#The Zafran Princes

[winter-spark]

Citron's Love and Limited Self Value Disguised as Coldness & Selfishness!

Okay! So, I said I had thoughts back in December about Citron's coldness & 'selfishness' so let me actually share them now. (I was starting to doubt doing this but one of my mutuals said I should share my thoughts on a3! things and that they'd like to hear them, and this is one I really wanted to share so here I go!)

Intro/Too long; didn't read:

There are three things that I feel are true about Citron:

He loves and values everyone so much.

For the longest time, he saw himself as a title

These things combined into him making decisions that on the surface come off as cold and or selfish but underneath are dripping in love and care.

Table of contents

Paragraphs 1 -3: Fleeing Zafra Paragraphs 4 -6: Joining & Leaving Mankai Paragraphs 7-9: Leaving Guy & Lies Paragraphs 10-14: Citron vs Tangerine and their Dad Paragraphs 15-16: Good now right? Paragraphs 17-22: Tangerine in Citron's Past Role {additional thoughts on this: here.} Paragraphs 23-24: Conclusion

Let's begin with the reason he even fled Zafra in the first place. Citron was being targetted, by those who thought his brothers were better fit to rule than he. And he was aware of this being the reason strange things were happening. At least, seeing as Guy had the suspicion/knew, I don't see why Citron wouldn't have.

Instead of voicing what was going on or raising any suspicions, he just left. He couldn't let them win win because his only value is his role, he's the Crown Prince. It's all he is. But he loves his people and he loves his brothers. He's not going to cause them any problems. They want him gone. Alright, he'll leave, silently without a word to anyone. Is it selfish to leave those who care deeply about you with a word? Well, some people might say, "obviously" but Citron loves so much and refuses to stop existing in the only way he knows, so he couldn't say a word.

What was he supposed to do? Say goodbye to Tangerine and cause him to worry and rouse suspicion on others? Tangerine is very headstrong, he would've wanted to get to the bottom of it(pin on that). Similar thing with Guy, if Citron told him he wanted to leave, Guy likely would have suggested that he say something, if Guy didn't just follow him. He can't really go undercover with Guy around, and maybe he wanted Guy to have a break from being at his beck and call(more on that later). If he announced anything of this to his father, his father would have gotten to the bottom of it. Citron selfishly chose to leave, without a word. But when you think about his motives he wasn't just being selfish, he was trying to protect people because he cares so much.

Then he gets to Japan and ends up finding a struggling theater that just needs a few more hands. He's not gonna stay for long. He can't stay forever. But what's the harm in lending a hand? Afterall, he's always loved the arts.

But then something strange happens. He acts completely different than who he is, completely different than whats expected of him. And they value him anyway. It's beyond just needing another person for the play. They care about him as a person. It's not yet addressed not fully, not really but it's there. And he cares about them. So he pours his heart into them but keeps a distance as best he can, he can't stay he knows this. They can't learn more, they can't care more, they can't be sad about his departure.

Of course, they were gonna be, and of course, Guy was gonna find him. He knew his time was coming to a close when Tsuzuru brought that souvenir. So when Guy arrived, it wasn't the time to dwell on it. On his desires, on his wants. He wasn't allowed to have those. He's the Crown Prince. He must go ascend to the throne lest Orange do. As is his role. As is who he is. As is what he's good for. It's what he's meant to do. He didn't want to leave but he has to and it's going to be sad and hurt. And he loves Mankai, Spring Troupe so much, he doesn't want them to be too sad about his departure. So he creates a list of tasks--a distraction--one for each of them, he can't pretend he's not leaving but he can make it fun and silly for them. Itaru pays for a buffet, Tsuzuru joins him in Manzai, Masumi lets him have some time with Izumi. They're small things to prepare for the goodbye but they can't have an actual goodbye, it'd be too sad. So he gives Sakuya the task of performing with Mankai, something he never plans to do but is something nice for Sakuya to look forward to he doesn't realize the hope he's planting, the hint he's leaving of his own desires, but he does. I believe it's called a Freudian Slip. And that's what he does by putting Sakuya last, with Chikage's Vanishing Citron act before it.

But! Before we move on we can't leave out his love for Guy. Leaving Mankai, Spring Troupe without a real goodbye is harsh, it's selfish, it's unfair, they weren't ready, he left too fast. It was sudden, no one really got any sort of closure. But leaving Guy behind(again) and telling the people of Zafra that Guy held him hostage against his will in Japan, that's cold, that's vicious, that's confusing. That's Citron's love.

When Citron was a little tiny child, he looked at that messed up soldier in training and decided that was his person. And overtime found out just how messed up he was, and Citron wanted to help. He wanted to prove to Guy he wasn't an android, wanted to get him in touch with his emotions to some extent, wanted to get him to be able to do things for himself. Here's where we continue on the "more on that later" point, Citron understands how much Guy has devoted himself to Citron and Citron specifically, and he wanted Guy to be able to be his own person, to have a freedom Citron couldn't have. I like to believe part of the reason he didn't take Guy along with him in the first place was to sort of start that divide, to let him exist on his own, as his own person. We know that goes into him leaving him in Japan with 0 way to return to Zafra. Citron wanted so much for Guy to find his own personhood, and connect with himself, his roots, and he knew Mankai was a great source of support for Guy, because Citron vetted them. Citron loved Guy so much he'd rather be without him than let Guy continue without his own sense of self, his own purpose. His freedom was ending but he wanted to gift Guy with it.

Was it one of the ugliest ways to do it? Oh absolutely, but Citron's quick and analytical. He knew if he just said he intended on leaving without Guy, Guy would have probably followed anyway. So he asked himself how can he ensure Guy's not going to follow him and has a way to remember his past, so he leaves Guy's charm with Izumi and he returns home lying that Guy was at fault for his absence. Guy can't come in, and even though Guy's been cast out of Zafra, Citron can see this as reassurance, he knows Guy is somewhere nice and he knows, in theory, Guy's not coming back to Zafra. Did Citron really never want to see Guy again? Of course not! Like Mankai, Citron loves Guy a lot, but Citron doesn't want to doom people to sorrowful fates.

Take his brothers for example. If Tangerine hadn't been apart of the rescue plot whatsoever, Citron would have done his best to still not rat out Orange and Navel. Citron been knew they wanted him out of the picture. He knew. But he doesn't want them to have to suffer. Even if they were never close like he'd have liked, even if they hated him, even if they were trying to steal the one thing he was allowed to exist as, even if they were trying to kill him. Citron loved his brothers and valued their well-being. He didn't want them to be in trouble surely not behind him and he would've kept that secret to his grave because of that.

But things can't always go how you want them or to your plan. Tangerine (unpinning that earlier point), is very headstrong and he sees things a little more equally. His brothers are all people, and two of them were apart of a plot to kidnap and murder his other brother. He was supposed to keep quiet about that? Lots of people were nearly injured in the event. Of course, he was going to tell his father what happened. Brothers or not that wasn't okay.

And the King, very much like Tangerine, sees things more equally. The King like Citron has a role he must fulfill but he doesn't seem to have the same problem as Citron where it's all he sees in himself(I think, he's seemed to spend very little time with his kids as they grew up so that up for debate), he loves but he can put that aside and think about what's fair for all parties.

It's not fair, for Orange and Navel to simply just be scolded because they are his sons, this was a serious offense, he must treat it as such. It's not fair, for Citron to lie to the people, to lie on his retainer who has done nothing wrong. There are many things to consider. Is him allowing Citron to be an ambassador(was that the word? Idr) of the arts being a little soft on him? Honestly, I don't know, maybe, but he loves his son and he understands that he must have been struggling and in fear of running away because he was being plotted against, not saying anything because he has a big heart. And he just nearly died. He can't let someone so willing to lie over being upfront and stopping issues early on because of feelings be the next in charge, but he knows Citron is very capable and he sees the warmth of Spring Troupe, Mankai with Citron. He understands that where the Palace lacked for Citron, Mankai picked up for it. Citron had a home away from home but also wanted to serve his country. The King, his father, didn't really want to take either away from him. So he gave him a new role, a way he can have both. [How did this become a meta about his dad? lol] This scene, Citron goes through likely a lot of emotions.

