Previously posted at animimares for the FemSlashDay 2008 (19th of July).

Basically, these two short ficlets were the result of me trying to grasp the tachi/tachi dynamics. Being unable to describe physical attributes as hair cuts and clothes, I was forced to try and make my characters appear "masculine" by way of speaking and interacting solely. It was tough, but also very, very interesting and amusing.

These two characters, never explained in more depth even though they both have their respective background history, will probably be the model for many of the future tachi couples I'll write.


Title: Moonlight Densetsu Can't be Girly When it is Haruka Singing
Pairing: Yayoi/Eiko, references to one-sided Yayoi/Shinju and Yayoi/Tomoko.
Rating: PG
Summary: Everything begins with pink uiro. And that's where everything ends as well. Moonlight Densetsu is just a stop somewhere in between.
Notes: I don't own the Moonlight Densetsu lyrics - I wish though. They're catchy. Also, "Aniki" here refers to the nickname Ogata Megumi, Sailor Uranus' seiyu, has been given by her fans.

_____


( Gomen ne sunao ja nakute... )



~*~


Title: The Art of Taking, Giving, Sharing, Fucking and Winning
Pairing: Yayoi/Eiko
Rating: PG-13 for suggestiveness.
Summary: When all comes down to it, it has less to do with the tank top itself and much more to do with what is underneath.
Notes: Apparently pink is a recurring theme. Just because. It's girly. And these two aren't. Or, well... they are... in their own way.

_____


( Yume no naka nara ieru... )





Now you tell me if it works. Are they too masculine, too feminine, too much like a yaoi couple or simply just too much? Tell me, I really want to know if these two manage to show off some of the doubleness and edge that I think is what attracted me to the idea of a tachi/tachi couple in the first place.

As a quick introduction to the history and background of this journal, I thought there were a few things to mention.

What initially sparked my interest in the subject of tachi/tachi relationships was a mix of the fascination I've had of birls since I was very young and the general confusion at the lack of a representation of such a relationship in anime/manga (and really, lesbian entertainment allover). As a result of this confusion, I posted this at yuri, simply throwing the question out for the yuri audience to think about and hear their opinions on the matter. It developed into a general discussion of the topics of femininity and masculinity and especially a growing concern about an apparently male-dominated view on lesbians and lesbian stereotypes that flourishes in the animanga industry.

So, I said to myself: No way.

With the upcoming FemSlashDay (19th July, 2008) as my excuse I wrote two tachi/tachi dialogues to explore the tachi/tachi dynamics in a bit more detail, without letting it all be about short hair, dark voices and masculine clothing. I'm happy with what came of it and the understanding it gave me of what masculinity can be made of, but I do hope in the future to be writing more in short story format, since that's what I consider myself best at.

Seeing that every journal needs an appropriate name, that was the next item on the list. I only know a little Japanese and mostly what I've picked up from watching anime, so I asked my flist for help on nailing a term that would best represent the idea of two tachi women, not only as individuals but also and maybe especially as a unity, an item - a couple. Help was granted and that lead to the name of this journal. tachi_no_futari.

So, really, all in all, this journal itself is a spur of the moment, but the thoughts behind it and the topics it will work with have been in the back of my head and at the tip of my pen for a very long time.

Now I just hope I can live up to all my good intentions.

First post here. Inspired by a Danish poem with the same title (albeit in romanized and very wannabe Japanese) that I wrote for my girlfriend little less than a year ago. Now in English and in a form just a bit more strict than the one I followed when writing the original. I like the outcome well enough. The beat pleases the ears, I think.



The Gender of Tomboys

Two girls, one spirit,
Attracting each other: a
Tomboy reflection -
But by the world seen as fags,
Sexually disordered.






Note 1. Tanka is an ancient Japanese poetry form consisting of five units/lines with respectively 5-7-5-7-7 syllables.

Note 2. Syllabification in English is apparently a complicated matter that not even native English speakers can always successfully master. I tried working from the notion of syllabifying the written word and not as it is spoken, but I'm not sure I've been throughout. For example, the word "seen": Is that one or two syllables if judged by its written form and not how it's pronounced? As the result is now, however, I think it works. And, really, when all comes down to it... it doesn't matter much.