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courtingstars · 4 years

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Notes for The Road Before Us (MidoTaka)

So… Wow. I kind of can’t believe this is the last chapter. And I have to say, this one was a ride—or at least it was for me to write, anyway. //laughs Which seems appropriate, given the overall themes. And it also feels appropriate to be posting it on New Year’s Eve, given what the story ended up being about.

I knew this chapter would be the longest, once I realized some of the things I wanted to include in it. And that hopefully it would include pretty much everything I love the most about MidoTaka, and also about KnB in general. I don’t know how well I pulled that off, but I definitely got emotional writing it. <3

As a matter of fact, the first fic I ever wrote for KnB was a MidoTaka fic! (It’s here on my Tumblr, but I never even posted it to Ao3.) I haven’t written nearly as much about them as I have for some other pairings. Still, I kind of feel like I got my start in the fandom with MidoTaka, and I have a LOT of feelings about them, for all kinds of reasons. So I really, really loved getting to write a chapter about these two, being super amazing partners and also really super in love, and hopefully it shows. <3

I do have some of my usual notes this time around, mostly a few cultural things. (And also some random flailing, about FINALLY getting to write about certain things I’ve had swirling around in my head for a long time. XD) I might write a different post later about this fic overall, and how it turned into something I honestly wasn’t expecting… But for now, let’s get on with the MidoTaka goodness!

(Cut for rambling about things like family headcanons, a few Japanese winter foods, lucky pencils, Takao’s nerdy card hobby, and the symbolism of five yen coins…)

Family Headcanons

This isn’t really a proper note, just some goofy flailing because I FINALLY GOT TO WRITE ABOUT MIDORIMA AND TAKAO’S FAMILIES, HURRAY. I’m also so unbelievably happy that there was a cameo with Midorima’s little sister! I love her so much, especially that she likes nail art. (I have a pointless headcanon that Midorima borrows nail files from her. xD) I’m also overjoyed that I FINALLY got to mention that I headcanon Midorima’s mother as being a surgeon, and his father as a scientist. Because super-successful overachieving green family, that’s why? //laughs

(In case it wasn’t obvious already, I am way, WAY too into family headcanons… There’s probably nothing I love more than coming up with what a character’s family might be like, and how they fit into their family dynamic. To the point that I have a TON of ideas about all of the GoM’s families, some of which I hinted at throughout this story… Because apparently I can’t help myself anymore. XD)

The Rear Car

This is also not a proper note in any way, but… I’m just so happy that the rear car is in this! XDD I hinted at a few personal headcanons about it in the chapter, including that they don’t use it regularly by their third year in high school. But it just seemed like it couldn’t be a MidoTaka fic without it, so I’m overjoyed that I was able to come up with a way to work it into a holiday fic…

… And because I’m a nerd, I love it even more because it just fits the “Sleigh Ride” theme SO PERFECTLY. XD It’s been a while, but I think that was even how I decided on the carol for the fic in the first place? Like, “OMG maybe Takao could decorate the rear car and they could ride around in it and it would be sort of like the song and that way the last chapter actually fits the most and IT’S PERFECT?!” Ah, the things I get excited about as a nerdy writer. //laughs

Hot Water Bottle Covers

… I’m not really sure if I should even make this a note, honestly. XD But I happened to get the idea for the cutesy hot water bottle covers that look like animals while I was doing a search for the Japanese word for hot water bottle. Which is yutanpo (ゆたんぽ), if anyone was curious!

Oden and Oshiruko

And now about the meal… Oden is a type of stew that is super popular in Japan in the wintertime, so it’s one of the foods that tends to be culturally associated with the season. There are a lot of different ingredients that can be in it, some of which can be pretty unfamiliar to people who aren’t from Japan. You can learn more about some of them in articles like this one. And yes, you can totally buy oden in a convenience store! (Which are everywhere in Japan and called ‘konbini’ for short.)

As for shiruko (or more formally, oshiruko!), this is the Japanese version of red bean soup. It’s prepared a few different ways, and the recipe varies by region. KnB fans will probably know it best as what Midorima is always drinking out of a can. XD So no surprise that it popped up in this chapter, really!

Yushima Tenmagu

This is just a quick mention about the lucky pencils Midorima gives Takao… As Midorima said, these came from a shrine called Yushima Tenmagu, which is pretty famous as a place for Japanese students to buy good luck charms to pass their exams. (Also if I remember correctly, Midorima has this running gag throughout some of the series extras about trying to figure out how to get better scores on his exams, and even about a lucky pencil? So it just seemed to fit. //laughs)

Magic the Gathering, Apparently

… Okay so first of all, I know literally nothing about Magic the Gathering. So if you happen to be an MtG fan and I screwed something up, I’m very sorry. //laughs

In any case, it’s a longtime headcanon of mine that Takao plays MtG. Since of course it’s one of the most famous trading card games in the world, and it’s still popular in Japan and played in the gaming communities there. And as Takao fans out there will know, his canon hobby is collecting trading cards, which he specifically shops for at a pretty famous Tokyo shopping center called Nakano Broadway. (All of which got a mention in this chapter!)