Being stripped of his role, the one thing he's lived for, his one purpose in life, the thing he's fought for jeopardizing his relationship with his brothers, his sense of value. That mess is heartwrenching, it's scary. He just failed to protect his brothers from punishment and he lost the one thing he refused to ever actually give up. Now what?

Now, his father gives him a gift. A gift truly of freedom, decorated in a nice bow of still being valuable to his country but also showing him that his value wasn't just his title. He didn't have to be Crown Prince to be worth something. Could he have left the title sooner? Who can say? But right now, his father is basically saying "I love you and I value your happiness" and what more could Citron really ask for? Things are starting to look up for Citron, Guy was able to start healing from his past, Citron gets to return to Mankai and exist and have value and above all be loved. Everything is great.

Except then there's Tangerine.

Many of Citron's problems growing up were tied to him being the Crown Prince, it's restricting, it expects a lot of you, and it's a sad existence. That's how Citron views the title of Crown Prince, even if subconsciously, it's a bad thing to be thrown upon someone. It's something that destroys your sense of worth. How could Citron do that to someone he loves so dearly? He ran off, to be happy, to have a sense of worth outside of the title of Crown Prince, he left his precious little brother for dead, and what kind of person is he to do that? His suspicions "confirmed", when Tangerine shows up unannounced after running away from home.

Citron is so used to seeing himself as "the Crown Prince" he doesn't even consider that Tangerine just missed his brother, or wanted to ask for some sort of comfort or advice or anything like that. Because Citron was the former Crown Prince and Tangerine is the current one. That's where is mind is at. Citron is reliving all those years mentally and worrying that Tangerine is living like he was. Why else would Tangerine run away and come see Citron, who was once in his position? So his love for Tangerine and his pain from only seeing himself as a title combine into guilt, and that guilt turns him cold.

He can't rub salt in Tangerine's wounds by showing how happy he is without the burdens of the crown staring him down. He can't flaunt his freedom. He can't bare seeing Tangerine suffer the way he did. So he frowns and he gets serious. There are expectations of the Crown Prince, too. And Citron has those embedded into his very being. And he tries to somewhat of what you'd expect someone to be after having prepared for a role for years to someone now in their role. And he tries to get Tangerine to go back as quickly as possible. And it's selfish to send someone away because of your own feelings and not what they've done but it's also so complicated for Citron.

He's not mad at Tangerine, he's sad for him and mad at himself and every second Tangerine's there is a reminder of all of that and a show of Citron being a bad influence probably. Citron's used to falling in line and fulfilling duties so as he becomes somewhat of what you'd expect of a serious mentor, it makes sense that he's falling back into that mentally, the proving oneself to the right/expected thing to do. A good older brother/mentor wouldn't let his brother who needs to be preparing for a big event miss practice and possibly the event. A good older brother doesn't brag about how good he has it now that the younger one has it worse.

Of course, thanks to Masumi's patience with Tangerine and Spring Troupe's patience with Citron, he was able to turn his love warm again. But it was a bit rough getting there. Like the other events before.

Honestly, there's so much more that can be focused on about Citron and a part of me wants to go on a tangent about the little slips he has like the wish he'd given Sakuya and how his emotions slip through in other ways like how he got kidnapped and stuff like that. But I should probably reread things again before/if I do that. The important part here is just that I'm so fascinated by how Citron is just so full of love but for so long lack a full sense of self outside of the Crown, (not to say he didn't have interests and desires but more in the sense that nothing he had interest in or desired fully mattered in the long run because it was insignificant to the role he was meant to play, in case I haven't made that clear) and how those things combine into actions that are cold and or selfish but also so layered and so full of care.

Citron is so !!! my heart! Idk how to put it quite into words but I haven't really seen people like full-on analyze him really (outside of some analyzing in fanfictions really funnily enough) and I wanted to just give him a bit of focus. Honestly, it was long over due with how much I talk about his brothers. I didn't even say everything I thought but that's okay. Just means more opportunity for me to talk about him again later.

#a3! #act addict actors #Citron a3 #<- me using real tags. whoa! #long post #Citron & his brothers #The Zafran Princes #I want this to appear when people are looking at my posts about the others even though I brush over Orange and Navel in this post #(See I told you Citron was my favorite) #also I hope this doesn't get less strong as it goes on #and that none of the points fall flat #I often like to pull direct examples and evidence but I didn't for this one #but it's got me thinking I should totally try again to write that ship essay

[the-himawari]

A3! Citron - Translation [SSR] Curtain Among Cherry Blossoms (2/3)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Tangerine: Quickly, sideways…

*hit, hit, hit*

Kumon: Great job, Prince Tangerine!

Tangerine: This is the last one!

*hits*

Taichi: I can’t believe he cleared it perfectly on his first crack at daruma otoshi. That’s amazing!

Tangerine: That was so fun! I’m going to do it one more time.

Kumon: It looks like Prince Tangerine is really into daruma otoshi!

Taichi: Yep. I’m glad he’s having a blast with it~.

Tangerine: Alright, one more time!

*hit, hit, hit*

Tangerine: Wow! How fun~!

Kumon: Woah, woah, woah! Aren’t they flying a bit too much!?

Taichi: I think it’s fine even you don’t hit them that hard!

Tsuzuru: The pieces are shooting really far away!

Citron: Tangerine is talented at daruma otoshi~!

Izumi: Ahaha…

Omi: Sorry for interrupting your fun playtime, but the food is ready.

Tangerine: Thank you!

Tsuzuru: Hm? There are some unusual dishes here.

Omi: The ingredients are Japanese. But with the help of Guy-san and Mika, I tried to make some variations like Zafran cuisine. Thank you, Mika. You too, Guy-san.

Guy: Not at all. It is us who would like to thank you. I will use these as reference for dishes to serve at my shop.

Mika: 《I am glad I was able to watch Fushimi-sama's wonderful cooking up close. When I return to my home country, I would definitely like to put this experience to good use.》

Citron: He said that Omi is skilled at cooking, so he wants to copy you once he returns to Zafra!

Omi: Haha. I appreciate it.

Kumon: Alright, let’s hurry up and dig in! It smells so good, my tummy’s rumbling already!

Taichi: Same here! I can’t wait to try Omi-kun’s Zafran-style meal~!

-pause-

Tangerine: …

*hit, hit*

Citron: 《…Daruma otoshi? Do you like it that much?》

Tangerine: 《Yes! The way the blocks are flicked away quickly feels exhilarating.》 《It wonderful that Japanese culture still retains their traditional games of the past without being lost to time.》

*door opens*

Izumi: Ah. Citron-kun and Tangerine-kun. Perfect timing.

Citron: What is up, Director?

Izumi: I’m about to go out to do some shopping. Is there anything you two want?

Tangerine: Oh, Japanese shopping…! I would like to go with you!

Izumi: Eh? I mean, I don’t mind at all…

Tangerine: Yay!

Citron: I will go with you then! I will worry if Tangerine goes alone.

Izumi: Okay, all three of us will go together. I’ll bring the car around right now.

-pause-

Citron: Director’s driving was wild as always! It was fun and thrilling.

Tangerine: It was the best, just like a rollercoaster!

Izumi: Ahaha. I’m glad if you say so. (They basically had the same impression… they sure are brothers.)

