "Of course, I knew she wouldn't hear of it, so I never even tried. It was a horrible idea to back down like that; I can't tell you how many times I wondered what it would have been like if I had said that to her. Technically, I knew the answer – and still, it wouldn't leave me alone. Probably because it was yet another proof of how much of a coward I really was."
He raised his hand and buried it in his hair, combing the slightly too long locks sheepishly. "You came all this way today to tell me that I'm not a coward and I hope to God that you're right. That... I have managed to fix that about myself, to some extent at least. But the fact remains: I was a coward at that time. All the way to high school and well into it, I had to constantly push myself not to give in, not to choose the easier path."
"But you never did that," she broke in. "I can't remember a time when you would even consider it. If anything, I always felt like you were pushing yourself too hard."
"There's a difference between doing things, though, and doing them courageously," Taichi explained. "Truth is, half the time I was throwing myself into one activity or another because it was the simplest way to run from the problems I didn't want to think about."
"Even in primary school?"
Taichi shook his head.
"No. Back then, I didn't realise any of this. I think I was too full of myself to even consider that – my parents told me I was apt, my teachers confirmed it with their praises and grades. My friends liked me and said that I was cool, and I believed them. You... you were probably the only one who actually challenged me back then, but even you didn't recognise what I hid behind that wall of confidence. I didn't, either."
He paused, thoughtful, and inhaled deeply, taking in as much oxygen as he could in that one go; heavens knew he was going to need it.
He turned a little, and looked Chihaya directly in the eyes before adding,
"And that's when Arata came in."
He saw her eyes widen a little as she watched him carefully, clearly surprised by the sudden turn in his tale. That reaction took him aback a little in turn – he was sure that even without knowing all the details, she should have felt the connection and therefore expected their childhood friend – his childhood rival – to make an appearance sooner or later in his story. However, he now realised that Chihaya really didn't have a clue; apparently even the admission of his wrongdoings those few weeks back wasn't enough to put her on track.
It looked like he needed to start over and go back to the basics, building her understanding of it from scratch.
Somehow, he didn't mind at all.
"Arata was the one who first called me a coward," he said, his voice steady despite the whirl of emotions that rose in his heart. "After I gave him back his glasses, he said that to me. You're a coward, Mashima. No words had ever stung me so much."
"Was it because you'd stolen them?" Chihaya asked, hesitantly. "Because you were afraid of losing to him in that tournament?"
"Those surely were connected, yes," he agreed. "He obviously referred to my stupid theft and the fears behind it. They weren't what had prompted him to say those words, though."
He paused for a second, waiting for Chihaya to chime in again with another question or objection, but none came. He clenched his jaw, realising that he had no other option but to go on without a prompt – to confess once more, risking her anger or (worse) disappointment again.
How many more of those statements was he to do?
"After I'd given him his glasses, I also asked him not to tell you about it," he admitted eventually. "I was so scared of what you might think of me if he did, so sure you would never speak to me again after learning something like this. Not only would you have had every right to do so... but I also knew that you'd have no problem lasting in such a resolve. After all, I had only just tried to shut you out because you'd dared to speak with Arata against my wish, made our entire class do that as well – and you didn't even blink. The natural conclusion on my part was that you didn't care enough to feel hurt or rebel against it... That, if given the choice, you would have chosen Arata without a second thought. And that was before I had acted like a total cheat and jerk."
Both of his hands were in his hair now as he slouched down, resting his elbows on his knees and shutting his eyes, ashamed.
"I know now that it's not what you would've done. You didn't choose Arata because it was him or because you didn't like me. I gave you an ultimatum that was as ludicrous as it was cruel; I told you to make a choice between a lonely kid that everyone was picking on already and a group of self-important teenage twits. Even without your kindness, your pride alone would have been enough to determine your decision. The problem was, I didn't know any of that back then.
"When he called me a coward afterwards, it was like a punch in the guts, painful and unexpected, partly because at the time, I had no idea how ruthless he could be. What hurt the most, however... was the fact that he was right. That the hit I'd been given was one I very much deserved. It made me think my own behaviour over and eventually, it also made me realise the reasons behind it as well. And it isn't just that little, pathetic theft I'm talking about."