Also, if you’re wondering how long I’ve had the MtG headcanon specifically… Well, here’s a quote from my fic The Fast Train to Kyoto, where Akashi and Furihata run into Takao while shopping at Nakano Broadway:

“Why do you like to come here, if I may ask?” Akashi said.

“Oh, right. You guys gotta see this.” Takao started to rummage through one of his shopping bags. “I’m a loser for trading cards. Magic, mostly—play a lot of Magic.”

… Because the point guards in KnB are all huge nerds in my mind, and I WILL STAND BY THAT THEORY FOREVER. XD

(And no, I honestly had no idea that I would ever reuse that particular headcanon, especially in a holiday story? But it’s me, and I can’t seem to stop connecting all these totally unnecessary details, even in my fluff fanfics, so… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. //laughs)

The Symbolism of Five Yen Coins

Okay, I have to admit really love this one, because of course I just sort of stumbled onto the idea by “accident.” //laughs So a few weeks back, I was trying to figure out what lucky item would work for Takao’s gift in the story. The real-life Oha-Asa has listed coins as a lucky item for multiple astrological signs over the years, so I was playing around with that idea… And that was when I learned about the symbolism of the five yen piece in Japanese currency. At which point I completely geeked out, and decided on the spot that I just HAD to use it.

So a five yen coin is pronounced “go-en” in Japanese. Which also sounds like another word that basically means a bond or connection, and has connotations of fate as well. For this reason, there are a lot of superstitions around five yen coins—it’s often used at shrines to pray, for example—and it’s basically connected to the idea of meeting people and making connections in a fortunate or “destined” way. Which just seems so fitting for Midorima and Takao, and how they met and later became partners! And also how I see all the relationships in KnB in general. <3

For an explanation from a Japanese person about some of the symbolism behind the five yen piece, I really recommend this article here! And Wikipedia also mentions some ways that the five yen piece is used culturally.

Well, that’s it for now! I might end up editing this a bit at some point, since I’m writing it in a hurry to post it on New Year’s. But I really wanted to get the final chapter up as soon as I could, so people could read the completed fic if they wanted.

Well, thank you all so much for indulging me in my holiday fic mood this year! Happy New Year, and I hope you all have an amazing 2020 ahead. I know I definitely have a lot of goals and things I’m thinking about and hoping for, and I might talk more about that soon. (As well as try to catch up on some messages and other to-do’s I’ve been horribly neglecting.) But for now, it just feels right to finally be able to complete this story, which ended up meaning way, way more to me than I ever expected it to. (Like KnB and these precious rainbow basketball kids in general, really. <3)

#kat writes fanfic #kat writes about basketball dorks #these wonderful things #long post #text post #AHHHHH I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S COMPLETE #I was started to think I'd never finish this story haha #why did a holiday fluff fic end up having all these complicated feelings XD #why do I do this to myself #I blame Midorima and Takao because they just WOULDN'T STOP HAVING FEELINGS AT EACH OTHER #god you two XD #I don't write about you for years and then you just had to get it all out at once lol #anyway happy new year #and also the one thing I want to say is #merry christmas takao #just merry freaking christmas XDDD

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toomanysurveys9 · 6 years

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Who was the last person you took a photo with? Was it self-taken? wyatt and no it was not. jade took it over the weekend on snapchat while we were playing mario party at her grandma’s.

Have you ever tried to learn another language? How did it go? i took a few years of french in high school, and a semester of it in college. i also took a semester of spanish in college. i guess it didn’t go super great since there is a lot i’ve forgot. haha. i just never use any of it.

So, what are your plans for the near future (a year)? having ellie, and then taking care of her and wyatt. hopefully paying bethel so i can get a job in my field and help out some with bills and whatnot. other than that, i have no clue.

Do you prefer questions about trivial things, or more deep and meaningful? a mix of both for sure.

What can you hear right now? Tell me even the tiniest things. i hear the kiddos playing, me typing, and the stroller wheels squeaking. also dog breathing, and occasionally grandma laughs at the kiddos.

Where did you last ride in a car to and why? uhm. i think it was when i went to the store and then home for groceries on sunday night.