Citron: Director, what are you buying first?

Izumi: Right. First off, I want to stock up on daily necessities…

Store clerk: We are currently holding a special event with a giant daruma otoshi! Please do participate, everybody!

Tangerine: …! A giant daruma otoshi?

Izumi: I wonder if that’s the one… It’s really big, isn’t it!

Citron: Oh! It looks really fun!

Tangerine: Nii-sama! Director! I would like to try that!

Izumi: Sure. We came all the way here. You should participate!

Citron: If you’re going to do it, make sure you succeed! I will be cheering for you!

Tangerine: Leave it to me~!

---

previous | next

#a3! #a3! translation #a3! citron #act! addict! actors!

[the-currian]

tsuzuru vs… Citron?

Or Omi vs Banri

Tsuzuru fighting hits different tbh

Tsuzuru vs Citron

Ooohh tough one. And yes, I agree, Tsuzuru fighting hits different and I will go down with this headcanon that Tsuzuru is one of the better fighters of Mankai and is not above wrangling his members into submission when he’s sleep deprived and refuses to take their shit.

- So yeah Tsuzuru is def one of the better fighters imo

- But for Citron I’m torn between him getting lessons from Guy in the past or being a sheltered prince;;

- ok I flipped a coin, sheltered prince it is

- Citron randomly asks Tsuzuru, “come at me bro” and Tsuzuru is terribly confused but ok??

- Probably sleep-deprived enough to think this is a good idea; probably also assumed that Citron received lessons from Guy

- Starts grappling Citron, and within seconds, Citron is crying phrases in Zafran that has Guy thundering in with an intense murderous face

- Tsuzuru wins but at what cost??

- rip Tsuzuru

Omi vs Banri

- When Banri finds out about Omi’s past as the Crazy Wolf he becomes crazy obsessed with fighting him in a serious match

- Omi vehemently refuses but Banri is persistent

- So persistent, in fact, that Banri intentionally goes out of his way to rile up Omi, trying to get the older man to throw the first punch

- Bless Omi and his patience for putting up with Banri’s shit but he also has his limits

- Omi abruptly stands up from the dinner table with a loud screech coming from his chair, an ominous smile on his face. “Banri, let’s go outside and talk about your behavior this week.”

-Banri calmly follows him with a shit-eating grin on his face that is immediately wiped off from a roundhouse kick from Omi the moment he steps foot outside

- Both of them come out of the fight roughed up, but Banri obviously takes more damage than Omi

- Both of them continue on the next day nonchalantly, as if they’re not covered in bruises and wrapped bandages

#a3! #a3! act! addict! actors! #a3! actor training game #a3game #a3 #a3 act addict actors

[izumi-fanclub]

A3! Translation: Citron SSR Card [ Prince Jasmine Across The Sea ]

Our wholesome Citron has something for everyone! Wherever he is, he’ll always be loved.

Sakuya

We’re back!

Citron

We are home!

Kazunari

Welcome home~

Kumon

Did you get us anything!?

Izumi

Of course.

Yuki

Triangle merch from Zafra.

Misumi

Wow~!

The glass triangle’s twinkling~.

Kumon

Zafran triangles, cool!

Tsuzuru

Special seasoning for Fushimi-san, specially made by the royal palace chef.

Omi

The royal chef’s special? Amazing.

Didn’t know there was such a seasoning.

Tsuzuru

It was specially made for you.

Omi

Looking forward to using it.

I’ll handle it with care.

Itaru

Sakyo-san here you go― the latest board game.

Sakyo

Thought you’d get the royal family’s secret sake.

Chikage

Drank all of it already.

Itaru

I’ll get you another drink, so why don’t you join us?

Sakyo

Alright, sure.

Kazunari

This lamp’s a real beauty!

Tsumugi

There were a lot of stuff for sale at the market.

I really wanted to buy more, though.

Yuki

Gonna use these for fabric and accessories.

Tenma

That’s a lot.

Muku

We get a lot of stuff from Zafra through mail order, but it feels different and fun this way.

Sakyo

….. But, isn’t this too much?

Matsukawa

Heard it was getting lively here, so I figured you guys were back.

Welcome home, everyone!

Oh, souvenirs? You guys sure brought back a lot of stuff.

Is this mine by any chance......? Lemme see, lemme see.

Citron

No, no, this one’s for me, ne!

Matsukawa

Eeh!? Then, you guys didn’t get me anything......!?

Kamekichi

Give me a souvenir, too!

Azuma

We made sure to get something for the both of you.

Masumi

Here, sweets.

Matsukawa

Yeah! Wait, hold on, this is the free candy they give out on airplanes~!!

Kamekichi

Y’all are so cheap!

Azuma

Fufu, the real thing’s over here.

(Part 2)

Izumi

See you!

(Guess all the commuters in the troupe are out now.)

(Well, I’ve got the whole day-off, should I do the laundry or go shopping....)

Citron

H, heave-ho.....

Izumi

Huh, Citron-kun

Where are you going with all that luggage?

Citron

I’m going to give out souvenirs to my friends~!

Izumi

(Who would you give that many out to? Madams of the shopping district......?)

Citron

O, oops....

Izumi

Ah, watch out!

(He’ll be fine on his own, right......... oh, alright.)

Citron-kun, let me help!

Citron

Kantoku, you really saved me.

Izumi

You’re always helping me when I’m shopping after all.

Madam Fishmonger

Oh, Citron-chan, you’re back?

Citron

Oh, Madam Fishmonger, you look very cute in your apron today. I bought you a souvenir.

Madam Fishmonger

Well, thank you!

Take this fresh horse mackerel back with you.

Citron

Thank you dayo!

Kiyo-chan of the Japanese sweets shop, your hairstyle really suits you.

Kiyo Heya.

You always know what to say to make me smile.

Citron

Please take this souvenir!

Kiyo

Thank you.

Here’s some daifuku in return.

Citron

Thank you!

Mister grocer, you look dazzling with your white teeth today! Here’s a souvenir for you!

Greengrocer

Thanks!

You might as well take this radish off my hands too!

Citron

Hisae-chan, souvenir for you!

Hisae

This is some cute packaging!

It reminds me of you, Citron-kun~!

I’d like to return the favor, you see, but I don’t know if you’ll accept this~.

----

Izumi

…..... I wonder why.

Citron

?

Izumi

Feels like we should have lesser souvenirs by now, but it’s like we’re getting more loot instead......

Citron

Once everyone gets their hands on it to eat, it will disappear right away!

Izumi

I mean, I guess you’re right...

Oh, you still have some souvenirs left, by the way.

Citron

The main receiver is next dayo.

(Part 3)

Child A

Oh, it’s Citron!

Child B

Your show’s over, right?

Good job~!

Citron

Hello, everyone!

Izumi

Huh? This is...

Citron

A practice field! I asked someone I know to turn what used to be an exercise class into a practice field.

Izumi

Really?

Staff

Welcome.

Citron

You still have the practice field, don’t you?

Staff

The kids want to imitate Citron and the others. So they want to practice.

Well, it’s good for gymnastics practice, so we decided to leave it like that for a while.

Izumi

(I can’t believe he asked an acquaintance of his to do that for him...... his popularity is something else.)

Child A

Hey, hey, did the show go well?

Child B

Did the audience like it? Citron

It was perfect dayo!

Child A

That’s great!

Citron

It is all thanks to everyone.

I got you all souvenirs to thank you. Child A

Wow! No way!

Child B

What is it, what is it?

Citron

This is a traditional Zafran snack, bitter and spicy!

Child A

What’s this? Looks unappetizing!

Citron

Oh, you are mistaken, it is sweet and delicious!

Child B

Seems like the opposite!

Citron

This one is a toy. You play with it like this.

