#( akimi

[bananafishdepression]

I get that everyone thinks Shorther is older than Ash since he's always been so much taller than Ash, even in Angel Eyes, but we never see Ash teasing him for his age, even if it's maybe like 1 or 2 years. I think they're same age, which means Shorter would've been born in the year of 2000 too. He could be younger even, but we never see Ash calling him a kid either. We see Ash teasing Eiji for his age all the time even tho it's just 2 years apart, but never them.

All I'm saying is that Shorter and Ash knew each other for a couple of years and never teased each other for their age, while Ash literally made fun of Eiji when they just met lol.

[sufferthesea]

hey the loki show was still good so you are wrong

I'm glad you enjoyed the show and you're obviously the target audience for it, but I still didn't like how most of the content was handled and I didn't like Sylvie. Considering my anti-Sylvie and Loki critical posts were from 2+ years ago, you're not one of my followers; and since you sent this on anon, I'm guessing you're never going to see this (unless you're waiting for my reply).

You are absolutely entitled to your opinion (including thinking that I'm wrong) and I'm entitled to my opinion (including disliking Sylvie/the Sylvie x Loki ship, and the way the first season panned out; I've yet to see season two). I loved the first half of season one, but I personally think they botched it (except for a few fun characters/scenes). I think I just had different expectations for the show and was disappointed with the direction they took it. But I haven't talked about Loki (the character and the show) for almost two years (aside from the meme post I made that I'd written when s1 came out but only posted maybe a month ago), so idk why my critical post is so far up in the Loki/Sylvie/Marvel tag for you to find it!!

Anyway, I definitely like media that other people consider "bad" (I'll forever defend Morbius as the best gay romance of modern times) and I don't like a lot of media that other people consider "good." I'm glad you liked the show, tho! I hope the next seasons are just as good for you, and I'll try out season 2 to see if I like it any better. I'll probably just watch it anyway, since I love Loki and (most of) his variants.

Besides, season 1 did give us this scene ...

[tragedicna]

@dancingdevildemon  /  unprompted.

Fangs came out the darkness first. Drippin' as Dandy lured out claws pushin' against the wall as eyed up the little prince before him. "...So I got ask...are ya in mood for some.....DESIRE."

            ❝  so you were the one releasing that scent . . .  ❞  ⸻  akimi had an inkling that they had a visitor  ,  and not of the human sort  .  their keen nose seemingly picked up a scent that is heady with something they couldn't quite place their hand on but before they could react  ,  they're face to face with the demon looming over them  .  eyes looking over the other's figure  ,  ❝  would that not be up to you to put me in the mood  ??  ❞  they tease softly  ,  not frightened by the other's image  ,  an unsaid consent being given as they ease their stance  .  a coquettish tilt of akimi's head  ,  they wait on dandy to act  .  

[unhingedselfships]

hydrangea for maji, carnation for aki, aster for kir, sage for dai? ♡

This one got long XD the other 3 are under the cut c:

Hydrangea– What’s something about you only s/i understands? What do only you understand about s/i?

Majima is settled on the middle seat of the overstuffed couch, arms stretched across the back. Kimi is flopped to his side, head resting on the arm, and legs across his lap.

He grins, about to answer, before sputtering indignantly as her bare toes press into his cheek, cutting off whatever he was going to say.

"Liar."

"Ya didn' let me say anything!" 

She grins at his indignation, "Didn't have to, I know you. Whatever you were gonna say was gonna be complete bull so you could avoid anything resembling real vulnerability."

He glares flatly down at her, but her grin never wavers.

Her face softens as she begins to answer on his behalf, "we both share this sort of… We have what most people would consider odd feelings, about our respective appearances."

He winces, "Do ya have ta go there?"

"Shush. Anyway. Neither of us is exactly… happy. With our appearance. Or at least parts of it. We have things we do like, and are proud of, though that can fluctuate. But there is plenty we don't like as well. To put it gently. And yet, we're both very appearance driven people."

She shifts, turning to settle into his side, "Its kind of hard to explain? Or maybe that's just me? But we both like to put in a lot of effort, even knowing that because of how we feel, we'll probably end up let down. I don't think a lot of people quite get that... That we're not being vain, but trying to mask, to hide, the things we can't stand," she glances up at Majima, "Or put them out on display as a weird sort of act of rebellion."

She glances up at Majima, who is pointedly looking across the room.

Stifling a giggle, she shares in a conspiratorial whisper, “He doesn’t really do vulnerability.”

He gives an indignant “Oi!” and she cackles as he playfully shoves her into the floor.

Carnation– What’s something about s/i that fascinates you?

Akiyama gives a wry grin, "this girl's sleep patterns are absolutely insane. I'm not the best at keeping a regular schedule either, but she puts me to shame. I have no clue how she functions."

(A faint shout of "I don't" can be heard in the distance)

Aster– What would you consider a symbol of your relationship with s/i?

Kiryu blinks, his brow furrowing. His eyes quickly dart down to the simple band on his finger, then back up.

K snorts, leaning over the back of his chair, "Yeah the rings are a literal symbol. I think they want something more well… symbolic? Maybe." She shrugs.

He closes his eyes, that contemplative-concentration look he gets when he tries to remember something settling over his features. 

K jolts slightly as Kiryu's eyes suddenly pop back open, and he gives a small self satisfied smile. 

It takes him just a moment to dig into a pocket before presenting a battered old key chain, with a single key on it, "It's the key to the house we share," he clarifies, "but-"

"You still have that old thing!?" She cuts him off, then turns sheepish, "ah, sorry."

He snorts lightly, rolling his eyes, "Of course I still have it. You gave it to me. I still don't really get it."

"Oh," a soft flush on her face, "Well is a monkey, like you. Your Chinese zodiac I mean. Earth monkey specifically, so it was too perfect to pass up."

He eyes the dangling gift, a cutesy monkey face, with a little dark green stone dangling from its own loop of the same chain.

"Did you really never…" she trails off.

"No."

"You must have been so confused," the start of a giggle in her voice.

It was his turn to ignore an embarrassed blush, "You gave it to me," he repeated, "It didn't matter what it was supposed to mean."

Sage– If you and s/i could live together, forever as immortals, would you do it? Why or why not?

