#Must-Try Japanese Snacks

[anielskaaniela]

29 Best Japanese Snacks: Top Treats and Where to Find Them

In this post , you will learn on 29 best Japanese snacks. Check out my japanese products [here]. If you’re a fan of Japanese culture or just curious about the diverse and delectable world of Japanese snacks, you’re in for a treat. Japan’s snacks are a harmonious blend of traditional flavors and modern innovations, making them irresistible to taste buds worldwide. Whether you’re exploring the…

[resippieee]

Duck Fat Fries + Yuzu Aioli — hwoo.lee

[imagionationstation]

Something I was thinking about today:

The claim that Splinter “never feeds his sons human food” and they have to discover it upon reaching the surface is a curious one.

It makes sense given common information.

Let’s use our big brains. Reason out some more info.

Info like… Splinter must have looked up information about turtles before buying four baby turtles.

However, after getting turned into a rat and ending up a father to infants on the run from aliens, he probably never got the chance to go to the library or use the Internet to look up information on how to feed a half-human half-turtle hybrid baby.

(Not that the Internet had forums for that yet. Was the internet prevalent in 2012…?)

So he just. Fed them turtle food and hoped for the best.

(The Japanese are know for eating insects. And algae is commonly used in all kinds of their recipes. For Americans, it sounds crazy. For Splinter, it was just an adaption of his own diet in the hopes of providing his mutant children with safe, normal turtle food.)

By the time they were kids, they’d probably just gotten used to a routine. We really have no proof that algae and worms is bad for the turtles. Tastes yucky? Maybe. But humans eat plants and bugs too.

Splinter was likely just working with what he knew.

But I don’t think they only ever ate algea. Don’t get me wrong-

The theory is totally understandable. I was onboard for this claim for a while myself. Then, I rewatched Lone Rat and Cubs. (Bebés 🥰🥰)

And he definitely introduces them to foods.

I’m seeing noodles, gyoza, (bamboo stick?), and he also throws down something yellow that I can’t recognize. We also see him collecting bread for them and dangling food over the little piranha children.

He continues to collect products for them. Maybe not the healthiest because he’s literally raiding trashcans but… He’s trying.

And then we have some popcorn proof that he’s still introducing them to human foods when they’re kiddos, with Mikey happily snacking on some while they’re in the dojo.

During the series, we see very little new introductions to foods. They eat romen, icecream, popcorn, and drink milk, tea, and other human things without so much as batting an eye.

Ergo, they’ve had human foods. They’ve just never had pizza.

Why do they act like such goobers when introduced to pizza?

BECAUSE THEY’RE GOOBERS, YOUR HONOR!!!

Though- they actually act similarly when introduced to pizza gyoza.

They hesitate. And then something explodes with how tasty it is.

But because this list is far to short to be a proper analysis, there’s also the point to be made for the first episode where they have an entire kitchen set-up going around them.

And I’m no New York Subway expert, but do they normally have kitchens set up within them? Probably not.

Which means that Splinter (and/or his sons) must have set this up. Why set up pantries, a fridge, and a stove if you did not intend to house foods or make foods to cook on them?

After all, the food on the plates appear fresh and raw.

They have an algae pool for harvesting in the lab. Why would they need to create an entire kitchen set-up simply to prepare them?

Also, they know how to use chopsticks for big and small foods. If they’d spent their entire lives eating small foods, it would be a teenie bit difficult to change the method of picking up a fatter breading than a tiny greenery or worm. Especially with mutant hands.

But they don’t hesitate. As if they have picked up larger foods before.

Also, also, they know what a cake is. What it’s supposed to be made out of. Hence why Leo knows what “icing” is.

I’m not normally that excited to taste something that I’ve never tried before (unless someone is hyping me up). It feel implied that they have and that’s why they’re disappointed that Mikey made one of not-cake substances and why Mikey looks like he has regrets.

Also, also, also- considering Splinter eats the algae and worms too, I don’t believe that he has the turtles on a purely algae based diet because he’d have to stick himself on one too. Man’s not a fan.

