The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shipping Nataraja/Pasupata
Soooo I've decided I really really don't want to wait for the end of the shows to write up my long report and let everyone know how fricking amazing Tuti and Nagayan are and how utterly and completely slashy their characters are. So, behind the cut, I've given a decent length description of each character, his quirks, their relationship, and my thoughts on said relationship.
Really this probably will just amount to my writing something out because I can't figure out yet what exactly I want to do with them (so if anyone has any drabble ideas...8D *all ears*) and I wanted to really flesh out exactly what their relationship is in "canon" so that I can build on it.
If you venture behind the cut: beware of extensive spoilers for Maharaja Mode :)
Nataraja (ナタラージャ, Tuti) is a professional dancer and close friend of Shiva (Daiki) at the palace of Vishnu, responsible for organizing many of the events and entertainment at the yearly festival. He's very loud, gaudy, and ostentatious, but can get very emotional when confronted with the secret of his past:
He grew up a "street rat", poor, having to steal food and things to sell for money. One night, he broke into the home of a wealthier family to rob them, and a fire accidentally started while he was raiding the room of one of the sons (Pasupata). The boy woke, and told Nataraja he was blind, and asked what was happening. Nataraja, sensing an opportunity to move up in society and secure his future if he saved the other boy, claimed that he'd rushed into the burning house to save Pasupata, and did just that. The rest of Pasupata's family perished in the fire, and he was left with only one person in the world: Nataraja. The two became fast friends, and eventually were picked up by the palace, Nataraja as a dancer and Pasupata as a soldier.
Pasupata (パスパタ, Nagayan) is a soldier and close friend of Shiva. Something of Shiva's personal guard, he tends to be pretty laid back and cheerful, occasionally borderline goofy, but is very sensitive at times as well, and a consummate fighter. He claims to be blind, but Shiva alone knows the truth of Pasupata's past: that he actually can see perfectly fine, and only lied to Nataraja about his eyes so that Nataraja wouldn't abandon him in the fire that claimed his family (if Nataraja had thought he witnessed him stealing, he probably would've left him to die). Despite knowing the truth behind why Nataraja initially saved him, he refuses to confess to this, afraid of losing their friendship if Nataraja feels cornered.
Throughout the play, you can see both Nataraja and Pasupata struggling with their secrets: Nataraja trying to convince himself what a horrible life he left, how he's tainted by ever having engaged in it, what a monster he is for using people who trust him as he has, just to move out of that life; Pasupata doing his best not to let Nataraja know he already knows the truth, while still trying to convince Nataraja that people who live that life have no choice, they're just trying to get by, there's nothing wrong with being stuck and needing help. It's really beautiful the second time around, when you are hit by all of the foreshadowing and can see how deep their friendship goes and how scared they both are of losing it ;_;
The whole lack of complete trust between the two eventually leads to Nataraja betraying Parvati (and by extension Shiva and Pasupata), the only one who can open a specially sealed door, to Niganda, the Big Bad Guy, because of some silver-tongued talk from Adis, Niganda's right-hand man reminding him of his "true" background as a thieving good-for-nothing who only made it up the ladder where he is because of lie after lie after lie.
Nataraja convinces himself, for a while, that he never thought of Shiva or Pasupata as friends, that he really was just doing what was good for himself, and not out of any altruistic thought to save Pasupata's life. During the play's climax, Paspata and Nataraja battle (Nataraja using some fucking awesome hand blades [though instead of the blades stretching to the side, they stretched out front, like daggers] and Pasupata with a STAFF. THAT'S IT. A STAFF. Not even a long one, just one to block blows!) and come out pretty even--Pasupata has Nataraja cornered, and yells at him, "You saved my life! You're my friend!" Unable to continue the fight, Nataraja flees and refuses further fighting.
At the play's climax, the spirit of the evil king Niganda is jumping bodies in an attempt to stay alive, first possessing Shiva, and then jumping to Pasupata. Everyone assumes that this will cripple Niganda, as Pasupata is blind, but this is were it is revealed that Pasupata actually lied about it, so that he could stay with Nataraja. Stricken by what everyone has done for him, how people played dumb around him just so that he wouldn't leave, Nataraja embraces Pasupata, shaking him and holding him to force Niganda's spirit out and into himself--at which point he then uses his blades to try and kill himself, thereby trapping Niganda in a dead body and destroying him. Suffice to say, to avoid spoilers, he doesn't wind up killing himself, and Niganda is still defeated.
In the end, everyone makes up after Pasupata smacks Nataraja on the head and snaps, "Idiot!" (followed by Shiva slapping HIM and doing the same thing, followed by Nataraja growing a pair and slapping them both, followed by more slapping and hitting and kicking and...you ge the idea 8D Yes, it is as cute as it sounds). Shiva is tasked with running the country while his brother Vishnu recovers, and claims he can't do it on his own, promptly drafting Nataraja and Pasupata to aid him--to which Nataraja reluctantly agrees, and we can see their friendship well on the road to being stronger than ever.
So...that's where the play leaves us. And there's soooo much fic I want to write now XD Because they really have this amazing setup, are obviously closer friends than either of them imagined, and are now in the end left in a new place where there aren't any secrets between them anymore, as a kind of starting over/rebranding of their relationship.