Daigo tilts his head, gaze distant and thoughtful, "I know this is something she thinks about. It's a nice thought, in theory. Spending eternity together. As a fantasy, But in reality? I'm not sure she likes the idea if it's grounded in reality. All of eternity, here? Even together, we," he sighs, his whole demeanor shifting to something melancholic, "We're both tired. But I look forward to the years we do have." 

[tragedicn]

"Akimi, would you like to travel with me? I was thinking of taking some time off, and I figured it would be best to spend the time simply enjoying a vacation. No working, just the two of us living among the regular people and enjoying ourselves."

            surprise flickers across akimi's visage at the sudden invitation  ,  well . . . sudden on their behalf  ,  but they're sure that izumi has been pondering this thought for a long time now  .  silence befalls the two of them as akimi thinks on the invite  ;  there's no reason to decline  .  it's not as if they have a better place to be  ,  and leaving sounds like a good idea  .  while they've fantasized of seeing the world  ,  the tiger is seemingly bound to the endless amount of things to be done . . .             ❝  you and i hardly look normal  ,  ❞  akimi jokes  ,  a soft tease . . . despite their human-like appearance  ,  to the more attuned  ,  people would be able to tell the pair is more than they portray  .  a tilt of their head  ,  ❝  where are you thinking of going  ??  far  ,  far away  ??  ❞  akimi muses gently  ,  a wistful tone taking to their voice  .  as a prince  ,  akimi had often been confined to the palace  ,  buried in training and in books . . . since the fall of their home  ,  while they traveled a lot . . . they haven't been anywhere for leisure  .             ❝  i think some time away would certainly . . . help  ,  ❞  they agree  ,  ❝  a vacation . . . i heard taking a break away from work is definitely suggested when you're tired and weary  ,  ❞  they nod  .

[chaotic-banana-fish]

ASH LYNX & RELIGION

The other day, like many others, I found myself thinking about religion and religous imagery in Banana Fish, something which I find fascinating. And I found myself asking the question of wether Ash ever believed in God. We see him pray once for Eiji's safety, as he leans and falls against the window, light pouring from it, the image itself religious. Yet, there doesn't seem to be any other instance of Ash being religious in any way, so I wonder if his prayer came from a moment of complete desperation or if something in him truly believed there could be a higher power able to keep Eiji safe. I've seen people offer both perspectives, saying he's never believed in god at all but will do anything to try and save Eiji, or that he maybe once believed in god but stopped believing after everything that happened to him. However, as far as I know, we're never given a definite answer.

So, I began to question, if Ash were to be religious, where and how did that begin? His up-bringing was almost certainly not religious at all, as his father is the furthest away from Christian as one can be, and the town itself doesn't show any indication of being especially religious. Plus Massachusetts is (according to google at least) one of the least religious states in the US. After running away from home his life obviously changed drastically and he was enduring an incredible amount of abuse and would not exactly have time to think about religion.

So, as I calmly wondered about all of this, suddenly an obvious revelation hit me like a truck. Aslan. His name, given by his mother meaning "day-break" is an ancient prayer word. * If there was anyone religious around Ash it was his mother. Now, even though Ash was given this name because he was born with the dawn, and his mother was a hippie drug addict, this doesn't necessarily mean that this word or religion didn't hold importance for her. Furthermore, Ash doesn't know anything about his mother other than she left, I doubt he even knew she was just a teenager. So, in his mind, given the origin of his name, his mother may have been religious, and that belief, God, and his name is the only thing that ties him to her. When Ash prays to God, it's the same as praying to his mother. He's praying to that figure that should have been there, taking care of him, loving him, keeping him away from danger, that person that he tries to reach out for when looking at the sky only to find nothing. Both are blurry and without a shape or name.

He's shown to grieve the loss of his mother whom he never knew, he wants to believe she loved him but wonders why then, she abandoned him. His faith in that love is as unreachable and otherworldly as belief in god, and yet he clings to both in times of desperation. It is then a twisted fate that the only thing we see him ask of God is to die in place of Eiji, which he does, and after which he is buried next to his mother.

(* I want to note that this etymology isn't actually correct, but I assume it was just a mistake from Akimi Yoshida's part.)

[gatoraid]

Random, but can I ask why do you love Yut Lung? What made him special? Is there a certain moment in Banana Fish where you know, this will be my favorite character?

P.s I can't believe the mangaka end Yut Lung just like that in the later manga. Are you surprised, too?

This is the perfect ask, YES you can ask me why I love my fave character. <3 This has been sitting in my drafts for a while but since the jp fandom is currently drawing a lot of Yut Lung fanart for the Mid-Autumn Festival, I feel like it's a good time to try answer this.

Yut Lung as a character is just endlessly fascinating to me. He’s the bitchy antagonist, the foil and twisted mirror image of Ash and to a lesser extent Eiji too. He has such delicious relationships with so many of the characters in the story, he's THE fandom bicycle to me.

I love how Yut Lung is full of contradictions. He’s an evil mastermind and seductress pulling at the strings, but he’s also a traumatized 16-year-old kid who misses his mother. He uses his femininity and beauty as a weapon and never fails to bring a fashion moment when going out, yet at home he only ever wears ugly grandpa sweaters.

One of the reasons why I enjoy reading about him so much is that he’s not really a good person. He’s petty and jealous. He’s been having a bad time his whole life and he wants to make it your problem too. Yet at the same time, you see how torn he feels about Shorter's death, how he just wants acceptance and for someone to take care of him. Idk, something about him showing his ugly sides and still being someone who clearly would deserve love and healing just feels so cathartic to me.

And let's not even get started on the gender stuff. I tend to latch on to characters with atypical gender expressions, and Yut Lung is explicitly referred to and viewed as feminine by other characters in the story. Is he someone who's learned to use his perceived femininity to his advantage (the ppl who have compared him to the main character of M Butterfly are so smart), or is this how he actually wants to present? Maybe both? In any case, this aspect of his character has also made him very dear to me.

Also, I actually do know the exact moment I realized Yut Lung would become my fave:

Soo yeah, despite being a fan of the manga for years, it was the anime adaptation that made his character really pop for me. Maybe it was just the right timing for me to vibe with his particular story, or maybe the fact that the anime staff clearly loved him made him stand out even more? His updated character design is just so good! Obviously I love his manga and anime versions equally now, the anime was just the catalyst.