"What else then?" she asked at last. "Your reaction to Arata? Or that – what did you call it? - ultimatum you gave me?"
"Both," Taichi replied. "Chihaya, back in primary school, you were my best friend, you know that much. I teased you and I tried you, and I bet there were moments you hated me for it – but even then, I couldn't imagine not having you close all the time. It just... felt wrong. Whenever you stayed home sick or left early because of some family issues, I always felt at a loss, though I certainly couldn't point out the reason so clearly as I can now. The point is, when Arata joined our class and you stood up for him, I felt threatened. You weren't even choosing sides then, quite the opposite. But I got scared anyway, and being the idiot I was, I acted on it."
"You were twelve. You can't expect a child like that to always act rationally."
"There's a difference between being irrational and purposely hurting people because of your anxieties. And trust me, I did want to hurt you. Probably more than I cared about upsetting Arata."
His words lingered in the air for a while before he added, "And then I lost to him anyway."
He was sure she would contradict him with another one of her agitated cries, and if not that, that she would at least turn away from him, abashed, embarrassed, guilty. It hadn't been his intention to pick on her or to make her uncomfortable with his final words – in fact, he wanted to take them back as soon as he'd pronounced them. They'd just slipped out, regardless of his will; no matter how much of an accident it was, however, no matter how much he regretted not being able to have stopped himself in time, it was too late to undo his mistake.
He could only hope that she wouldn't take it too much to heart.
However, when he looked at her again, he was met with a steady, teary gaze, her big bright eyes fixed on his face. Her face was no longer pressed to her knees; instead, it was raised again, with an expression of quiet disbelief painted all over it. She wasn't happy, that much he could tell... but she didn't seem annoyed. He couldn't quite tell what it was she was thinking of or what to expect from her next, except now he knew that she wouldn't run away, at least.
"That's not what happened, though," she whispered finally.
Now it was Taichi who wanted to run.
"Is that so?" he asked, his throat tightening all of a sudden. "How is it not?"
He knew it wasn't the right thing to say, not if he didn't want to upset her further, which he didn't. However, what he also knew was that the only way they would gain something from this conversation was to maintain perfectly, utterly honest, despite the discomfort – or heartbreak – such candour entailed. That meant more than just telling each other the truth, too; but to tell all of it, without holding back or pretending that certain topics were of no interest of them, while in fact they were more than crucial.
It wasn't the right thing to say – but it came from his heart and therefore was the one thing he should have said.
One he had to say.
"You'd chosen him long before you even realised that you needed to," he picked up before she could cut in with her answer. "Look... We spent so much time together these past two years – going to and back from school, practising for tournaments and playing in those, even studying together during our club hours. Sometimes it was just the two of us, sometimes the whole group. We worked, we fought, we had fun. I was having the time of my life, and frankly, more often than not I was ready to admit that it really were the best two years I'd ever had. Only..."
He trailed off and turned away, his hands moving from his hair to his face, now hidden in them. He could feel Chihaya's gaze burning his side but didn't dare to look back at her.
"Only no matter what we did, how engrossed we were in things, be it karuta matches or your birthday celebration, I could always feel Arata's shadow hanging over us," he explained. "On your birthday, he texted me to give you his wishes – but the truth is, he didn't even have to do that. As often as not it was enough to look at your face to see that something was missing – and since I knew how much he'd always meant to you, it wasn't difficult to figure out the rest.
"I know I was being petty, and jealous, and that I had no right to be," he added after a moment. "I let my own dreams take over me, in spite of knowing full well that I'd never really stood a chance against him. Never stood a chance with you. But I wanted to hope anyway; and it made me go crazy every time I was reminded of what my situation really was."
He fell silent then, and this time, he was determined not to make any further comments, no matter how many imploring looks Chihaya might give him. Instead, he decided to sit up straight again and raise his head to the sky, inhaling deeply as he waited for her to speak. His eyes remained closed at first; his hands now rested on both sides of his thighs, fingers curled around the edge of his seat but not really grasping it.
He kept this pose for a while, patient; then he opened his eyes and turned towards her again, a small, gentle smile tugging on his lips despite the hint of hurt and disappointment that he couldn't eradicate from his gaze.