Child A

It’s funny~!

Child B

Hey, they have a lot of jasmines in Zafra, right?

Citron

Ooh, you know very well!

Child B

Mom and I looked it up!

Citron

It is an important flower for the people of Zafra.

It is like the cherry blossoms for you guys.

Citron

The small white flowers are very beautiful, and loved by everyone.

Child A

…... kind of like Citron.

Citron

――Thank you dayo.

Child B

I want to see Zafra’s jasmines one day!

Child A

Me too, me too!

Citron

I also hope you’ll come and see it.

There are a lot of things I want to show you.

Izumi

(Someday, there might actually be someone from these kids who’ll visit Zafra. This is how you make invisible connections.)

(Citron-kun, even though you’re far from home, you still do your duty as the International Minister of Arts and Culture.)

(I hope his hard work will pass on to the people of Zafra again.)

Child A

Hey, Citron~

Can you do the “fall back” thing~?

Citron

I am on it!

Izumi

Fall back?

Staff

It’s a technique for somersaulting from a high place.

Izumi

Eh, Citron-kun, you can do that?

Citron

I have never done it before, but I am sure I can with my OP skillset.

Izumi

It’s alright if you’ve done it before, but don’t be reckless, Citron-kun......!

Citron

Hah!

Child A

――wait, that’s, you're just rolling!

Child B

Ahahaha!

Citron

I am still practicing.

Izumi

(Citron-kun, wherever you are, you always look good surrounded by smiling faces. You really are like a jasmine.)

Story Clear!

#a3 #a3! #a3 translation #a3! translation #a3 card translation #a3! card translation #citron #sakuya sakuma #kumon hyodo #yuki rurikawa #misumi ikaruga #tenma sumeragi #kazunari miyoshi #omi fushimi #tsuzuru minagi #itaru chigasaki #muku sakisaka #chikage utsuki #sakyo furuichi #azuma yukishiro #masumi usui #isuke matsukawa #kamekichi #still on a tight schedule but i want to be here for citron my beloved #huhuuuu sorry i promise i'll be back into translating often soon!!

[zafraiken]

How did I get here

On the April 1, 1992. There was born a baby boy called Zafran Aiken. He was born on Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Aussie. He grew up with his parent and lil sister. He really likes musics and foods! Like he never get tired with those things.

When he’s on 26 years old, he and his college friends took a trip to a place that was rarely visited by people. At that place he found the newspaper with interesting headline, there is a lost city around that place. The city name is Verlostad. Zafran who loves to explore a new thing, he followed the clue on that newspaper.

After the long trip, finally he found that lost city! Oh, do you curious where his friends are? They decided to stay than followed the clue on the newspaper, they said it’s a weird thing.

After going trough many obstacles, he finally managed to enter the gates of Verlostad. This is really a huge city with lots of luxury amenities. He really enjoyed time when he’s in Verlostad. But when he decided to go back to Sydney, his hometown. The gatekeeper said that he must find the mysterious treasure if he want to get out of the city.

Because he had no idea about the mysterious treasure, he decided to stay there a little longer until he found a clue to the mysterious treasure. And there’s another five people that have the same fate as his. Those five people weren’t from Verlostad either.

[winter-spark]

Part 2 in fixing the fact that I haven't spoken about Orange & Navel in a minute: Orange.

Okay so. I don't think I've already said this so here we go. I will take no disagreements on the core details of this (but I will gladly accept ideas and stuff for details around this.) (Just remembered year four is currently story-ing, oop. I doubt they'll say anything but I'm ready to fight canon on this too)

Once they get past the awkwardness of the Prince compettetion and stuff, Orange is indeed one of Citron's biggest fans, and it's really pushing biggest.

However! Orange would rather bite off his own tongue than admit that outloud, especially to Citron. Tsuzuru and probably Azuma have picked up on it though. Kinda hard for them not to with Orange being very open with Azuma and probably asking Tsuzuru why Citron doesn't have more lines in the plays. (Yes it's sorta in an annoying fan kinda way but it's okay because it's Orange.)

#Orange & Tsuzuru being close is important to me #I guess this is how I'm publicly saying it #What about that one reblog post? Ha what about it? #That. That was very different and also no one will ever find it. ...Probably. #Orange a3 #a3! #Citron & his brothers #The Zafran Princes #headcanons #*feels guilty giving Orange his own post & Navel a reblog post* *laughs awkwardly*

[winter-spark]

Okay so, I forgot this in my Citron essay but there's actually a reason why Tangerine wasn't harmed as much as Citron when he became Crown Prince. And since this is separate from the essay, I'm gonna try to write this as a standalone as I can go into a bit of length with it here. Also, because I can, I'm going to include a little bit of headcannons, but they're mainly speculations based on the canon material. But don't forget this goes with, paragraphs 17-22: Tangerine in Citron's Past Role, in my Citron essay: Citron's Love and Limited Self Value Disguised as Coldness & Selfishness!

But the short of it(aka the too long, didn't read) is, Tangerine was able to be okay because he had the time to grow into his own person but more importantly he had Citron. Growing up Tangerine always had Citron's love in its actual warmth and time to himself that helped nurture him into the person he is and he's still being shown love and support now and going forward.

Now, before we analyze Tangerine we first must look at Citron because what we understand and know about Tangerine is formed pretty much in comparison to Citron. So let's dive in.

From the age of 6, Citron was told he was the Crown Prince, that when he reached a certain age he would rule the kingdom. Growing up he didn't only have to prepare for that but he had to prove he was a good fit for the role because his mother was a commoner unlike his brothers' moms who were concubines, he was seen as lesser. Of course, when he could he'd squeeze in some fun and games but he was living a lonely existence. He wasn't alone, just lonely. The two whom he could probably relate to the most were actively against him and trying to steal his role from him, were trying to prove him ill-suited. Then, of course, there was Guy but they had a major disconnect, and Guy was always just agreeing without understanding or reminding him to get back to work. It could be frustrating. He didn't spend much time with his dad nor mom, seeing as he says himself he spent more time with Guy than either of his parents and while to me that doesn't seem like that much of a clear comparison, it's also revealed that there were palace caretakers. Which adds to just how little he spent with his parents. And like yea, that's Citron's backstory what does it have to do with Tangerine?

Tangerine, from birth, wasn't ever really an option for the throne growing up. He had nothing to prove, not in the same way Citron or even Orange did. Of course, he's still a Prince of Zafra but the energy around him is different. Unlike Citron, he didn't have people watching and judging his every move. However, that also means he didn't have many eyes on him at all. Orange and Navel were dedicated to the running for the Crown, Tangerine didn't have a retainer, and if their father didn't spend much time with Citron why would he spend any significantly more time with Tangerine. Of course that raises the question of his mother as she would've been a concubine, but the way Tangerine is, I don't think she was very involved or cared very much. Like I don't think she had Tangerine because she, like, wanted a kid, I think she had Tangerine and didn't have very much of an attachment to him. Ultimately, I think all he had really was Citron. And the caretakers, I suppose, but they don't really count.

Citron who understood what it was like to have no one else to really lean on was there for Tangerine as they grew up, he offered Tangerine someone he could go to for comfort because where else was he gonna get it(don't say the caretakers). And we know this is true because Tangerine basically says as much. When he couldn't sleep he went to Citron. This is something that commonly pops up [in media?], a young child struggles to sleep and thus goes to someone they trust, someone that is a source of comfort for them. Often times it's their parent, but it doesn't have to be, for Masumi it was his grandma, for Citron it's implied/is possible to have been Guy(in Hotel Compass, episode 7, Guy offhandedly mentions them lying together in the past when discussing how it's his turn to sleep with Azuma), and for Tangerine it was Citron. Taking his own experiences into account, Citron was able to provide a trustworthy comforting space, he was essentially the warmth of Spring for Tangerine growing up. So Tangerine had some source of comfort, someone to help him through rougher times. That's important to have in one's developmental stages. Even if he couldn't always be at Citron's side.