You also asked about Yut Lung's story arc in Yasha. I'm putting the rest after a cut bc of spoilers.

I haven't read Yasha myself, but I've read enough fic and other reports to know the basics of how Yut Lung's life ends in that story. I'm very sad since I just wanted him to keep on living, taking reponsibility for the shitty things he has done. But idk if I can say I'm surprised. Unlike the anime staff, I think it's pretty clear that Akimi Yoshida did not love Yut Lung at all. I feel like she disliked him quite a bit actually, so writing an ending like that for him makes sense in a way sobbbb.

[allieebobo]

Would any of the CTOS characters go and see Challengers?

Take my answer with a pinch of salt because I have not yet seen the movie, but:

Emerson would be clamoring to go watch it as a team (they're the one usually most plugged in about New Movies. "It has TENNIS! It has ROMANCE!!" they would shout, flapping their arms about. "What more could one ask for?"

Sam loves movies and loves tennis media, so they'd be the first one (well, alongside Emerson) to hear about the movie and attempt to persuade everyone they know to go watch it. They'd probably even suggest watching it with MC 'simultaneously', in separate cinemas, texting reactions throughout..

Deepal, shrugging, would follow that up with, "I miss the froyo place by the cinema. I'm in" — though I think they'd generally be down to watch Challengers, it has plenty of drama, humor, and there's a love triangle. "Too bad there are no dance numbers," would be their only criticism — they'd grown up on a steady diet of Bollywood movies, after all.

Tobin would most likely want to watch the movie as a team activity — and have dinner after; they'd offer to drive, and if anyone were still on the fence, that would probably tip the scales even further in favor of going to watch the challengers.

Max would be down, immediately. Blake would be in it for Zendaya, probably — they're not exactly Gen-Z, but they are about as obsessed with Zendaya as the average Gen-Z person (honestly I feel like this is a fair statement but is a terrible generalization I plucked out of my ass).

Lee, depending on whether or not the movie is actually good, would throw their support behind Emerson, or scoff quietly and proceed to dissect the movie and tear it apart (if bad). Generally I think they usually go for more indie movies + movies with more POC/queer rep though.

Akimi would probably not be super into the movie since they usually like wacky absurdist / thriller / horror movies, but would eventually agree, "so long as you guys promise to choose a horror movie for the next team movie sesh."

Jacks would not be that interested, but eventually be dragged along / swept up by Emerson's enthusiasm (they've never been very good at saying no to Emerson).

Rayyan would also be pretty 'meh' about it. "I'd rather play tennis than watch tennis, and if I wanted to watch tennis, I'd rather watch actual tennis," they'd grumble. Eventually though, they'd give in (probably), because they're not as immune to Tobin/Deepal/ the rest of the team's badgering as they try to appear. Depending on the movie, they might even end up enjoying it.

The movie would not be on G's radar at all, but if someone suggested watching it with them, they'd probably not disagree — they enjoy watching all sorts of things, and with MC being a tennis player, they'd probably be interested in learning more about tennis. D would be curious as well, and probably rally the rest of the hall to watch it together. Addie would probably think it's a waste of time (oof, harsh) but might come if they have a close relationship with MC.

Coach Sy would probably not watch it. She has a soft spot for nature documentaries and mysteries, and Challengers doesn't quite cut it. Coach Jones would probably watch it — he's very into sports movies.

Think that covers everyone?

[collegetennisoriginstory]

Out of curiosity why did you choose to have the men and women's tennis teams train separately? Will there be mixed doubles teams as well? I really enjoy Tobin and Rayyan, but would be nice to have them be opposite gender too 😊

Otherwise really liking the story!

Hahaha. Okay, I sense my answer is going to be hella long because it's something I've thought about extensively (I don't know how many of you are that interested in the (over)thinking I do with regard to my world-building/narrative-plotting/character-development), but here we go!

I think there's two questions here: (1) why Tobin and Rayyan are only same-gender, and (2) why the men's and women's teams train separately. I think these are separate considerations, so I've answered them separately! [Technically, Tobin and Rayyan could be same-gender i.e. on MC's team, AND the men's and women's teams could train together].

Why are Tobin and Rayyan same gender?

In the NCAA competition format, men's and women's teams compete separately. The relationships between Tobin x MC and Rayyan x MC are almost wholly dependent on them being on MC's team, e.g. competing together, being doubles partners etc.

(Long answer below the cut)

Why do the teams train separately?

Even the side characters (e.g. Deepal, Jacks, Emerson) have their specific interactions/dynamics with MC based on having to compete for spots on the same team or being possible doubles partners (in the case of Jacks).

Hence, I could write the men's and women's teams training together, but most of the characters you'd actually hear about / get to interact with at length with would still be same-gender. Max or Akimi or Blake etc. could be opposite-gender, though, so maybe it is worth thinking about! [When I played in college (not div 1 or anything), we trained separately so I just wrote what I knew BUT I do know some colleges train together!

Whenever I have the time, I might think about rewriting to have em train together, but it won't be on my top priorities--just because of the amount of work that'd be involved!]

More on Tobin and Rayyan being same-gender:

There are very few competitive mixed doubles matches in NCAA—maybe a few standalone tournaments, and mixed doubles are never really used to determine the college's overall standings/path to the championships)

Hence, if I wanted Rayyan and Tobin to be main characters in the IF that (a) play/compete with MC, and (b) have the chance to be MC's doubles partner in official competitions, they'd have to be the same gender. Writing them opposite-sex would change the entire nature / dynamic of their relationship with MC.

Rayyan's meant to be MC's main rival, first upset that they're partnered with MC (if they are), then grudging respect for MC as they realize that they're actually good, better than anyone else they've ever played with, then grapple with the tension that MC might actually be better than they are.

Tobin's meant to be MC's captain, and also another possibility of a doubles partner—an alternative or narrative foil to Rayyan, and provide the possibility of exploring an arc where one of the team's best players actually does not feel threatened by this young upstart.

Mixed doubles / opposite-gender tennis RO?

That said, I did make Felix, Tobin's ex on the opposite-gender team, a more integral character to the IF. There'll be a mixed doubles session where MC gets to partner Felix, and that'll be fun regardless of whether MC ever wants to pursue anything further with them.

MCs can and will be able to... "do the dirty" with Felix at least once, and have this impact the narrative, even if it'll never be a r'ship that's romantic in nature. So, a half-compromise of sorts?