That little smile was the best he could do for her.
He never would have thought that this tiny gesture, this most insignificant expression might cause the reaction that it did cause. He realised something was off as soon as their eyes met; and yet, even that hunch wasn't enough to prepare him for what was about to come next.
He saw a blurry gaze and a bitten lip; a trembling chin and eyes that begged for mercy.
He saw distress and guilt, and reproach, a quiet plea that somehow seemed like the loudest cry, ringing in his ears with a thousand decibels of what should have been a perfect silence.
And then...
Then he saw Chihaya burst into the ugliest sob he had ever seen.
And he had seen a lot.
Lol. You looked up the character he voiced anyway.
Btw, have you seen this Chihayafuru fanart/comic? I thought it was funny. (I hope the link worked for you.)
Also, I hope you don't mind me chatting with you like this. You're the only person on here that I've talked to who likes Chihayafuru.
i haven't really looked it up, per se, more like... i saw some video compilations of miyano's roles? so like, i think i know what the character looks like but still know nothing more. so it's a glass half full i guess.
and i love chatting with you! it's so great to actually be getting these asks, you have no idea. but also, if you'd like to talk about chihayafuru some more with the people who love it, you may consider joing our little Our Sleeves discord server (you can't find my old post about it here)
PS the comic made me smile! thanks for sharing it!
in case you guys think i've given up on this story
i have not
it's just that i'm working on it out of order and slow okay
meanwhile on Our Sleeves
six sentence sunday | 17 january 2022
“What a cheapskate you are, President-sama.” “Well, you can think of something extra and then let me know. For now, find a way to bring Mashima to the party without neither him nor Ayase running away before we can even sing Happy Birthday to her.” Oh, damn. Now that hurt. It hurt like hell.
our sleeves were wet with tears, chapter 12
don't talk like you get it.
hello everyone! since it looks i may have today's evening/tomorrow's morning to myself, i want to challenge myself with something more specific this time ;)
so! i'm opening six slots for all your favourite characters (as long as we share the fandom ;)) and OCs, too!
there's no particular style i'm going for, so you may end up with a sketch, a lineart, or even a fully coloured portrait ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i'll be posting them one by one, too, and then all six together... so, please help me fill all six slates! ^^
for the fic WIP guessing game: What about 'kiss' ? 👀
He edged away the tiniest bit, loosening his embrace gently. By the time Chihaya registered the change, Taichi's hands had already moved enough for him to catch her by the wrists; the protest seemed to have caught in her throat as she looked down on their hands, her face flushing with the faintest shade of pink.
She was so still so wonderfully unaccustomed to it, so adorable and entrancing in the abashment he could never truly foresee. So deliciously unpredictable in her reactions, going from bone-crushing hugs and kisses on his cheeks one moment to being perfectly flustered over a touch of his fingertips on the next.
So precious in her wish to be close to him and in how much she still struggled to demonstrate it sometimes.
Hello Dear Followers!
The season of comfort and joy is over-ish, but my special time commissions are still here, and now with a discount!
Rules remain simple and as follows:
This is a shaded sketch/clean lineart event, so I won't be doing anything coloured or manga-stylised this time. Sketches will be simply shaded, clean linearts will stay... well, clean ;)
You may choose whether you want a bust or half (head to hips); it won't affect the price.
Fandoms? My favourites include Chihayafuru, MLB, FMA, ATLA... But there's more. You can find some in the tags - with others, just ask and confirm - there's a big chance I at least know of it. And if not, I can learn! <3
OCs: ...ARE VERY WELCOME! However, please keep mind I'm only experienced with drawing humans, so these are what I'll draw.
Extra characters: Not this time; single characters only.
Commissioning process. Text me via PM and tell me which character you're interested in commissioning. If it's an OC or from a fandom new to me, please provide some reference pictures as well. Once I am done with the rough sketch, I'll let you know and ask for the payment, which you can do either by visiting my ko-fi and donating, or directly to my paypal. I'll send you the clean version soon after.
€ euro users! € if for some reason you'd like to pay in euro rather than dollars, that's no problem. The amount translates to 20€ (since the rate is close and changing), but it's up to you which way you prefer.