Again, Citron is Crown Prince, thus he has responsibilities as such, Tangerine isn't, thus doesn't, therefore he also had time alone, as I'm sure there's been multiple times that Tangerine was like "can we do this thing" & Citron was like "sorry I have other things to attend to". So there Tangerine was with time. Because he had this time and nothing to combat it (ie Citron's interests vs his responsibilities as next in line), Tangerine was able to sort of grow into his own person. He was able to be sort of sure of who he is (even if he didn't yet have plans for what he wanted to do), making him more sure of his actions and what he thinks of those around him.

So when the time came that he became the next in line for the Crown he didn't see himself as just the Crown Prince, he sees himself as Tangerine, the youngest of four princes, who became next in line partially because his brothers' actions, partly because his father thought he proved to be suited for it. While there is some pressure and some things to catch up on as he spent the first like 16 years of his life just being one of four princes and now has 4 years to prepare to take the throne, he doesn't have to fight anyone for the spot. Citron had to prove he deserved it his whole life, Tangerine earned it and has to learn what it's all about. Both are stressful, but Tangerine's not as susceptible to falling into the mindset of all he is and all people see him for is his title.

Of course, there's opportunity for it, he went from not being that centered in everything to pretty much being the center of it all because of his new title, but all in all, he knows who he is, what he's willing to put up with and what his values are. Additionally, Tangerine knows that he is valued as a person because growing up Citron always valued him. Plus after becoming Crown Prince, others are showing him value moreso as a person than as a prince, Mankai took good care of him, and Mika is definitely providing a bond that is a closeness that while the gateway may have been Tangerine becoming Crown Prince, Tangerine being in line for the throne is not the backbone of their bond, if that makes sense.

Basically, where Citron was rarely shown that others cared for him as a person when it came to his title (because of everything else around it), Tangerine has always and is continually shown that he is cared for as a person, title or no title. And that's why the title of Crown Prince, has an underlying stigma to it for Citron, why it harmed him so much, while Tangerine doesn't see it as such and will be to be okay.

#I did not know that was how I was going to end this wow #also though #I didn't know where to say this but #I do believe that if Citron had stayed cold toward Tangerine during his visit in HQ Tangerine would've definitely resented the Crown #Tangerine a3! #Citron a3 #Citron & his brothers #The Zafran Princes #a3! #act addict actors #sidenote #I need to post my thoughts on their moms #they've been living in my brain for a couple months short of a year now... #like gee I feel like every now and then I say something like it's fact and these women don't even actual exist #(granted I think right now I've only mentioned them two or three times maybe four but still) #(it's not even a lot of thoughts. it's just a base idea of each of them lol) #long post #edit: there were apparently multiple caretakers unclear how many though also it changes nothing so I just pluralized my statements on them

[winter-spark]

Another pov/voice practice snippet. For now called Bonus 5: Navel

Others: Bonus 1: Tangerine, Bonus 6: Orange(not yet posted)

Setting: In the palace study, Navel is overexerting himself for information, and Orange is a bit concerned.

Characters: Navel, Orange, mentioned Citron, even less mentioned Tangerine

This one is lowkey very spoilery for that unposted fic that doesn't actually focus on them. Also, it might be unfinished. I The writer did add to it in attempt to finish it but idk.

Navel was seated at the study table. Zeroing in on one conversation took a lot out of him, but he had to know…

"What are you listening to?" Orange. Navel should've heard him enter.

"He's… not in town… that's probably obvious by now but…" Navel was trying not to miss much. "Father's gonna have someone check the grass plains… Guy–"

Orange's hands covered Navel's ears. "Stop."

"But–"

"You're straining yourself."

Navel relented. He was exhausted…

"I had the kitchen staff prepare you a snack. I made sure it was not poisoned."

"No one is going to try and poison us, especially not me." Not when he was barely a contender. Navel laid his head down on the table spotting the tray with the snack and tea. He could hear everything but it was all over lapping becoming loud, pretty much unintelligible noise. It hurt.

"You never know…" Ah he was still thinking about the mixup with Citronia's food. Orange had seemed to think it was a strange accident but never voiced as much to anyone who would do an investigation. He just always made a point to try food first, sometimes going as far to switch their plates once he's certain his own food tasted fine. Navel had even seen Orange snatch food from Tangerine's plate when opportunity permitted. But he seemed overall like he thought it would be weird to ask or make his poison taste testing obvious.

"Yea."

"Eat your snack."

"Heal my headache." Navel whined as he closed his eyes.

"You're such a child." The door closed, that helped a bit.

"Am not." If being a child meant he wasn't seen as a serious option as prince he didn't want that label. He renounced it.

"Sit up."

"Mm." Navel sat up.

"Not much but…" Orange put a cloth on Navel's head to cover his ears and placed earmuffs on top. It did help muffle and remove some sounds.

"It is enough."

"If we had a soundproofed room…"

"We should really soundproof your room."

Navel frowned. "Where do you think he is?"

"I am unsure. But probably off being stubborn somewhere." Orange seemed extra bothered… "Now, eat and then take a nap."

"Okay." Navel pouted. He took a sip of his tea then started eating. 

Wait, when did Citronia say that? Oh yea, the other morning when he had all those books…

"Orange."

"Yes?"

"I think he went to see fairies in the mountains."

"Huh?"

"The other morning… He had all these books. One was the history of fairies, one was on mountain ranges…" Though that didn't explain the rest of the books… Maybe they were traveling and camping? Did they have books on that?

"To see fairies?"

"Yes, do you think I should alert Father?" Navel started to get up. Mountains or not, it'd probably be useful. Orange grabbed onto him but he didn't say anything immediately. Navel looked at him. "Do you… not think I should say anything?"

… "I do not."

"But… Father is looking for him."

"Father is always looking for him."

"Yes but going so far away from the palace by himself… He's never gone so far out before. What if—"

"He chose this."

Navel was quiet. He didn't quite understand. This wasn't like when they spotted or heard him sneaking in or out of the palace and didn't say anything. This was different. So shouldn't they say something? 

"They are going to check all the boxes anyway, I see no point in you getting yourself involved." But Orange was well aware of the worst case scenarios, wasn't it something they should be concerned about? Was… Orange showing support for Citronia's decision or… was he waiting to see how this played out?

Navel pulled away. "Okay."

"And it would be most wise to not inform Tangerine of this either." That's right, Navel heard them agreeing to see the fairies together. What was Citronia thinking?

Running off into potential danger to see something he knows the rest of them… he knows Tangerine wanted to see too, alone. It's not important to see them in person, they could see them on tv.

If Navel stopped to think about it, there was probably good in this situation. Whenever the stars have it told of Citronia's return, Father will have to see how unfit he is to be next in line. What kind of Crown Prince goes mia without warning for such a selfish desire? Yes this would definitely give Orange a leg up. Everyone will see that Orange is much more responsible than Citronia.

…Navel was too but that was less important. Well it was… hm… the most important thing was that when Citronia returned he will have tarnished his own standing with their father at least.

If he returned.

If….. Navel shook his head. Of course he would. Stories and legends be darned, Citronia was born under a lucky star. So his worst case scenario was definitely being removed from the throne and even then that might not actually happen.

He looked at Orange who seemed elsewhere mentally. Navel hated when he didn’t fully get what Orange was thinking, but he would trust him. If Orange wanted to explain more he would. Whenever that would be, only the stars knew… Just like whenever Citronia returned.