And he knows that other foods exist. So. Why would he?

In other words, my favorite analogy:

I hate Spinach salad. My mother used to make us eat Spinach salad.

Were there better things to eat than Spinach? Yeah.

Did mom even listen to that point? Nope.

But was it still technically good for me so I was forced to stomach Spinach salad until I was old enough to design my own diet?

You betcha. And I hated every minute of it 👍

So, to end this, I have to say that while algea and worms could have been (at maximum) a common meal for the turtles, I don’t think it was their only meal option. I’m not necessarily saying it was the best idea or the tastiest meal for a birthday-type celebration, but the turtles definitely had outside food exposure.

Do with this knowledge what you will.

[twice-inamillion]

The Company 

Double Life

Fluff and Angst (Dark theme)

Chapter 12

1735 Words 

(Company OC lives his everyday life, taking care of his business and ensuring everything runs smoothly. He has a soft spot for Mina, being his first recruit as the CEO. He also cares for trainees like Nayeon, who are as important as anyone else. Running a business is hard work, and sometimes you must get your hands dirty to ensure everything runs smoothly.)

After arriving from San Francisco, you went straight to work. Setting up an acting division within the company seemed easy, but recruiting talent was the most important part.

Luckily, the company executives took care of recruiting personnel and coaches while your main focus was on selecting actresses. 

While you look at some actress profiles, you get briefed on what you missed last week. IU mentions that rumors about the acting division have been circulating since someone, a well-known actress, visited the company. Officially, nothing hasn’t been confirmed, but you knew this was bound to happen. 

“We’ve been receiving many inquiries from trainees, asking if they can audition for a position in the new acting division.”

”Damn, what do you think? Should we open the recruitment to the trainees?”

”That’s up to you, sir. You mentioned you want to get some well-known actresses first, so maybe you should focus on that.”

”You’re right. Once we’re settled, we can think about expanding it to the rest.”

Also, while you were away, the trainee, Mina, stopped by. She mentioned that she wanted to see you.”

”Oh, okay. I’ll get in contact with her. Thanks Ji-eun.”

——

There is a knock at your door, and you see a silhouette, “It’s me, Mina.”

”Come in.”

Mina slowly opens the door and walks inside, “Good morning.”

”Good morning, Mina, how are you?”

”I’m okay. I didn’t know that you left abroad.”

”Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to tell you. Did you need something?”

”No, I just haven’t seen you, so I came to stop by.” 

“Aww, that’s nice of you. Come and sit down.”

Mina takes a seat on the couch and stares at you. 

“How’s it going with your training?”

”It’s going well. I still have a hard time talking to all the girls, but I’ve gotten close to Momo and Sana.”

”That’s great. It's nice to see that you have someone to talk to.”

”They speak Japanese, so it’s easier for me. I just wish I didn’t get nervous.”

Don’t worry about it. People are naturally going to come to you based on your personality. You’re a really sweet girl.”

Mina’s ears get a bit red, and you find it kind of cute. You can’t help but see her as a younger sister, someone to protect.

”Oh, by the way, your parents sent you a package,” you say as you stand up and get the box that is on the other side of the room. 

“Oh, what is it?”

”All they told me was that you had to open it before it goes bad.”

Mina picks up the box and places it on the table. You hand her an envelope cutter and opens the box, “Aww, they sent me my favorite snacks.” She grabs one of the snacks and hands it to you, “Here, try it.” 

You try the bag of Skittles she gave you and share some with her. You can’t help but smile as you see her show her gummy smile. “Do I have something on my face?”

”No, it’s just that it’s nice to see you so happy.”

Mina’s ears turn red from your comment, “It’s just that these are my favorite, plus my parents sent them, so it makes it more special.”

”You’re right. Let's send something to them as well; what do you think?”

”Really?”

”Yeah. You don’t want to?”

”No, I do.”

”What do you want to send?”

”Umm, maybe some bread?”