Anyways, I fully intend to start writing fic for them, even if it's just little drabbles (hell, Mitsuru's already planning on releasing Nataraja/Pasupata doujinshi at the winter Comiket 8DDDDD) so.........dammit I want others to do so as well XD Guess I'll have to wait for the DVD to come out :P
Really this probably will just amount to my writing something out because I can't figure out yet what exactly I want to do with them (so if anyone has any drabble ideas...8D *all ears*) and I wanted to really flesh out exactly what their relationship is in "canon" so that I can build on it.
If you venture behind the cut: beware of extensive spoilers for Maharaja Mode :)
Nataraja (ナタラージャ, Tuti) is a professional dancer and close friend of Shiva (Daiki) at the palace of Vishnu, responsible for organizing many of the events and entertainment at the yearly festival. He's very loud, gaudy, and ostentatious, but can get very emotional when confronted with the secret of his past:
He grew up a "street rat", poor, having to steal food and things to sell for money. One night, he broke into the home of a wealthier family to rob them, and a fire accidentally started while he was raiding the room of one of the sons (Pasupata). The boy woke, and told Nataraja he was blind, and asked what was happening. Nataraja, sensing an opportunity to move up in society and secure his future if he saved the other boy, claimed that he'd rushed into the burning house to save Pasupata, and did just that. The rest of Pasupata's family perished in the fire, and he was left with only one person in the world: Nataraja. The two became fast friends, and eventually were picked up by the palace, Nataraja as a dancer and Pasupata as a soldier.
Pasupata (パスパタ, Nagayan) is a soldier and close friend of Shiva. Something of Shiva's personal guard, he tends to be pretty laid back and cheerful, occasionally borderline goofy, but is very sensitive at times as well, and a consummate fighter. He claims to be blind, but Shiva alone knows the truth of Pasupata's past: that he actually can see perfectly fine, and only lied to Nataraja about his eyes so that Nataraja wouldn't abandon him in the fire that claimed his family (if Nataraja had thought he witnessed him stealing, he probably would've left him to die). Despite knowing the truth behind why Nataraja initially saved him, he refuses to confess to this, afraid of losing their friendship if Nataraja feels cornered.
Throughout the play, you can see both Nataraja and Pasupata struggling with their secrets: Nataraja trying to convince himself what a horrible life he left, how he's tainted by ever having engaged in it, what a monster he is for using people who trust him as he has, just to move out of that life; Pasupata doing his best not to let Nataraja know he already knows the truth, while still trying to convince Nataraja that people who live that life have no choice, they're just trying to get by, there's nothing wrong with being stuck and needing help. It's really beautiful the second time around, when you are hit by all of the foreshadowing and can see how deep their friendship goes and how scared they both are of losing it ;_;
The whole lack of complete trust between the two eventually leads to Nataraja betraying Parvati (and by extension Shiva and Pasupata), the only one who can open a specially sealed door, to Niganda, the Big Bad Guy, because of some silver-tongued talk from Adis, Niganda's right-hand man reminding him of his "true" background as a thieving good-for-nothing who only made it up the ladder where he is because of lie after lie after lie.
Nataraja convinces himself, for a while, that he never thought of Shiva or Pasupata as friends, that he really was just doing what was good for himself, and not out of any altruistic thought to save Pasupata's life. During the play's climax, Paspata and Nataraja battle (Nataraja using some fucking awesome hand blades [though instead of the blades stretching to the side, they stretched out front, like daggers] and Pasupata with a STAFF. THAT'S IT. A STAFF. Not even a long one, just one to block blows!) and come out pretty even--Pasupata has Nataraja cornered, and yells at him, "You saved my life! You're my friend!" Unable to continue the fight, Nataraja flees and refuses further fighting.
At the play's climax, the spirit of the evil king Niganda is jumping bodies in an attempt to stay alive, first possessing Shiva, and then jumping to Pasupata. Everyone assumes that this will cripple Niganda, as Pasupata is blind, but this is were it is revealed that Pasupata actually lied about it, so that he could stay with Nataraja. Stricken by what everyone has done for him, how people played dumb around him just so that he wouldn't leave, Nataraja embraces Pasupata, shaking him and holding him to force Niganda's spirit out and into himself--at which point he then uses his blades to try and kill himself, thereby trapping Niganda in a dead body and destroying him. Suffice to say, to avoid spoilers, he doesn't wind up killing himself, and Niganda is still defeated.
In the end, everyone makes up after Pasupata smacks Nataraja on the head and snaps, "Idiot!" (followed by Shiva slapping HIM and doing the same thing, followed by Nataraja growing a pair and slapping them both, followed by more slapping and hitting and kicking and...you ge the idea 8D Yes, it is as cute as it sounds). Shiva is tasked with running the country while his brother Vishnu recovers, and claims he can't do it on his own, promptly drafting Nataraja and Pasupata to aid him--to which Nataraja reluctantly agrees, and we can see their friendship well on the road to being stronger than ever.
So...that's where the play leaves us. And there's soooo much fic I want to write now XD Because they really have this amazing setup, are obviously closer friends than either of them imagined, and are now in the end left in a new place where there aren't any secrets between them anymore, as a kind of starting over/rebranding of their relationship.
Anyways, I fully intend to start writing fic for them, even if it's just little drabbles (hell, Mitsuru's already planning on releasing Nataraja/Pasupata doujinshi at the winter Comiket 8DDDDD) so.........dammit I want others to do so as well XD Guess I'll have to wait for the DVD to come out :P