#writing #fanfic #Citron & his brothers #The Zafran Princes #Navel a3! #Orange a3! #CitoIta “Tangled” HS AU #if this is garbage the person who wrote it apologizes

[winter-spark]

This was writing practice someone I may know did.

It's a side piece (these are not the focus characters) for an AU where the Princes are very sheltered for a secret reason. Feel free to guess the reason while reading it but I'm not sharing that because if this person posts the story it sorta takes away from the secret. But it's not like forever hidden secret especially since the story is in Citron's pov, just... it starts off as a secret from the viewer okay.

Setting: After Tangerine accompanied Guy in dropping Citronia off at school, without proper permission, he's arriving back at home hoping he doesn't get himself(or Guy) in trouble.

Characters: Tangerine, Orange, Navel, minor Guy

If you hate this, well... I never claimed to have written it.

~~~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~~~~~•~~~~~~

They were approaching the palace… Tangerine wasn’t an idiot. He knew when Citron had whispered to Guy they were discussing the concern of Tangerine getting back alright… He shouldn’t have asked. Now he’s causing trouble to Citron and Guy…

“Guy, sir.”

“Yes, Prince Tangerine?”

“Do you want to stop and I get out here?”

“No, this is fine.”

“But what if—”

“It will be okay.”

They rode up and as Tangerine was practically yanked out of the carriage. 

“Prince Orange,” Guy was beside them almost like teleportation.

“I can take him,” Orange didn’t look at him. He was always like that around Guy.

“But Citronia—”

“Was unaware that our father would be taking a stroll with some of the concubines this morning. We do not have very long.” Orange unclipped Tangerine’s cloak and began folding it. Guy stared at him a moment then bowed.

“Thank you very much, your highness.” Guy walked over to Chibi as he still had to put the carriage away and take Chibi back to the stables.

Orange dragged Tangerine off, it was hard to keep up. “Tangerine, do not fall victim to Citronia’s idiocy.”

“He’s not an idiot…” Tangerine looked down, this was his idea in the first place. Citronia was nice enough to go through with it. “He’s very kind.”

“Yes, right, of course. Then do not fall victim to his kindness, kindness is equivalent to idiocy.” Orange pulled him behind a pillar where Navel was. “Any update?”

“They’ll be passing by soon.”

Tangerine sniffed the air. Their applied fragrances were strong--well for Tangerine-- and definitely close by. Tangerine glanced at his brothers.

He didn’t talk with Orange and Navel too much. He spent a lot more time with Citronia. But one thing he did note was that they weren’t usually mean to him like they were Citronia. It’s probably because Tangerine wasn’t really competition. That’s all it likely amounted to but…

Navel took the cloak from Orange and pulled Tangerine further behind the pillar. Orange walked off like he was just walking down the hall. He greeted their father and asked where they were heading, to look at the front garden. They really didn’t have much time…(But Tangerine was sure it wouldn't have actually been much of an issue). Orange wished them a good day. Tangerine listened to the footsteps and previous chatter resume. Navel held him there a little longer than when Tangerine couldn’t hear them anymore before releasing him. Orange rejoined them, Navel looked at Orange.

“They’ve taken a few steps from the door, I think now is the best time to go.”

“Alright, we should walk separately in case we run into a snitch.” Orange looked at Tangerine, “Me or Navel?”

“Huh?”

“We will take you and your cloak to your room separately, who would you… actually, you should just go with Navel, he’ll hear if anyone’s coming for sure.” Orange took the cloak and turned away to leave. They really didn’t have to go through all the trouble to keep Tangerine out of trouble. Guy probably would’ve done just fine alone.

“Orange,” Tangerine grabbed the hem of his shirt before he got too far away. “Is this not kindness?”

Orange glanced at him then glanced away with a huff. “I suppose no one is immune to idiocy every once in a while.” 

Tangerine stared at him. Orange pulled away.

“But it is not my fault it takes an idiot to cover for one. I will be going first.”

“Orange wait.”

“What?” Orange turned to him. Tangerine smiled.

“Thank you very much big brother.”

Orange stared then turned around and headed off, “Just, do not make this a habit.” 

Tangerine couldn’t promise that so he didn’t respond, just watched Orange head off.

Navel looked at Tangerine, “Wanna race Orange there?”

“Race? But running in the halls isn’t really—”

“I know a shortcut,” Navel grabbed Tangerine’s hand and led the way. “Come on, Orange doesn’t know about my shortcuts so it’s really fun to beat him, you’ll see.”

Tangerine didn’t have a lot of interactions with Orange and Navel but when he did they weren’t ever really bad…some of them were actually kind of nice… If only they didn’t hate Citronia… Then maybe they could also have nice moments with him too.

#writing #fanfic #Citron & his brothers #The Zafran Princes #I was gonna tag this super properly but now I'm nervous #for for the person who wrote this #whoever that maybe #I'm just sharing it for them because they nervously want it shared #okay I hope it wasn't a terrible read #Okay pushing past nerves because I do kinda want someone to read this 👉🏾👈🏾 #Orange a3! #Navel a3! #Tangerine a3! #CitoIta “Tangled” HS AU

[winter-spark]

I know that after those 2 small Madoka thoughts I had I said I'd stay in my lane but my film/media brain is like "hey hey hey remember that "cool" thought you had?" So. Even though Chikage is still not my lane, my film brain wants to discuss the neatness/niftyness/cleverness (idk which word I'm looking for) of Act 8 & the slight step further it could've been pushed, in reference to Act 5 of course. Besides if the Zafran princes are my lane(I'm kinda forcing myself on them actually, I'm probably not the best person to claim them but here we are), and Citron is both a Zafran Prince & in Spring Troupe and Chikage is in Spring Troupe, Chikage is my lane adjacent. Still though if I say something that makes you go "well actually" please ignore me. Let me have 0 notes due to being wrong about something, it's okay. Really.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Act 5 (Chikage's storyline) recap - Paragraph 1 Act 8 (Zafra storyline) "mini" recap -Paragraph 2 Cleverness - Paragraph 4 The Potential Push - Paragraphs 5-8 Conclusion - Paragraph 9 Too long, didn't read: I like the parallel between Chikage's abducting to destroy in Act 5, & rescuing to protect in Act 8. As a film major I feel the rescue coulda been used to move his relationships forward in a way had there been any (realistic) animosity/hesitance lingering.

So as we all may or may not (idk) know, in Act 5 Chikage infiltrates Mankai by being let in through the front door(he's undercover shush!) and sees how Mankai is one big happy family. Feeling betrayed by Hisoka/having some misinformation he decides to get his revenge: Hisoka entered then ruined his happy family (and abandoned him), so he would do the same to Hisoka. In this he comes up with a simple Preminger plan: Izumi, the center of Mankai, goes missing, Mankai disbands. (This plan would've worked best if he snatched up Sakuya alongwith Sakyo &/or Isuke too, just saying. Those four are the reason Mankai stands today. Fact. But also imagine them having to navigate the coleads, director, financer and manager mia, woulda been harder to pull off and come back from but Mankai woulda been a mess) So he kidnaps Izumi, Hisoka comes to save & reconcile, they all go home. Izumi lies for Chikage, Chikage later shares that he actually did abducted her(without reasoning as to why ehich leaves open a bit of skepticism but yada yada we get the point).

In Act 8, (let's see how quick I can give the setup), Guy comes and reveals Citron is next in line for the throne and that there are some others who support his brothers being next in line and of them there are extremists(every cause has some extremists am I right or am I right?), Citron knowing Chikage got the capabilities to make people disappear w/out a trace asks Chikage to help him dip for Zafra early w/out Guy (also remind me to write about Citron's "selfishness"(there's a different word I'm thinking of but this'll have to do) pls I have thoughts); Mankai first begrudgingly accepts this but then they're like "No! Who broke it?" and head down to Zafra to get an explanation from Citron 'cause "dude what the heck?" They make it just in time to find out about a plot to keep him from ascending to the throne and that he's been kidnapped. Here Chikage steps up to the plate to find and save Citron from being kidnapped.(Itaru goes too but we're not here to talk about how he was prepped to die to save his wife<3, gosh I love love). (Kinda lengthy but I can't help making side notes & jokes lol)

So now that I've said a whole lot of nothimg, let's discuss the cleverness and how it could've been pushed.