”That sounds nice. Do you have an idea of where we should buy it?”

”Umm, there is a bakery that they used to take me to when I was little.”

”That’s nice. Let’s put in an order and have it delivered to them.”

”Are you really going to do it?”

”Yeah.”

Mina goes towards you and gives you a hug, “Thank you so much, Oppa.” It only takes a few minutes for her to realize what she did, and she steps back, face completely blushed, “I’m sorry, I just reacted without thinking.” 

“Don’t worry about it, it happens.” 

The two of you end up talking a bit more before Irene interrupts you two, “Sorry, I didn't know you had someone with you, sir; I’ll come back.”

”It’s okay, I was leaving anyway. Thanks, Oppa.” Mina waves goodbye and exits your office, leaving you and Irene to discuss important matters. 

———

You finish your evening run and go to the nearby cafe by the company building. Coming out of the cafe, you see one of the trainees standing in front of one of the gates that lead to the campus buildings. From afar, you can see they are pacing back and forth like they are waiting for something. You see a person cross the street and walk towards the trainee and wonder what’s going on. 

They seem to be talking to each other when you see the person, who seems to be an older man, grabs the trainee by the arm. The trainee struggles and tries to let go and yells, “Let me go!”

You exit the cafe and walk towards the street, trying to get an idea of what’s going on. As you walk closer, you see Im Nayeon, one of the transfer trainees from JYP. “She said to let her go” as you grab the man’s arm.

”This has nothing to do with you, so let me go!” shouts the older man.

”It does; I’m responsible for her, so I’m going to ask you to stop bothering her.” 

“Nayeon, tell that man that I’m not bothering you.”

You turn and see Nayeon frozen, unable to say a word.”

”Come on, sweetie, tell this man to not treat your father this way.”

”You… you’re not my dad.”

”Don’t be like that, Nayeon; of course, I’m your dad. I’m the one who raised you and your gold-digging mother.”

”Don’t call her that.”

”Well, she is a gold-digging whore. She’s been asking me for money and forcing me to support you.”

You can tell that Nayeon is getting upset by this whole situation and asks, “Nayeon, do you want this man here or not?”

Nayeon shakes her head, “No, I don’t want him here.”

”See, she told you to leave; now go before I call the police.”

”Fuck you, let me go. Nayeon! Listen to me; I’m going to get my money back, one way or another!” 

You grab the man’s arm and push him in between toward the sidewalk, “Go or else it’s going to go worse for you,” telling him in a serious voice. 

“Fuck! This doesn’t end here!”

Turning around, you say, “Nayeon, are you okay?” She doesn’t respond and is frozen from the encounter. You grab her hand, lead her to a private area, and sit on one of the benches, “What happened? Why did that man say he was your dad?”

”He… he’s not my actual dad but my mom’s ex-husband. He’s been harassing us ever since my mom broke up with him.”

”Did you try calling the police?”

”We did, but they wouldn’t do anything. He just wants us to pay back the money he spent on us.”

”What a douchebag.”

”It’s one of the reasons why I decided to join JYP; I thought I could earn some good money after debuting, but that hasn’t happened.”

”I’m sorry to hear that, but I've heard from your coaches that you’re one of the top trainees in the group.”

”How does that help me now? I was supposed to help my mom and get us away from that man.” Nayeon begins to cry, upset at her current situation.

”Everything is going to be okay,” you say as you try to comfort her. 

“I’m sorry you had to see me cry; I’m so embarrassed, especially since you’re the company's CEO.”

”There is nothing to be embarrassed about,” you say as you caress her head. It takes her a while to calm down, but after settling down, she asks, “Is there a way I can work part-time while still being a trainee? I just want to pay that man back so he can leave us alone.”

”You don’t have to do that; just focus on your training. I’ll try to contact your mom and see what we can do to ensure he doesn't bother you again. Nayeon agrees, knowing that she can’t do anything in her situation. Jeongyeon and Jihyo appear a few moments later after receiving a message from Nayeon earlier. 

