For those whose stories were not told.
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The center of her own galaxy. The story of Matsuoka Gou. by subtlyfailing
Fandoms: Free!
26 Oct 2014
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Summary
Let’s talk about how Gou Matsuoka loses her father at four. How she lives her whole life with sorrow running beneath her skin, through her veins, her bones. Now, let’s talk about how she smiles at strangers on the sidewalk because their stories may be much sadder than her own.
Her brother is the one with the tears, the screaming, with the violent outbursts. Gou carries many of the same scars, but they do not show themselves in poisonous words or harsh actions, or in tears. They show themselves in late night calls to her brother, and all-nighters drawing up workout plans, and dogeared pages in nutritional cookbooks. They show themselves in how fiercely she cares.
Gou shapes herself to be a survivor. She cooks dinner for her mother on weekdays, she picks chrysanthemums to put in vases and she goes out to tea with Hana every Saturday. She counts down the days until New Years and teaches herself to cook all her brother’s favourite meals.
She copes.
You can tell a billion stories about girls who light incense at their father’s graves and text their brothers good night before falling asleep.
No one has ever told Gou’s story.
Series
- Part 1 of For those whose stories were not told.
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Summary
Let’s talk about how Nitori is fifteen years old when Rin Matsuoka returns to Japan, contempt and anger pulsing in every muscle, permeating each stride he walks, very stroke he swims. Let’s talk about how Nitori follows his every move with admiration shining in his eyes, how at night, he traces the lines of his much smaller muscles and dreams about growing, about filling the room like Rin does. Let’s talk about how he stretches his spine to try and match his modest height to his idol. How he just wants to measure up. Let’s talk about Rin Matsuoka is everything Nitori ever wanted to be.
Rin is a natural. Born with swimming in his genes, in his bones. Rin is a boy who grows up chasing the footsteps of someone else. Rin is the one with the talent, the strength, or so Nitori thought.
His story is one of growth. Let’s talk about Nitori Aiicirou for a bit.
Series
- Part 2 of For those whose stories were not told.
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Stray Dogs Barking At The Moon. The story of Yamazaki Sousuke by subtlyfailing
Fandoms: Free!
26 Oct 2014
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Summary
There were times when he would forget, laying, staring into the night’s darkness, mind lingering somewhere in the realm between wakefulness and sleep. There were nights when his body was free of pain, when his heart was free of turmoil. At these times, he could almost allow himself to forget his tragedies.
Then he would move, and his shoulder would ache, and his world would crumble in on itself, again and again.
He had lived to swim once.
They showed us his tragedy and called it a happy ending. It was not an end at all.
Let’s retell the story of Sousuke Yamazaki.
Series
- Part 3 of For those whose stories were not told.
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Summary
Rin was six years old when his father went off to sea and never came back. He was six years old and held his little sister’s hand at the back of the funeral procession, all clad in sorrow and white silk. He was six years old with people telling him “it’ll be okay son, it’ll get easier to bear eventually”.
Somehow, he thinks, it never did.
Toraichi Matsuoka died on that stormy summer night. They had buried an empty casket but the grave was overlooking the sea, so it had to count for something, right?
A story about family and dreams and learning to breathe when the world crumbles around you.
Series
- Part 4 of For those whose stories were not told.