Another reason why I liked this narrative solution so much is that Sam and Felix are both... kinda chill people (well, Sam's nice/fun, G is too ironic/dry to ever actually give off "I'll fight you" vibes) so I thought someone grumpy and very hostile would round out the semi-RO options for MCs who don't date same-gender characters.

[That said, Felix is written as canonically non-binary, though originally they were written more as gender-selectable (i.e. nb or opposite-sex). So I'm aware it's still not exactly a hetero/'straight' relationship.]

[resentfuljustice]

한국 pt. 13 - I spy with my little eye... half Korean

Mums žingsniuojant link metro stotelės, pro šalį prašvilpė greitoji pagalba. Nustebau pamačiusi ryškiai žalius šviesų atspindžius ant gretimų parduotuvių vitrinų – pasukusi galvą link garso šaltinio, klausiausi ausiai nepažįstamos sirenos melodijos (kodėl ji tokia neagresyvi?). Ant geltonai balto autobusiuko buvo parašytas pagalbos telefono numeris 119. Vieną sekundėlę pagalvojau, kad žiūriu į veidrodinę užrašų versiją, kuri būna prilipdyta ant kapoto – tam, kad net ir tokie vairuotojai kaip aš, visu garsu besiklausantys ukrainietiško repo ir negirdintys jokių garso signalų už nugaros, bent atgalinio vaizdo veidrodėlyje pamatytų juos nesėkmingai aplenkti bandantį AMBULANCE. 

– Kodėl 119, o ne 911? Nes čia rytai, o ne vakarai, Juste.

Nežinau kodėl man taip nuolat lipo visokie mediniai bairiai – gal tiesiog turėjau humorui visiškai neišlavintą skonį, kurio absoliuti viršūnė buvo pasiekta šimtąjį kartą bežiūrint 17 metų senumo filmą "Scary Movie 4", kai man kartu su aktoriais cituojant dialogą "Tempura, Sushi, Sashimi!", tuo metu subtitrai rodo "The answer is within my father's heart! Follow the blood!". Bet besijuokdama stovėjau prie 7-Eleven parduotuvės durų ir akimis bėgiojau po visą bokštą tuščių puodelių, kurie per kelias sekundes galėjo pavirsti karštu gėrimu.

Karolis, vietoj pasisveikinimo, š�� rytą atsisukęs į mane užkimusiu balsu iškarkė tik "Noriu arbaaaaatos, skauda gerklę". Nusprendėm po Nacionalines Seoulo kapines vaikštinėti gurkšnojant iš vienkartinių puodelių – aš jau buvau pradėjusi nerimauti, kad tik nenusižengtume kažkokioms nerašytoms mandagumo taisyklėms ir neužsitrauktume tiek gyvųjų, tiek mirusiųjų nemalonės. Bet negalėjau pernelyg rimtai žiūrėti į visą šitą reikalą, kai Karolis – tas pats vyras, turbūt bent pusantro karto visais atžvilgiais didesnis už vidutinį korėjietį, gydydamas savo peršalimą, gretimais garsiai siurbčiojo Hershey's karštą šokoladą su zefyriukais. 

Su kapinėmis turėjau ypatingą ryšį – gal net kažkuo keistesnį negu tarp manęs ir sumuštinių – bet besisvečiuodama bet kurioje svetimoje šalyje (netgi aplankant kokį naują miestą Lietuvos teritorijoje) turėjau bent trumpam įžengti į lavonais išgrįstą žemę. Mėgau lėtai apžiūrinėti vyraujančias antkapių tendencijas, gėlių pasirinkimus – dirbtinės ar tikros, skintos ar pasodintos, puokštės ar pavieniai žiedai, taip pat nevengdavau pagalvoti apie tikėtiną savo pačios gyvenimo trukmę, mintyse greitai suskaičiuodama kiek metų po mano kojomis gulintis kaulų maišas turėjo garbės šliaužioti po šitą pasaulį. Bet Seoulo nacionalinės kapinės buvo tokios didelės, kad po jas nesustodamas vis ratus suko net tam specialiai dedikuotas maršrutinis autobusas, su bent septyniomis, po visas kapines išbarstytomis stotelėmis. Tad buvau nusiteikusi, kad visko per vieną dieną tikrai neapvaikščiosiu.

Jaučiau ore tvyrantį pušų kvapą, kai pasukę link pagrindinių kapinių vartų, ten pamatėme du iškilmingai pasipuošusius kariškius – vienas iš jų buvo apsirengęs visiškai baltai, ir vėliau įžiūrėjau ant jo kepurės nugarėlės pakabintą inkarą. Šalimais stovėjo mažas, šviesus namelis, iš kurio mus pamatęs išlindo kapinių apsaugos darbuotojas. Ant nedidelės įkalnės, už jų nugarų, girdėjau monotoniškai pasikartojančius žodžius, kuriuos kartais pertraukdavo trumpas pagiedojimas. Karolis priėjo ir paklausė darbuotojo, ar mes galime eiti toliau ir dalyvauti vykstančioje ceremonijoje – jis be emocijų linktelėjo, tik liepė nusiimti akinius nuo saulės – pasirodo, tai buvo simbolizavo nepagarbą mirusiems. Nežinau, ar tokios pagerbimo ceremonijos vyksta kartą per mėnesį, o gal ir po kelis kartus per dieną – bet džiaugiausi, kad kaip tik tuo metu bastėmės po kapines. Atsistoję šiek tiek toliau nuo smilkalais mojuojančios minios, klausėmės aidinčios liūdnos, nesuprantamos kalbos iki pat ceremonijos galo, kol jie visi iš lėto patraukė į požeminį kolumbariumą – nors neįsivaizdavau ką kartojo tie žmonės, vis tiek susigraudinau.