Tell me about a person that comes to your head whose name starts with M. my great-aunt mary... she is my grandma’s older sister, and she owns a house in the country that her husband built many, many years ago. she has a lot of land with ponds and tons of gardens, although she’s not able to care for it all like she used to. our relationship has always been rocky (she always preferred my siblings over me), and continues to go up and down a lot. she said that what christian did to me was my fault because i wore spaghetti strap shirts as a nine year old girl, and i never should have told anyone what he did (i found out a few years ago that her husband molested my aunt crystal - i’m not sure who all knew, if anyone, so i’m curious if she knew and just never said anything - they didn’t share bedrooms as long as i could remember). currently our relationship is on the okay side. i try to let a lot of things go because she’s old and she won’t be around forever. and against my better judgement, i do love her. i know she also loves us on some level too. she loves wyatt and she made him a blanket, and i’m pretty sure she is making one for ellie as well. she was never able to have kids, and i know that has always broken her heart.

Do you drink alcohol? How often? i haven’t drank alcohol in a very, very long time.

Do you have any bills that need to be paid right now? soon. they are not due right this second though.

Can you rap freestyle? Or at least sing raps from songs? i can not rap freestyle, and can barely sing raps from songs if we’re honest. haha. rap is not my favorite though.

Do you know anyone from the Philippines? no one comes to mind.

What was the last type of soup you ate? homemade beef and noodles that jade made this past weekend. Are you more logical or creative, or maybe somewhere in between? i feel like i am more logical than creative. on rare occasions, i can be more on the creative side though. i wish i was able to do that more often. being too logical seems to ruin some things for me pretty often.

Do you use bar soap or gel soap? gel soap with a rag. i hate bar soap.

When was the last time you had brunch? saturday when we took grandma out for breakfast.

Does your bedroom door have a lock on it? Do you have to use it? it does and i do not really use it. although i may start if people don’t start learning to knock on the damn door when i’m in there. especially when i’m trying to get wy to sleep or he is sleeping.

How many times a year do you travel away from home? usually at least once a year we go on a little mini vacation away from our city.

Do you like your job? Why or why not? i am a stay at home mom and i absolutely love it. i would do it forever if i could. but it will be nice to be able to say i’m helping pay the bills, and getting things for the kiddos that i want to get without worrying about having to ask jacob’s permission.

How about your boss? What’s your boss like? i guess you could say jacob and the kiddos are my bosses. haha. jacob is like the head boss, and then kiddos are the managers. i love them all so much. :)

Do you have a credit card? Do you rely on it? i have a couple. i do not rely on them though. one i got to help my parents be able to get buffy the care she needed at the emergency vet, and the other is a hot topic one i used for christmas last year.

Are you bitter about anything at the moment? Tell me about it. not at the moment. last night i felt slightly bitter towards jacob because he gets to do whatever he wants whenever he wants and never has to worry about another person.

Who was the last person you saw a movie at the cinema with? Who paid? i went and saw venom this past sunday with jon, jade, and jacob. jacob paid for our tickets.

Do you message friends and family on Facebook regularly? not regularly, no. basically only if i need to talk to someone and can’t text them due to signal (like if i’m at the store).

Have you ever shared a house with a significant other? yeah... jacob has been living with us since soon after he turned eighteen, and we just bought a house a little over three months ago. :)

When was the last time you did laundry? last night.

Do you still have a landline phone in your home? we do, mostly for my grandparents sake.

How are you feeling today? Happy, sad, or anything else? i am feeling pretty good today, to be honest. wyatt and i went for a walk to get lunch (and get out of the house) and he’s mostly been in such a good mood, it’s hard not to be happy.

If you smoke, what’s your brand of choice?

i do not smoke.

Have you ever built a snowman? yeah. not very good ones, but yes. haha.

Does it even snow where you live? it does.

If you had to volunteer for a week, where would you like to volunteer? an animal shelter probably. i enjoyed it in college.

Who was the last person that made you upset? What did they do? lilli took a toy from wyatt that she knew he didn’t want her messing with.

Do you have a crush on anyone? Tell me about them.

it’s a lot more than a crush. but we have been together over ten years. married over two. and we will be welcoming our second baby to the world soon. he works as a tire technician, but he wanted to get into collision repair in high school. he went to career center for it for a year and did really well, but his mom wasn’t all that supportive of him continuing schooling for it after high school unfortunately. he enjoys watching videos on his phone, playing basketball, guns, fishing, video games, and drinking. he has dark brown hair and brown eyes, and a sweet smile. he can be sweet when he wants to be but most of the time he’s an asshole and he owns it. -insert eye roll-

Have you ever had something signed by someone famous? What and who? a cd by nicole c. mullen.

What was the last thing you said aloud? i asked wy if he was really done eating dinner. he barely touched it...

#survey #surveys #personal #question #questions #random

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