You head back to your office and look for one of your family’s contacts, a friend who can help you in these situations.

”Hey, Don, It’s me. I have a bit of a situation going on.

”……”

”Let me send you the info.”

”……”

“Let’s make this as discreet as possible. I don’t want it causing problems anymore.”

————

Nayeon’s former step-father walks out of the gambling club after losing his month’s earnings. Defeated, he cuts through the alley, trying to return to his cramped apartment after getting kicked out of his house. ‘Fuck that gold-digging slut and her daughter, stealing my hard-earned money. Throwing me like some trash after supporting them for so long. 

Covered by the darkness comes out a figure, “Hey man, it’s been a while.”

”Do I know you?”

”No, but I know you.”

The former step-father is too late to realize and falls to the group. He only sees a vague silhouette of a figure standing before him in the dark alley, “Who are you?”

”No one, I’m just here to take care of someone who’s been causing trouble to my employer. They send their regards.”

There’s no response, only a man lying on the cold, dark floor in an unknown alley. 

Don takes out his phone, calls his employer, “It’s done,” and clicks it. 

The door of a black van opens, and multiple men step out and carry the man lying on the floor. They toss him inside and shut the door before leaving the alley like nothing happened. 

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

I have a small[?] request!

I would love to see the reactions of Toman about foreigner!reader who can speak fluent japanese but when one of the toman boys trys to talk to reader they say "can't speak Japanese" in a horrible accent and walk away but then someone they know comes along and they start to speak Japanese like they didn't just say they couldn't 😭😭

reader is just really shy lol and dosent know how to talk to people like hakki lol

Lmao poor guys but ngl the reader is a mood, this is how i think toman would react!

Mikey- He is dumbfounded by this, did you actually just lie and ignore him???? Thinks you seem pretty interesting since you just did that to toman's leader (typically Mikey's the one doing the ignoring). Basically follows you around after that, pestering you and trying to get you to speak Japanese to him. He treats it like a game and thanks you for playing with him after.

Draken- He's a bit miffed when he realises you were faking not understanding him. Contemplates going over to you and questioning you about it (might do that depending how rude you were) but ultimately he figures he might have intimidated you so leaves it be. If he's interested in you romantically, he'll try to buy you a drink or snack to show you he's actually not going to hurt you and you don't need to be scared of him.

Takemichi- Yells out "HUH!?????" so that everyone turns to look at him. He just can't believe you would do that! Walks away after but mutters about it the whole day.

Baji- Laughs, he's amused but you're definitely not getting away with this. Tells you he's going to show you around but he's actually just messing with you. The whole day he uses a bad version of google translate to speak your language terribly, purposely trying to be bad to see how long you go along with this instead of just switching to Japanese. Actually ends up having fun with you though.

Chifuyu- He's a bit hurt by this, assuming you don't like him or that he looks bad or something. Probably looks in a window shop and tries to re arrange his hair a bit before approaching you again with a big grin. He's determined to show he's not a bad guy.

Mitsuya- Softly chuckles at your little act, he actually guesses correctly that you're a bit shy or overwhelmed. Gets your phone number from your friend so he can text you instead, thinking that might be easier.

Hakkai- Blinks a bunch, he has no idea how to react to this situation. Decides to back down though since you don't seem to like him much (he finally knows what it feels like). Gives you a wave before leaving.

Pah- For a split second he thought he was fluent in your language and you were still speaking it. But quickly realises the truth, storms over to you to question you on why you just did that. (He softens up a lot once he finds out the reason though).

Peh- Loudly asks what's going on, bringing a lot of attention to both you and him. When he sees the worried expression on your face, he assumes it's because you're scared of him. So in attempt to not make you cry (he hates when that happens and Mitsuya will frown at him) he tries to tell you a joke (it's not very funny).

Smiley- Walks straight back over to you and demands to know why you lied (probably threatens you a little too). He thinks this might lead to a fight which excites him but he's also embarrassed and generally curious. Nods when you explain to him then actually feels somewhat guilty.