Vėliau klaidžiojom po Seoulo olimpinį parką, kur gerą pusvalandį tarp visų vėliavų ieškojom Lietuvos spalvų. Iš pradžių ginčijomės, kodėl pakabinta Latvijos vėliava, bet ne Lietuvos – bet vėliau pripažinom, kad visą laiką žiūrėjom į Austrijos vėliavą, nes Estijos taip pat niekur nebuvo nei kvapo. Po to prieš akis pamačius visu gražumu plevesuojančią USSR vėliavą, abu susižvalgėme ir pasijutome kaip iškritę iš medžio – juk šita olimpiada vyko 1988 metais, kai tokios kaip ir "Lietuvos" tiesiog nebuvo… Man, asmeniškai, labai keista suvokti ir priimti tokį laikotarpį kaip faktą, ypač jeigu būčiau šiame pasaulyje pasirodžiusi vos keletu metų anksčiau – mano gimimo liudijimas teigtų, kad gimiau dabar jau nebeegzistuojančioje šalyje.

Pailsėti užsukom į olimpiniame baseine įsikūrusią kavinę – kol pro užrakintas stiklines duris stebėjau viduje besitreniruojančius korėjiečius, Karolis tuo metu mums užsakinėjo gėrimus ir mano išsirinktus pyragus. Strategiškai besižvalgant, prie kurio stalo galėtume įsitaisyti, Karoliui draugiškai mojuoti pradėjo vienas korėjietis. 

– Pažiūrėk, tas vyras kviečia mus prie jo prisėsti.

Labai apsidžiaugiau, kad pagaliau, pirmą kartą visoje kelionėje, sutikom entuziastingą korėjietį, kuris visai norėjo su mumis pasišnekučiuoti – kad ir tiesiog patreniruoti šiek tiek atrofavusius anglų kalbos raumenis. Džiugiai klestelėjau prie artimiausio staliuko ir pasirėmiau rankomis į savo smarką – buvau pasiruošusi klausytis. Senolis pradėjo kalbėti angliškai su vos jaučiamu amerikietišku akcentu.

– Where are you from?

– Lithuania.

– Lithuania. Lithuania… You are far away from home, aren't you?

– Yes, we're here on vacation for two weeks.

– How are you liking Korea?

– Love it. Beautiful country, tasty food, polite people.

– Lithuania is a tiny country, right?

– Yes, a bit less than 3 million people, and size wise it's only 1,5 times smaller than Korea.

– ONLY 3 MILLION PEOPLE?! Lithuania is so small… But now I'm thinking I might have visited it when I was still working.

– What did you do before you retired?

– Oh, I have traveled the whole world. I was writing for New York Times and Readers Digest, when CIA approached me to join them, – jam išbėrus šiuos žodžius, mes abu su Karoliu spindinčiomis akimis susižvalgėm – wow, negi bendraujam su kažkokiu praktiškai buvusiu JAV šnipu Korėjoje! 

– That's very impressive. What did you do during your time at CIA?

– I became a college professor when I was still in high school. Everyone kept asking me – how come you speak English so well – and I always told them that I simply started to learn when I was only 15 years old.

– Well, in Lithuania, English language is pretty much mandatory since second grade. 

– So, where are you from?

– We're from Lithuania. Tiny country. North of Poland.

– How many people live in Lithuania?

– Almost 3 million…?

– So tiny! In Korea there are over 30 million people!, – Karolis jau žiojosi patikslinti mūsų pašnekovą, kad Korėjoje gyventojų kiekis jau senokai perkopė 40 milijonų, bet aš pradėjau gan stipriai baksnoti jį su alkūne. Su siaubu žvelgiau į savo milžinišką torto gabalą, ir vos atvėsti pradėjusį XXL kavos puodelį – mintyse primečiau, kad su demencija kovojančiu korėjiečiu mes įstrigome mažiausiai pusvalandžiui.

– Wow, good for you.

– When I was younger, I used to write for Readers Digest and New York Times. Everyone kept saying what a great English language skills I have – they did not even have to hire an editor, as I did not make any mistakes when writing in English!, – kol vargšas korėjietis kartojo tas pačias istorijas, aš kišausi į burną vengerkos slyvos dydžio torto gabalus. Į Karolio pasimetusio žvilgsnio zoną mestelėjau antrą šakutę, ir pagestikuliavau, kad greičiau man padėtų.

– That's fantastic.

– I also worked for CIA… So, where are you from?, – paragavus savo americano supratau, kad jau praktiškai visą kavą galiu susiversti kaip kokį alaus bokalą. Karoliui lėtai kilstelėjus jo latte link lūpų ir kukliai gurkštelėjus, greit pakišau savo ranką ties jo puodelio dugnu ir neleidau jam jo nuleisti tol, kol į jo gerklę nesubėgo bent pusė viso karšto skysčio. Mačiau jo piktą žvilgsnį, bet neturėjau jėgų atsiprašinėti – mano visa energija buvo eikvojama mandagiai šypsenai palaikyti mūsų CIA šnipo su 10 sekundžių atmintimi pusėn. Jis šnekėjo toliau, net per daug nekreipdamas dėmesio – klausomės mes ar ne.

– It was such an honor to meet you sir. Have a nice evening!, – nuo tokio greito valgymo ir gėrimo man šiek tiek skaudėjo skrandį, bet palaimingai žiūrėjau, kaip Karolis, prieš nunešdamas nešvarius puodelius prie baro, pagarbiai spaudė ranką mūsų naujajam draugui. 

Lauke Karolis iš kišenės išsitraukė nusipirktą sausainį-pyragaitį – jis buvo vis dar šiltas, ir mes besijuokdami jį trupinom ir valgėm atsisėdę ant laiptų prie baseino. Jeigu nepasimėgavau tortu, bent pasimėgausiu kažkokiu neaiškiu kepiniu. Ant jo spaudėm iš kavinės nušvilptą braškinį džemą, o aplink mus, vienas po kito zujo šunis vedžiojantys korėjiečiai – jų pavadėliai buvo ne tik šviečiantys neoninėmis spalvos, bet iš jų, kaip kokia sutartinė, grojo Titaniko daina. 