Please remember that I can refuse a commission. It may be because I'm not experienced enough or because I don't feel comfortable with some. I also may be booked already. If in doubt, just ask ;)
...and we're back, babies!
I’m happy to announce that I’m re-opening my commissions (again...!), with re-assessed pricing and more recent works to show you what my art really looks like these days.
all the details and prices in the text form under the cut! :)
some rules:
Commissioning process. There are few steps I’d like to follow as a rule. First, you send your request, preferably by a PM. I reply and and tell whether i accept it/how much you’d need to wait etc, and then we figure out the details. I draw you a rough sketch and send you a screen shot for you to approve of. When that’s done, I’ll ask you to go to make the paymant via ko-fi or paypal. I’ll continue with the drawing afterwards, updating you regularly. By default your art will be uploaded on Google Drive and you'll receive a link, unless for some reason you'd rather get that via e-mail.
Since I'd like to be able to share my art with my followers, please let me know if you want to post it, so that I can re-blog it; if you don't want to post it on your blog, please keep in mind that I'll do it on mine.
Fandoms! My favourite ones include Chihayafuru, MLB, FMA, ATLA… But you can be sure there’s more. You can find some in the tags, or in my blog in general - with others, just ask and confirm - there’s a big chance I at least know of it :)
OCs: Yes, I’m very willing to draw them! Please mind I’m only experienced with drawing humans, so animals, furries, mechas etc. are a no for me (and you wouldn’t like the results anyway)
Extra characters: You may ask to up to 3 characters in a single commission. The price for the 2nd character will vary - if it's a two-people pose (dancing, hugging, etc.), then the price for the 2nd character is 50% the usual; if it's two characters standing on their own next to each other, I'll charge 75% for the second one. Third character is always 50%.
Please remember that I can always refuse a commission. It may be because I’m not experienced enough or because I don’t feel comfortable with some. But remember: if in doubt, just ask ;)
|| PRICING - bust / half / full body ||
rough sketch: $10 / $15 / $20
clean sketch/lineart: $15 / $20/ $25
flat colours: $20/ $25 / $30
anime style: $30 / $35 / $40
manga style: $40 / $45 / $50
fully coloured (detailed shading and such): $50 / $55 / $60
PSSST! If your first currency isn't USD but euro, please let me know! We can figure out the prices without you having to convert for USD on pay-pal (which doesn't pay off to anyone).
Bug out, everyone!
Important announcement, everyone! 🥰🥰
This year's Taichihaya Day is the 28th July. The prompts are as follows:
University
Crossovers
Other Sports AU
As always, please tag #Taichihaya Day 2024 and tag the blog directly @taichihaya-day! Looking forwards to seeing your entries.
so here's some art nobody expected to see today, huh
100% unadulterated truth. Empress FTW.
Does anyone else like Chihayafuru?
I usually dislike sport anime, but something about this one really made me like it.
Since there isn't a huge fanbase for the show, I decided to make my own lil Karuta charm! It's a reversible 2.5" wooden charm with Chihaya on the front, and her card verse on the back!
Get it here!
Or here on Etsy!
arata when he told chihaya to play her own karuta but then gave himself existential crises in return:
chihaya and arata's relationship makes me feel so so much, it's insane
one of the arataichi moments that make me insane is when taichi returns to suo after seeing the match between arata and chihaya, he greets the card like shinobu does and starts playing with a new purpose because he has seen arata's determination and he wants to return it with the same intensity. the promise of another meeting, a new beginning, a next time. just like arata did when he returns to playing karuta after seeing chihaya and taichi play...THE WAY BOTH OF THEM GET EACH OTHER
the great thing about the love triangle in chihayafuru is that in-universe, the characters are aware of their feelings, and of each other's, but the animosity they have toward each other is barely related to that. like the jealousy is present, of course, but it's so layered and stems from various reasons. and the characters confront those feelings—either by introspection or by the narrative—and feel bad about them, try to become better people, fail, and try again. I love that taichi knows about arata's feelings for chihaya and arata knows about taichi's but that is not the center of their conflict and why they are so not normal about each other.