Angry- Frowns harder, he takes a moment to watch you and try to figure out why you lied. Figures that you must be nervous around him, so he tries to do something nice like give you advice on nice places to sightsee.

Mucho- Raises an eyebrow at you but says nothing. He's intrigued but used to people wary of him because of his size and intimidating aura.

Sanzu- He's disappointed, it's not often that he's interested enough in people to try and talk to them so this disappoints him a bit. Watches you closely and tries to think of another reason to approach you/ talk to you.

[macknshift]

[ ☀️ 🗺️ 🪼&👙 ] for your marauders reality pleasseee 🥺🙏

YIPPEEEEEE THE DR I LIVE MY MERMAID PRINCESS FANTASY IN!!!! (thank u for the ask pooks)

𐔌 . ☀️ ⋮ DAYS OF SUN ֹ ₊ ꒱ what are your go-to summertime activities? do you and your friends plan big garden parties with all the fruits and snacks? maybe a charcuterie board? possibly a water balloon tournament?

day-to-day, i do three things; swim (in a lake near my house. it's enchanted to not have any creatures or illnesses in it, Thank God!) read, and tan. i lay out in the sun for so long every day. i know that logically i don't have to care about tanning bc i'm a metamorphagus and i can change my skin color at whim (which i don't do?? btw??? i've seen ppl say that they do and i am NAWT a race changer good lord) and also the sun is not that strong in my hometown, but i just like laying in the sun and getting a nice bit of outside time. i usually bring an enchanted mp3 player so i don't have to bring any electronics with me lol

otherwise, i just like popping in and visiting my friends where they live. i think i visit remus the most (mainly bc we're bffs but also his family is so sweet (his younger sister adores me, i'm like her idol or smth lol)) but i go see james specifically a lot too. (euphemia hooks me up w some of the best food i've ever had in my entire life LMFAO) my friends obviously come and visit me too, so it's not like i'm the one travelling to them 24/7, but it is a really fun activity to just go floo-ing around the greater UK area lol

𐔌 . 🗺️ ⋮ WORLD WIDE MAP ֹ ₊ ꒱ if you could have one fantastic trip where would you go? why would you go there? what intrigues you about that place? are there certain activities there that have attracted you there?

i would LOVE to visit japan. japan is overall a bucket list country for me anyway, but i can imagine that the magic system there is probably pretty different. besides that, i just really want to go to the studio ghibli museum y’all 🙏🏻🙏🏻 like PLEAK just once and i will be a happy clam i promise i will be!!!!!! i honestly don't know who would come with me tee bee h. i feel like logically i could drag remus with me he would basically go anywhere w me and probably (weirdly) alice fortescue? she's japanese (adopted by the fortescues!) and i know that she likes to travel based on her and frank planning on taking a gap year once they graduate (they graduate 2 years before i do!) so maybe? mayhaps? alice would come along? i think i could also convince marlene too. she's on a "my parents want me to stay inside SO I MUST TRAVEL!" kick rn (which like, good for her tbh)

𐔌 . 🪼 ⋮ COLORFUL JELLYFISH ֹ ₊ ꒱ okay, we're going to the biggest aquarium in the world. where are you dragging me first? to the large sharks? the exotic fish? fish tank tunnel to watch the fish above us? or are you mad at me because you wanted to go get ice cream instead?

on top of the whole. u know. mermaid fairy princess vibe i try to have, i deadass think i can talk to fish. like, not shitting you, i think i can. or at least like. dolphins. (they’re kind of terrifying but my mom’s patronus is one so i’ve learned to appreciate them LMFAO)

personally i looove just running around and seeing all the little guys. like the tiny ones that get overlooked for the Big Kahunas™️ bc that’s just how i am as a person i think??? idk i’m just a “look out for the little guy” type ig. besides that! however! as i mentioned in the marvel dr answer, i do tend to go insane for the fish tank tunnels. in my cobra kai dr i’m sooo excited to go to the sekai taikai solely for that aquarium i’m so srs LMFAOOO obvi barcelona *said in the voice of that kid from booksmart that says s-es as ‘th’* will be super fun but like!!! aquarium!!!!!! i am getting off track lol

𐔌 . 👙 ⋮ DOTTED BIKINI ֹ ₊ ꒱ what are your dearest summer pieces? a swimsuit that highlights the color of your eyes and makes you feel good? an old band tee you put on after you're done swimming? a new top with pretty flowers on it?