Vakarienės trenkėmės vėl atgal į Gangnam rajoną – abu negalėjome pamiršti vienos korėjietiškų šonkauliukų vietos, kur einant pro šalį matėm ant staliukų į piliakalnius sukrautus mėsos kalnus, kurie buvo dosniai ištepti raudonai juodu, tirštu padažu. Klajodama po metro stoties koridorius, skaičiau tos vietos atsiliepimus – kad vieni negalėjo pakelti tų specifinių šonkauliukų aštrumo, o kiti teigė, kad jie buvo labiau saldūs, negu aštrūs – prisiminus jų "aštriuosius" čipsus, pradėjau pati sau šypsotis. Kadangi Karolis laukdamas gidės (t.y. mano) palaiminimo stabtelėjo, pakėlusi galvą žvilgtelėjau į metro stotelės aprašymą ir iškart supratau, kad važiuosime ne į tą pusę – o pinigai pasivažinėjimui jau buvo nuskaičiuoti. Kaip tik nebeturėjome nei kiek grynųjų, kad pasipildytume nuolatinį, tad atsidusę užlipome laiptais aukštyn ir pradėjome ieškoti bankomato. Pamačius, kad artimiausias bankomatas yra tik išėjus iš metro stoties, Karolis nusprendė išbandyti laimę ir dar kartą pamėginti praeiti pro metro vartus į kitą pusę – ir aparatas supypsėjo nuskaičiuodamas 0 KRW. Buvau taip maloniai šokiruota – nors atrodo visiškai logiška, kad jeigu tam tikrą laiką neišbuvai metro tuneliuose, tai greičiausiai net niekur nevažiavai – bet kažkodėl iškart pesimistiškai pagalvojau apie savo gimtinę, kur dėl tokio įvykio galėčiau pasipešioti nebent su vartotojų teisėm.

Ne už ilgo stovėjome prie šonkauliukų restorano – jis buvo absoliučiai pilnas, nesimatė nei vieno tuščio staliuko. Prie įėjimo buvo pastatytas aparatas, į kurį galėjai įrašyti savo korėjietišką numerį, įvesti svečių kiekį, ir vos tik atsilaisvinus vietai – gausi žinutę. Kol mes knaisiojomės po dar pirmomis valandomis Seoulo oro uoste gautas SMS, kuriose kažkur turėjo būti parašytas mūsų korėjietiškas telefono numeris, mums pradėjo moti neįtikėtinai aukštas korėjietis (maždaug kaip mano brolis…) iš restorano vidaus. Pasekėme paskui jį, ir mus pasodino ant ilgo stalo kampo – man po kaire įsitaisęs merginų būrelis baiginėjo savo šonkauliukus, ir jos jau buvo pradėjusios vieną po kito laužti soju butelius. Visas restoranas savo dizainu labiau priminė valgyklą – mačiau virtuvėje besisukančias padavėjas (visos buvo gerokai pagyvenusios moterys), visoje patalpoje buvo ne mažiau kaip 50 staliukų, dauguma jų buvo sustumti vienas prie kito, sukuriant tradicinių lietuviškų vestuvių užstalės atmosferą. Sėdėjau nugara į duris – už manęs maloniai iš patalpos karštį vėdino visi plačiai atlapoti langai. Labiau apsidairiusi supratau, kad aš ir Karolis čia visiems švietėm iš tolo – buvom absoliučiai vienintelės galvos visame restorane, kuriuos nesipuikavo juodais kaip smala plaukais.

Užsisakėm lipniųjų šonkauliukų – dar paprašėm korėjietiškai keptų ryžių ir alaus. Po kelių sekundžių iš virtuvės atlingavo močiutė, kuri ant mūsų stalo sukrovė lėkštes su garnyrais (švelnusis kimchi, česnakų daigai, aštriai marinuotas ridikas, neaiškus žalias ankštinis pipiras ir random česnakinė pasta) ir juodą dubenį su sriuba. Korėjoje, vos kažkam be jokio paaiškinimo atnešus neaiškų dubenį su kažkokiu skysčiu, vis prisimenu vietą iš Šreko, kur jis, besisvečiuodamas pas savo karališkus uošvius, vakarienės metu pradeda gerti iš priešais pastatyto dubenėlio, ir tik paskui jam Fiona parodo, kad dubenėlis skirtas rankom nusiplauti… Ir vis laukiu, kada man nutiks kažkas panašaus.

Šį kartą čia ir vėl tikrai buvo sriuba – užsivertusi dubenėlį, svarsčiau ką man priminė tas maloniai aštrus sultinys – bekramtydama jame plaukiojančias žoles, pagalvojau apie rūgštynių ir kopūstų hibridą. Ta pati močiutė po kelių minučių ant stalo numetė tokio dydžio lėkštę šonkauliukų, kad per ją vargiai mačiau Karolio veidą – tik iš jo akių įskaičiau tą patį klausimą – "Kaip mes sugebėsime užkopti į mūsų statųjį Airbnb kalną po šitos vakarienės?". Kadangi pamačiau kitus restorano svečius pasipuošusius prijuostėm, bakstelėjau Karoliui, kad jų daugiau kabo už jo nugaros. Kol jis rūpinosi apsaugine apranga, kaip visiška Korėjos ekspertė pradėjau ieškoti stalčiuko stalo šone – atsidarius radau šlapių ir paprastų servetėlių, šaukštų ir metalinių pagaliukų. Kadangi šonkauliukus laikiau vienus iš 100% rankomis valgomų patiekalų, buvau rami, kad čia apgrauždama kaulus niekaip neišsišoksiu. Bet… 

Įsižiūrėjusi pamačiau, kad korėjiečiai viena ranka prilaikydami šonkauliuką, kita ranka pedantiškai knaibė mėsą nuo kaulo su pagaliukais. Net nebandžiau apsimetinėti, kad moku tokių magiškų triukų – didesnė tikimybė, kad bandydama kažką panašaus tiesiog susižeisiu, tad iškart ėmiausi šonkauliukų su abiem rankom, ir be jokios gėdos pradėjau juos apkramtyti. Aštrumas stovėjo per patį vidurį ant tos plonytės linijos, kuri skyrė malonų skausmą nuo gaisro mano burnoje, tad apglėbusi bokalą su savo pirštinėtom, bet nešvariom rankom, iškart atsigėriau alaus.

Pakėlusi akis išvydau du mane sukrėtusius reiškinius – į mūsų staliuką vogčiomis, bet akivaizdžiai vis žvilgčiojo pro šalį prabėgančios korėjietės padavėjos. Atrodė, kad kelių sekundžių bėgyje kuri nors iš savo prijuostės išsitrauks telefoną ir pradės mus filmuoti. Supratusi, kad jas nustebino ne mano laukinis šonkaulių dorojimas, atsisukau į savo sutuoktinį. 