Of course you've probably caught onto the cleverness yourself, a person who once abducted someone before a big event now is rescuing someone kidnapped before a big event. He is actively working in another person's best interest and to help sustain a family rather than aim to cause one to crumble out of his own desires of revenge. Of course, he vowed to protect the Mankai family at the end of Act 5, the parallel itself is still neat. And there's double the families he's sustaining in saving Citron here because not only is he saving a member Mankai/Spring Troupe's family but also of the Zafran royal family (why don't they have a last name >~<; that's so long winded), which allows a place for there to be a return after their punishment for suresies because if it had gone worse...

So now that that's been addressed how can this have been pushed further. Well. It could've been Chikage proving how much he's grown to care for and how much he means it when he says that he is devoted to protecting Mankai, which it kinda was in a bit of a less stated way. But also! While A3! is a clever series with compelling characters and storylines, there are some aspects that fall a little flat in the realism department at times, if they commited to being a bit more realistic w/ certain forgiveness storylines, this would've been a great moment for someone to feel more open to trusting Chikage. Like especially w/ him already being concerned about Mankai being upset with him for agreeing to & succeding to send off Citron. If it was like "man I'm still walking on eggshells a bit because even though people are nice to me and accept me they still don't fully trust/like me, I'm so not going to be increasing my score w/ any of them this way" and then him actively going to save and succeding in saving a cherished member of Mankai, with complete resolve and trying to keep everyone safe. That's something that could've really been something. Like not to say it wasn't anything or anything, just like it could have been a shift in the story. Like they love Chikage but do they trust him? They don't have much of choice. Obviously this can only be properly done with characters who would have animosity, coulda been there, and if it was something mentioned between the two points but yea.

(Reminder: my "lane" is the Zafran Princes so if I say anything inaccurate to any other character they're not my lane. (my current tag for them (tho I am considering changing it) is "Citron & his brothers" if you want to see anything I've said about them. (here's a good place to start, me thinks)(yea pretty shameless self promo but eh) I'm kinda dumb and know nothing tho so idk if any of it's at all good or something you'd agree w/ but I feel alright about the stuff I've said lol). I'm not a great writer or anything but I think if they had decided to take that route the best Spring Troupe options for that kinda dynamic woulda been Masumi or maybe Tsuzuru. (Had to choose Spring Troupe to go along with the setup that's already there, any other troupe and I might have to change big story details & that's not the goal here, the goal is elevating what's already there) Why these two? Well I'm less sold on Tsuzuru but I feel like he has more realistic and negative-leaning views sometimes, like he feels like a person who feels like he might stay cautious about a person who's done some shady things. Masumi other the hand is already a bit less of a people person, has he grown alot already yes, however, he is still someone who very much (haha kinda like Chikage) has a strong desire to protect those important to him and Chikage litterally abducted Izumi who was dire in Masumi being able to connect with more people and have those he wants to protect and do things for and she's at the top of that list of people. Sure she doesn't hold anything against Chikage but she's Izumi. She's a very caring and forgiving person. I could see someone like Masumi being a bit on gaurd and skeptical partly on her behalf.

I'm sure it'd be a little harder to pull off with what the situation was but I do think it's plausible & do-able. I mean, if I recall correctly, at this point most of Mankai are unaware why Chikage kidnapped Izumi in the first place(I think Hisoka, Izumi, and sorta the rest of Winter Troupe and Sakuya knew around the time it happened) so if one of them(not the ones I just specified) were somewhat weary of him it could make sense, I think reasoning is something that I can see being important to Masumi and Tsuzuru and that's something Chikage didn't divulge, so it feels like Chikage did it for "no reason". Though I do want to say I think if we took one if these routes reasoning would be important to them in different ways. Tsuzuru would be more mentally like but what was the reason tho, while Masumi would think less about that he didn't give his reasoning and compartmentalize it as no good reason as he had his chance to explain but didn't, which I wanted to bring up because because imagine with me if you please, Masumi accepting Chikage being around but lowkey not fully trusting him bcause he clearly had no good reason for abducting Izumi. Chikage plays vital role in rescuing Citron maybe he is okay to trust a bit more and maybe (flashfoward to Magician's Pure Love) Masumi can hear out what reason Chikage had for his actions, because maybe even if it was wrong and something he shouldn't have done, maybe he does have a reason. (See I'm tying things together)

My only hesitance really being the comparison of how important Izumi and Citron are to this character (because they're the ones in the situation not the weary character) but it simultaneously makes me want to hit floor it because they're equally important. Or something. Idk honestly. Just, i it was Masumi for this route I could see that being a nice reminder he cherishes his whole family. (I know Act 5 kinda already is that but I'm just throwing paint at the wall okay? This is only my lane adjacent.) I guess while I'm here let's discuss why not Izumi or Citron being the person for this to drive the relationship forward. Well. I think even if Izumi reasonably had a small fear of or discomfort with Chikage after Act 5 she would actively be workimg herself to getting over it. For it to be something to drive their relationship it would definitely have to be a thing between the two of them. Meanwhile, Citron literally trusted Chikage to keep his secret that he was leaving early and help him do so. I think they're in an okay place.

So yea, maybe this whole idea is dumb or too movie or something, Idk I have film major brain, but it's something I think about sometimes(not as much as I laid out here but the concept). Like obviously in part the rescue's probably partially there with something similar to that in mind but like instead it's to prove Chikage to the viewers rather than to Mankai, however I also think that it's okay in media to make characters have to work for people(read: other characters) to forgive and/or be comfortable around them. Like sure sure some people will forgive you pretty early on and water under the bridge and all that stuff. And some people won't mind being around you. But some people might be completely unaware as to how much they subconciously don't trust you. Some might be like okay we're cool but we're not cool. For some people all this depends on how well they feel they know/understand you and which actions they've seen to help determine your character to them, you know? And I like complicated/layered/complex dynamics and relationships, so I personally woulda found it neat to have something like that within the story. But who am I lol

#a3! #not gonna tag this properly #or well that's as proper as I'm gonna get for now #i'll fix it later #i'll go back to my lane now #for real this time #long post #I should read the current event lol #Instead of being here #“Film major” I'm not in school right now. I have a degree #Oh do you like the formatting before the keep reading link? #I thought I'd try something to make the post more palatable

[winter-spark]

I'm actually really embarassed to call myself an A3! fan and wanting to make posts because I genuinely feel like even tho I am trying to keep up with the current events and I read the first two years and the first two maybe three parts of year 3 I genuinely still feel three years worth of content behind. And I read the past events, I'm still behind but I'm not ignoring them. But I'm not fully caught up and I don't feel close to it.

So like I have thoughts and want to share them but I also feel like who even am I? You know? Like what right do I have to say anything about any of them? I'm not a real fan. And things I might want to say are probably old news really. If it's not filled with inaccuracies.

I'd say unless it's about the Zafran Princes, more specifically Orange & Navel but I'm uncultured swine and am lacking in understanding about something very important.

So yea. Idk. I was trying to convince myself that I have a place here/it's okay for me to post stuff I mean not everyone is fully caught up and I don't think they don't need to prove themselves or anything but I still sometimes feel like I genuinely don't belong.