*kim crawford dance* THIS MY JAM!!!!!! the little collage i made above is pretty much the vibe for my summer clothing! i'm ngl, i dress pretty much the same every single season, just varying amounts of skin showing 😭😭 i'm a metamorphagus as well, so i change my hair color based on whatever i'm wearing that day too. i normally stick to those same pastels & everything, and of course the vibe is pastel mermaid princess, so my hair is either the typical pastel pink (what i make my 'default') OR a bright blonde with streaks of whatever color i'm wearing that day (usually pink, purple, or blue streaks!) which i think is super fun.

jewelry wise, i stick to the same jewelry i wear all year (i have a heart-shaped locket necklace from my parents that has a photo of me and my family & a photo of my nuna and bamp (my grandparents) and another necklace that has a sea star pendant from my mom. i wear a crap ton of rings, with various jewels and things and a few separate bracelets, including a charm bracelet with a charm for each year i complete of school, which is super fun. kind-of pjo vibes a bit?) BUT! i wear a lot of arm cuffs? i think they look super cool, and it kind of adds to the whole beach-y vibe. it's kind of ironic that my ass lives in (lowkey) dreary belfast, ireland, but it's alright!!! i travel a bunch!!!

[okkalo]

heartsteel yone x reader headcanons

genre: fluff

hello i love him

- ORANGE PEELER!!!!!!

- absolutely will do those small tasks for you just to make your life easier.

- if you ask for an orange he doesn’t even have to think about it either; he literally just starts peeling it for you while multitasking with something

- perfect for if you easily forget things too

- where’s your keys? he’s already got them because he knows you struggle

- you’re in the car and forgot to grab a coat? you look over and he literally has one in his hands for you

- so yeah he’s very acts of service

- has come to the point where he always gets your choice of drink whenever he gets his cold brew (maybe even a little snack for you as well)

- CAFE DATES ARE A MUST!!

- absolutely loves it when you two get to the point where you don’t always have to talk and you both can just exist next to the other

- comfort in silence

- i saw a headcanon somewhere else that said yone is a good cook and i absolutely agree

- he mostly makes japanese dishes and they’re always so good

- if he ever visits you while you’re busy he will always bring some food because he knows how hard it can be to keep track of eating while also working

- on the topic of working

- you are the only thing keeping him sane <3

- he needs someone gentle to bring him peace after chaotic days with heartsteel

- he’s a man of few words but when it comes to ranting about heartsteel he has a lot to say

- please just listen, that’s all he needs

- maybe even grasp his hand if he seems more annoyed than usual

- i headcanon yone isn’t really one for physical touch (he likes it but he just doesn’t often hug or such)

- but when it comes to hand holding it’s completely different

- he won’t like it in public but in secluded scenarios he cherishes it

- it’s a way to let him know that you’re there and you actually care

- you can also hold his hand to make him less angry/more reasonable

- kayn just broke something expensive? grasp yone’s hand before he has the chance to explode and he’ll let out a huff before thinking his words over

- heartsteel has come to love you for that btw. you’ve saved them from some bad punishments

- sometimes kayn lets out a gag or groan at your affections, however, which just ruins your efforts in saving him

- his fault

- sometimes (a lot of times) yone works late

- you have the power to make him retire for the night though!!

- try to coax him while gently rubbing his arm

- if he still puts up a fight then just sit next to him while he works with the excuse “i want to be close to you”

- few minutes of that and he feels too guilty, and thus leads you to go to bed with him

- not much of a cuddle person when going to bed

- he will if you want to though!!

