Fate Is a Tricksy Cousin (Ushiwaka x Reader) [Haikyuu]

*ೃ༄ Author's notes˚◞♡ ⃗

"Who analyses their own stories?" a familiar voice asked.

"I do," I answered the voice in my head.

Hello everyone! First things first: thank you for reading Fate Is a Tricksy Cousin!

I wanted to take this opportunity and dissect the story a little bit. (I promise it won't be boring!) I obviously will not discuss everything, but I do want to point a couple of things.

The story was supposed to be only four chapters instead of five, but after improving the emotional scene in chapter three, I could not keep the old pacing and conclude it in chapter four. Besides rearranging the plot, I also went over and changed the prose aspect as well.

This also meant change in symbolism. There was no 'page' metaphor at first, not to mention the 'tiger' metaphor. Additional metaphors were added under the influence of English metaphysical poets. Luckily for me, @okamusame also wrote a poem for one of her chapters and it was a perfect excuse for me, under the guise of a reference, to write one myself trying to imitate the aforementioned style.

The original (first draft) poem was based off the view in chapter five. I compared Y/n to the cold sea and Ushiwaka to the sun, who makes the sea more beautiful. (This can also be seen on the cover.) Then I zoomed out into the cosmos and used the same comparison on a larger scale. In the first version of the fic, Y/n openly shared her past with Ushiwaka, but not her present. For example, in the original version I wrote:

"I'm so happy I sucked at sewing," you commented out of the blue.

"You what," he laughed.

You laughed along. "Oh, nothing."

Hence, I hinted at the distance between the sea and the sun. In the published version, however, Y/n was vaguer about her past, but clearly had shared more of her life with Ushiwaka. The new poem, therefore, has completely new symbolism. Here Ushiwaka is the wind who dispersed the dark clouds (thoughts) of Y/n. Because I integrated more romance into the published version, the poem no longer needed to convey their feelings of love, and therefore the official one is shorter.

One aspect of Y/n's character that only the very attentive readers might have noticed is that she is worried about whether her relationship with Ushiwaka will last. After some hints in passing, I made a hard reference to it in the last two lines of the poem. It is a feeling I did not resolve on purpose. Another detail is that people smiling put her at ease, so I made sure I commented when people (Ushiwaka) smiled.

To talk a little bit about @okamusame's version, I must thank her for such a good groundwork. I tried my best to reference her story, but naturally I could only do it in the first chapters. I would have liked to incorporate her bonds with Inarizaki and the old barn house, because there was a lot of potential in these ideas, but I did not want to write a very long fic and I had to leave them out. However, I am glad I got to reference a line verbatim and use the "threat of the sewing club".

I will leave you with the 'first draft poem'. Honestly, I like it better than the new one (I like the "feel" of this one, it feels more metaphysical-y) and it would be a shame if no one else but me would be able to read it. (Ps. Make sure you pause after each line.)

Like the sun sparkling on the sea can never

truly touch it, though the star makes it shine,

and elevates the water to a new level,

just like the sea, I need you to be mine

forever.

Cold, deep, and mysterious,

I crash upon the shore.

Hot, huge star in the cosmos

will be with me forevermore.

We might make it cloudy,

but that will be you and me.

Total opposites, but you make me better

until you will disappear, for some time,

be it night or awful weather, a letter

I will send to you, you're always on my mind.

In it, I know you'd write this, too,

are simple words "I love you."