Baltasis turistas su tamsiai mėlynomis akimis, ant kurio prijuostės buvo nupieštas mažas varliukas, lyg niekur nieko su metaliniais pagaliukais elegantiškai valgė šonkauliukus.

[rainbow-dash-sideblog]

Introduction Post

Hi, my name is Jo, I use he/him pronouns and I am a binary gnc transmasc. I am the current only moderator of the rainbow-dash-sideblog tumblr blog, an archive of various art pieces relating to Rainbow Dash from the cartoon series My Little Pony(as well as her previous and future iterations) and Rainbow Dash-adjacent characters.

Feel free to send things about your RD headcanons, xenogenders, etc etc. As long as they are SFW.

FAQ (aka don't ask these questions please)

What is this blogs purpose?

The simple answer is, "To archive media surrounding a popular cartoon character that the moderator(s) enjoy." There are more personal reasons, of course, though at the end of the day, this is just a blog that reblogs and tags things. I, myself, consider it to be a 'project' in the sense that I wish to keep it up forever.

Why make a blog like this?

Because I was bored and I like Rainbow Dash. I also enjoy archive blogs such as @heritageposts and I've always dreamed of creating and moderating a blog similar to that. Though R-D-SB focuses more on recent artworks that are very likely to be forgotten and buried rather than old iconic posts of Tumblr's past.

You said you wanted to keep this blog up forever, what do you mean?

I mean that even if I decide to deactivate my main blog(@vampiricspectrumdisorder), I will manually transfer all of this blog's content over onto a separate tumblr account so it may never be lost(...for as long as Tumblr stays around, anyway). If I deactivate my main blog and transfer all of what I currently have over to a new tumblr account, I would not expect this blog to be maintained after that point. Though, who knows. Time will tell.

Will you ever open up moderator slots?

Most likely, though I will wait to do that until this blog has at least 100 followers. I want a large enough pool to pick from.

Who is your favorite MLP character?

...Despite what you may think, it's actually Celestia...

Do you have any other blogs like this?

(nobody would ever ask this, but I want to self promote LOL...)

I do have other sideblogs(@cyberneticcelestia, where I post my artwork, @moichinagae, a community resource for YASHA(1996), an obscure manga by Akimi Yoshia, which is still in development as i figure out what to post on it). My main blog, as said above, is @radspeon where i mostly reblog things and I don't have a set blog theme.

Under the Keep Reading, there will be a list of all the tags used on this account! Browse safely, kids.

rainbow dash sideblog originals - original posts that are not reblogs

rainbow dash sideblog reblogs - reblogged posts(most of the blogs content lol)

RDAU - posts about AU’s related to Rainbow Dash

feat [character] - posts featuring another character(like the other mane 6, the princesses, Jesse Pinkman, or Sam Winchester)

transmasc RD headcanon - posts about transmasc RD(there’s so many that it deserves it’s own tag)

xenogenders - Rainbow Dash/RD-adjacent xenogenders

rd physical media - kinda self explanatory, it’s physical items that are themed around Rainbow Dash, like toys and headphones and shirts

rainbow-dash-sideblog hall of fame - images/art of rainbow dash that I think are particularly noteworthy/outstanding(not that all RD art isn’t outstanding, but I’m talking about shit that is insane), also used for historical rainbow dash posts(if I find any)

g3 rainbow dash - self explanatory, I think. It’s for RD in g3, because I love her and she deserves more love.

king sombra timeline RD - ….it’s my blog I get to decide what fits in RDAU and what doesn’t/j (no but, I think that KSTRD is different enough from other RDAU’s that she deserves her own tag!)

RD STIMS - rainbow dash stimboards

equestria girls rd - art of RD that is either based on the EG series or is just of a humanized rainbow dash in general.

rdvids - videos featuring RD

rd gifs - gifs featuring RD

More to be added

[azurescaled-archived]

📜 (akimi and izumi)

Incorrect Quotes || Accepting! @tragedicn

Izumi: Violence isn't the answer. Akimi: You’re right. Izumi: *sighs in relief* Akimi: Violence is the question. Izumi: What? Akimi, bolting away: And the answer is yes. Izumi, running after them: NO-

[tragedicna]

@dancingdevildemon  /  unprompted.

"Sweet prince." Lick'n his fangs. "Let me remove those clothes SLOWLY...let take very every ounce of flesh. Grip ya body roughly and take you to world of pleasure with my fingers and fangs. Let bite every inch of ya."

            ❝  i'm not sure to take that as a threat or a promise . . .  ❞  ⸻  amusement dances in the tiger's eyes  ,  leaning back in their seat at the PROPOSAL that dandy was laying down  .  though they deserve none of the worship the other promises  ,  they're curious to what the other sees in them . . . what entices dandy  ??  akimi finds little intrigue in themselves  —  they had very little to offer aside from broken tales and an even more shattered persona  —  so the fact that this demon that visits them frequently wished to have MORE . . . akimi is just curious  .               ❝  i cannot fathom what interest you may have with skins and bones  ,  ❞  akimi hums  ,  and yet they open their arms as if to welcome dandy into their embrace  ,   ❝  but have at the flesh you crave . . . i can't say it'll be all too appetitizing  .  ❞

[unhingedselfships]

this one for akiyama: 😘, 💕, 💍, ☕, 💐,💔

😘: What’s your f/o’s favorite thing about YOU?

I have a lot of shame and insecurity. That aside, I am unabashedly me. I'm real and honest and blunt. I have next to no filter. The more comfortable I get, the more raw I get. He knows exactly what he's getting, and he loves it.

💕: Who’s the clingier one in the relationship?

100% me lol. Don't get me wrong, Aki loves affection and attention, but he's also real damn independent. A bit like a cat really. I on the other hand, can be super codependent.

💍: What’s your dream wedding?

If I had to narrow it done to just one, I think honestly, something fairly intimate and relaxed. Outside or in like, an open pavilion. Lots of flowers and fairy lights. A bit fairytale but like, not the big princess-y kind. More well, faewild.

☕: How do you comfort each other on a bad day?

I stress bake. So when we're both having an off day, it's sweets central.

For me, Aki tries to keep me from moping too much. I can really wallow if allowed. And while "getting in your feels" can be good sometimes, getting to the point that you spiral isn't. So he does his best to distract me.

With him, he's definitely a comfort seeker. Naps, cuddles, snacks, I dote as best I can.

💐: How did you two meet?