- his favorite is your head in his chest while he rubs your back <3

- pro tip: rub his back too; he needs/loves the comfort

unedited thanks for reading!

[91divoc]

hi im sorry for yapping in ur inbox but i love your art and i'm a huge 2x5 sucker so like... i wanna hear some of ur headcanons for the ship.... plez and thank you!

ok goobye

yap away, i have my inbox open for a reason!! :) also tyy omg! loving my art fr? got me giggling and kicking my feet

ok so since there's no specific request of headcanons, we're just gonna go random, cool? cool.

★in my au, edward is a japanese and filipino mix, and can speak fluent tagalog. when they got together, and their relationship became more serious, james started learning tagalog for him

★they have a movie night, and watch movies together, each taking turns to pick something

★absolute dumbass and loves the dumbass dynamic

★they totally dance together when they play music

★if one takes a lot of interest/desire for something at a store, the other will secretly buy it for them

★cooks five star meals and burns water but he's trying his best

★james absolutely adores edward's mismatched eyes

★they're both huge cuddlers. being tangled around eachother while they sleep is a must. edward will wake up with james piled on top of him

★they both like to let go and just be absolute morons together when at home

★edward is strong enough to pick up and carry james, so he does. has dragged him across the house by the ankles before

★ed's common nicknames for james: jamie, jim, jimmy, jimbo, jamesy, jambalaya, jingle bells, jam, jim jam, jam sandwich, rusty, love, darling, sweetheart, hun/honey, silly man

james's common nicknames for ed: eddie, ed, eddie bear, old iron, love, lovely, darling, sweetheart, hun/honey. does that thing that fuses other words with edward's name [ex: eggward, bedward, shedward, especially if he's for example holding an egg, or laying in bed] to tease him

★if one is going through distress [ex: anxiety, fear, pain, sadness], they will seek out the other for comfort

★edward has the worst sleeping troubles of the two [insomnia, nightmares, occasionally night terrors] and james does try his best to help him either fall asleep, or calm down after he's woken up from his nightmare

★if they need to vent, they'll sit in the comfort of their bed with water, tissues, and some comfort snacks, and they'll support eachother in the way they need

ok i should probably shut up now. uhm if anyone wants more just ask i can rub my braincells together to create more

[anjuschiffer]

Unexpected Meeting

Can you guess what today is? IT'S DAY ONE OF MARIBAT BIO PARENT MONTH!!!

To celebrate, I will try my best to participate in this event!

So to start off, here's Day 1: Meeting For the First Time, Bingo Card: Free

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Tags: @maribat-bpm @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha @startouchedqueen1318

-

AO3

Bruce laughed as he swirled the last of his drink in his hand before gulping it, taking note of the tipsiness of the other guests around him. 

Most were trying their best to follow the conversation, but Bruce recognized  that drowsiness that filled their eyes. That glossy haze over their eyes that begged them for rest. 

30 minutes left. Then I could leave. He told himself.

He excused himself from the group, using the need to refill his glass for the second time that night and the need for a snack for the umpteenth time.

The ACCJ Charity Ball: one of Japan’s most well-known charities that he was invited to this year. A charity that he wished with every ounce of his being to not be there. While it was only for one night, he had left Dick all by himself in that big house of his.

Sure, Alfred was there, but that was it. Rick had no one else to talk with, to play with, to be with. He needed to be there, like he had promised him the day he took him in, 

His smile dropped the minute he got near the snack table, his nose wrinkling at the lack of diversity in the food. He opted in just taking the last portion of prosciutto di parma when a hand a third of his own reached for it as well. 

He retracted his hand a bit, turning his head to see a little girl tiptoeing, holding at the edge of the table in hopes of bringing herself closer to the food. 

Her long red kimono didn’t help her.

A small chuckle escaped him, picking up the portion and handing it to her. 

“What’s a tiny little lady like yourself doing here by yourself?” He asked her in Japanese when she decided to just stare at him and not take the food he offered her. 