Tho that might stem from my inability to feel like I fit in anywhere tbh. Idk.

#personal thoughts #Messages from the swamp #<-- that tag steal won't save grr #tumblr hates me #<-- that one has tho. It must be true #Not putting a keep reading but I highly doubt anyone will see this anyway.

[winter-spark]

Realized I gave all the Zafran brothers a living animal they vibe with except for Navel and I was gonna give him lizards because I'm a fan of lizards & realized none of them had lizards but I think he's actually a bug/insect kid. Like he loves them. He has no problem picking up bugs with his bare hands and is always careful not to harm them when he does. Granted he's conditioned himself to pick them up less as it's probably not very princely to bring bugs into the palace but he still loves them.

I promise you there was a point in time when they were a lot younger where he was like "Orange! Orange look!" *shoves closed hands in Orange's face.* And Orange gave him his full attention and Navel, pure joy on his face, opened his hands and Orange was met pretty much eye to eye with like a cicada or a big fuzzy caterpillar or maybe even a centipede. And Orange had a near heart attack was like

And very composedly told Navel that it was cool but to never shove a bug/insect in his face again. (He's probably learned to actually be composed around bugs tho lol)

Navel's mom did not like the fact that he caught bugs at all I'm sure. She hated it. The caretaker had to take the time to try and teach Navel not to bring them inside I'm sure. Meanwhile in the background Citron was trying to sneak in Tangerine's new bestie Mr. Frog. Unfortunately, Mr. Frog wouldn't follow the ground rules so Guy said he couldn't stay.

#a3! #act addict actors #Navel a3! #Citron & his brothers #Oh shoot I never discussed my thoughts on their moms did I? #lol not me mentioning Navel's mom like she's a person here #The thoughts on their moms is just a draft post waiting to be edited lol #I'll get around to it probably

[winter-spark]

Cleaning my queue (moving posts that I should definitely hold off on to the drafts) and I'm hesitant to move the post I started on the Zafran Princes' moms. If I move it to the drafts it'll be so hard to find (I moved it to the queue so it'd stop being buried by other soooo many other posts (I made it in June)) but it's definitely not post-worthy right now so I'm a little stuck on what to do...

#personal thoughts

[winter-spark]

I've been thinking, should I change my "Citron & his brothers" tag to like "The Zafran Princes" or something? "Citron & his brothers" was just the first thing I had thought of to keep all those posts together but a lot of those posts aren't about all four of them you know? And in a lot of them Citron's just like mentioned in them if that so it's not completely accurate really.

#idk how to tag this #tags #personal thoughts #not queued

[the-himawari]

A3! 4th Anniversary Book [AIR] Translation - Q&A

This is the familiar Q&A project from the Anniversary Book series!

We asked about interesting points from the main and backstage stories.

*Please read disclaimer on blog

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Q: What kind of school is Fuyou University, which Masumi and Madoka attend?

A: It’s a famous, private university with a standard score of 70 or above. It has affiliated hospitals and schools, and it has a strong image of being attended by well-known and wealthy people. Incidentally, Tsumugi and Tasuku are uni alumni, and Kazunari attended the attached junior high.

Q: Please tell us about Tenma and Hiro’s recent entertainment activities.

A: Tenma entered the top ranks of the popularity ranking in the youth category and his number of commercial jobs increased. As for Hiro, his offers from overseas began to increase, and he is currently training hard in English. It seems there are many voices calling out for a Tenma & Hiro tag-team, taking advantage of the opportunity from the Act-off and special drama where they co-starred together.

Q: Please tell us about the Japanese culture that’s mainstream in Zafra.

A: In addition to classic games, anime, and sushi, character mascots are also a famous genre. Rumour has it that a certain prince is preparing for a competition to create a mascot character for the king…

Q: Please tell us about the interactions between the first generation leaders and the new members, and also what changes they brought about that the dorm. A: It’s not that frequent, but it seems the adult group sometimes meets up and drinks together at Guy’s bar. Also, when they found out Syu was paying the dorm’s utility bills, some people began saving more than before, while on the other hand, some people were less reserved…

Q: What kind of shows can you watch at Zen’s show restaurant?

A: They’re mainly dance performances by dancers, but there are also magic shows and musical performances by jazz bands. He often pulls in many unknown, but excellent performers, and quite a few people have spread their wings from there.

Q: Please let us know how Azami feels after using the cosmetics he brought from Zafra.

A: “The eyeshadow was by far the best. The fine texture was soft, and most importantly, the pigmentation was top tier. There were lots of flashy colours, but I think there were also a bunch of subtle glitter and sheer shades that are surprisingly easy to use. I also feel like the primers ain’t bad. They’re rich in beauty treatment ingredients so they don’t damage your skin much and—(rest is omitted)”, is what he said.

Q: What type of work was “Robot Ranger” that Tasuku liked when he was young?

A: It is a science fiction work where the main character, who aims to be the best engineer in the universe, uses the transformation device he developed to fight against evil, extra-terrestrial monsters with his friends. Although it received high ratings from adults since the contents were quite elaborate, the amount of toys sold was somewhat lacking since children couldn’t keep up. It has a rather peculiar position within the series.

Q: Please tell us what kind of plays Syu usually performs?

A: Basically, the first part is a play, and the second part is a dance show. Many of the plays are historical plays based off of Kabukis. A singing show is also incorporated sometimes, so if you’re lucky, you might be able to hear Syu’s singing voice…?

Q: Please tell us if there were any settings that weren’t revealed for A7!, which was held for April Fool’s.

A: Actually, there are 4 animals: The hamster Kasumi, the cheetah Hiro, the black panther Zen, and the wolf Syu. They’re retired nowadays, so they rarely appear.

Q: Please tell us about the bar that Guy is running.

A: It’s still a shop that’s only well-know to those in the know, but it’s gaining popularity from office workers (both men and women) on their way home, as they feel soothed by Guy’s composed aura and slightly air-headed personality. Of course, the alcohol and food also have a good reputation.

Q: If Yuki and Kazunari have come up with nicknames for the first gen. leaders, please secretly let us know.

A: Kasumi was given the nicknames, “fairy tale uncle” and “Kasuminu” that he asked for himself. Kazunari seems to be thinking of nicknames for the other three but he says, “I’m still shrinking the distance between our hearts right now~”. Please anticipate Kazunari’s communication power.

Q: Stew was a standard on the menu for the first generation MANKAI Company, but what kind of stew did they have? Just like the current Company’s standard of curry, did they have a menu of different arrangements?

A: There were all kinds of stew like pumpkin stew, soymilk stew, corn stew, etc. that were served by Zen, but Yukio’s favourite was the classic cream stew. By the way, Yukio’s reaction when he said “stew” and was served beef stew is still a topic of conversation at drinking parties to this day.

Q: The number of Theatre members who have a driver’s license has increased, but has there been a change in their driving or shopping situations?

A: There hasn’t been a drastic change, but Banri gets called out to pick up and send his older sister, and Taichi seems to be steadily improving his driving skills by travelling to the neighbouring city’s supermarket sales during the evening when there’s not much traffic.

Q: The members held a training camp in Zafra as a cultural exchange, but please tell us if afterwards, there is a popular cultural trend, or Zafran words that the members use between them?

A: Zafran board games are still as popular as ever, and whenever a new product is released, they’re imported regularly and are highly sought after by the members. Also, since the Zafra training camp, seasonings made from kneading various chili peppers and spices with oil are popular too, and they are also sent over regularly from Zafra.

Q: The impression of Isuke when he just came to the dorm was told from Zen’s point-of-view, but please tell us about the first impression of Isuke from the other 3 leaders’ perspectives.

A: All of them unanimously thought, “he looks clumsy.”

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#a3! #a3! translation #act! addict! actors!