I ambushed him! I'm only kinda kidding. I went to Sky Finance and finagled him into agreeing to "whatever I ask" if I complete his test. By some fucking miracle, I did it. And he was like "Alright, I'm impressed, how much?" And I was like "nah fam, teach me how to money" lmao. I had to explain what I meant, of course, and there was a bit of "why don't I give you a loan for tuition" but I wore him down.

💔: Is it hard being away from each other?

Ugh yes. I can adjust, and I'm used to dealing with it when it happens, but I hate it. I really am a needy thing. He's good at pretending to be fine for most people, but I know his patience gets a bit thinner, and he doesn't sleep as well.

[changqwi]

‘hey, i can do that for you.’ michele, for akimi uwu

turning to look at michele when the other spoke up , the items held in their hands as they were in the midst of finishing their task . having opened their mouth to decline michele's offer to help , they didn't get a chance to when they're gently nudged aside so the male could take their spot as the things in their hands are taken away.

" you . . . it's not necessary , " they futilely replied , watching helplessly as michele helped them complete the task . a soft sigh ekes from their lips as a small smile tugging on the corners , " thank you , " akimi says , but despite having their task taken from them , they remained close to michele , " you didn't have to . . . did you finish everything you needed to do ?? "

[makirinawa]

汝、星のごとく prologue (JPN->ENG)

I decided to translate part of a novel as practice. Even though I'm not at the level where I can always appreciate prose, I find Nagira Yu's writing very soothing and beautiful. I hope I conveyed that in the translation.

Once a month, my husband leaves to meet his lover.

Before he gets in the car he peeks into the mailbox, says something came, and hands it to me.

In the twilight of summer, I stop watering the garden momentarily and take the mail. Lost in the bills and advertisements is an envelope as thick as a book. It’s from Tokyo. There is no sender listed.

“Did you order something?”

Not in particular, I answer, and my husband nods, then gets into the car with an I’ll be back tomorrow.

Have a safe trip, I call out, then I go back to watering.

I press on the end of the hose with a finger, creating a thin film of water. The other day, the shower head broke. Oh, that’s right. I should have asked him to buy a new shower head. Should I call him? I thought, then stopped.

Until tomorrow, that man is not my husband. I adjust the angle of the hose, sending the thin film of water upwards. The glittering spray falls through the humid orange air. As I gaze at that beautiful sight, I wait for the morning star* that will shortly rise to the west in the night sky.

“The evening star —"

*

I closed my eyes, and strain my ears to hear the words left behind on my eardrums.

“It’s not getting much cooler, is it?”

I turn around to find Auntie Sakuma standing behind me. She wore a straw hat and long boots. Perhaps on her way back from working in the fields, she was pushing a wheelbarrow of vegetables in front of her. Zucchini, eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes.

“Take what you’d like. Also, this is something gifted to me but…”

She hands over a neatly wrapped pound cake.

“If I leave it at home, my husband will eat the whole thing. I told him his blood sugar is too high, but he wouldn’t listen. Akimi, everyone in your house is young, so you don’t have to worry about those kinds of things.”

As we talk, Yuu-chan’s grass-green kei car pulls into the garden.

“Good morning, Auntie!”

After saying her greetings, Yuu-chan turns to me.

“I passed dad’s car earlier.”

“Tonight’s Imabari.”

“Oh, right. Dinner for the two of us is enough then. Oh, auntie, I’ll take these. Thank you for the gift.”

Bowing to Sakuma-san, she takes the basket of vegetables into the house.

“Are you alright?”

From under the brim of her straw hat, Sakuma-san casts a worried glance at me.

“Being a married couple isn’t always easy. Cheer up!”

“Don’t worry, I’m plenty happy.”

“Ah, well. You’ve always been like that, Akemi-chan.”

Sakuma-san looks a bit disappointed, then leaves pushing her wheelbarrow ahead of her.

I finished watering, then I carried the mail in my hand back to my workshop. Tonight, Yuu-chan is making dinner so I can work a little more. I sit by the window, and pick up my current livelihood: crochet. I thread a needle specialized for Haute Couture work, different from a regular embroidery needle, with a beaded string. Into cloth that evokes the night sky, I prick sparkling Swarovski crystals into a pattern. Delicately, quickly, precisely, the needle moves while my own existence fades into the background. Little by little, I feel that I am merging with the beautiful creation that emerges, and before I know it some time has passed me by.

But today I can’t seem to focus, and I leave the office carrying the mail I left on the table.

While heading toward the genkan, I hear Yuu-chan’s voice.

“Because dad isn’t here today. Yeah, he’s visiting the other woman in Imabari.”

“You guys are really something. Officially-approved cheating is so weird.”

Apparently the conversation is on speaker, so I can hear the sound of Yuu-chan’s friend’s voice. It mixes with the rhythmic chop, chop, chop of a kitchen knife cutting something. The delicious smell of garlic.

“I’m used to it now.”

“That’s what I’m saying is weird!”

Turning my back on their conversation, I leave the house in my sandals.

In the still-light twilight of August, the cries of cicadas — loud enough to make the air tremble, wash over me as I walk. A little ahead of me is a general goods store, with a bench for resting. A group of housewives sits talking. We exchange only bows as I pass, and like fish from two different habitats, part ways.

“I heard Kitahara-sensei is cheating too.”

“It’s because she started it.”

“I thought Kitahara-sensei forgave her for that.”

“No way! That’s why he got a new woman.”

Gossip that is exchanged across the island. On an island like this with little to do, the apparent failures of our household become reality TV available for all to view in real-time.

At the edge of my vision, I see the silver sea illuminated by the setting sun. The ocean is calm at this time, even the sound of waves can barely be heard. As I walk along the gently undulating coastline, a two-seater bicycle comes rushing from afar. I catch a glimpse of the uniform of the high school I attended. A boy with his foot on the hub step has his hand on the shoulder of a girl pedaling the bike. They pass by my side, hair fluttering in the wind, laughter riding on the salty wind.

In the fading back of that uniform I recall the sunlit halls of my high school in the afternoon, down to the faint smell of alcohol I once caught somewhere in the crowd of school-designated white T-shirts.

Notes: In the unlikely event that you've decided to pick up this book, it can be purchased on amazon japan, among others.

*The word here is 明星: morning star, venus, or an important person