Her eyes seemed so familiar…where had he seen that shade of red before?

After a few seconds, she took it, eyeing it again before looking up at Bruce. 

“I came with my mother.” She curtly responded, “but I got hungry.”

“Did you let your mother know you were coming here?” Bruce asked her, the little girl shaking her head, Bruce noticing her hair pin falling out. 

“She was talking with the others. I didn’t want to interrupt her.” She shyly admitted, stuffing the food into her mouth. “She doesn’t like it when I disrupt her conversations.”

“I see.” Bruce crouched, meeting her at eye level picking up the pin that had fallen. A red chrysanthemum. “And do you know how to get back to her?”

The little girl shook her head again. “Would you be okay on your own or would you prefer someone to guide you back to your mother?”

The little girl pondered for a moment, crunching her nose a bit, her eyes simultaneously narrowing a bit.

”I-Can you help me find my mother?” She asked, “But you cannot tell her you helped me…she does not like it when I speak to strangers for help…” She quickly added to her request. 

”It would be my honor and do not worry. I promise to keep this between us.” He vowed as he got up, offering his hand to her when she lifted both her arms. He must have had a confused look on his face as the girl puffed her cheeks a bit, making her look like a chipmunk.

”Looking for my mother would be more efficient if we were looking for her at the same eye level.” She explained, her arms still up. Bruce smiled as he picked her up carefully, making sure to not crease her clothing, 

”That is a very good idea.” Bruce praised her, the little girl smiling at the compliment. “Do you remember what she was wearing?”

”We’re match- there she is!” She exclaimed. He watched as the little girl eyes land on-

“Is that your mother?” He asked her, hoping he was seeing things. That he misidentified the person the girl was looking at. 

Instead, she nodded her head and tugged on his sleeve. 

“I can walk to her from here mister.” She told him, her eyes filled with confidence. 

He gently placed her down, but before she left, he asked her one question.

”What is your name? I do not think I caught it earlier.” The little girl muttered something under her breath, Bruce picking up ‘did I forget’ and ‘how could I?’

He watched as she composed herself, watching as she dropped her smile and made her face stern.

To think she’s already mastered keeping a facade at her age…

”My name is Tsurugi. Tsurugi Kagami. Thank you for helping me…mister?”

”Wayne. Bruce Wayne.” Bruce introduced himself to Kagami.

Well Mister Wayne, I’ll be on my way.” She bowed again and ran back to her mother, Bruce watching as she slowed down as she got closer to her. He watched as she carefully stood next to Tomoe, her position never once moving unless told by her mother.

Tsurugi Tomoe.

He had loved her once, but unlike him, she obsessed over her ambition. 

Her obsession with being perfect and wanting whatever she desired. 

Of wanting to be the one to guide her family’s name without a single doubt from the family heads…

 Of a life without him in the future picture…

So he gave her up or rather, he didn’t expect her to easily give up on them.

And he certainly didn’t expect her to have a child.

As far as he knew, she never had a partner after they split up all those years ago. So how did she have a child that was at least 5 years of age?

Bruce looked down at the hair strand in his hand, hoping his paranoia was just causing him to think about the various scenarios that played in his head. 

He carefully pocketed the hair strand and quietly made his way out of the charity hall, hoping that he was wrong. 

If not…

Bruce looked at the results in his hand, the paper shaking as he reread the results. 

They were a match…Kagami was his daughter…

[girlspecimen]

BOYS BE MAID voicelines english translation

trying my best to translate the character voicelines from the profiles at https://boysbemaid.jp/#member (on the left side of each character's profile) since there isn't text provided for y'all to machine translate. please provide feedback and apologies in advance if they're bad because I'm no Japanese expert, just a student ^_^;

*revised march 11 based on the fact that the first voice line is literally written in the page and i didn’t realize LOL

TAKASHINA RANTO

1: "I'll do my best. It’s for my own sake as well.” 2: "Nice to meet you. I'm Takashina Ranto, a first year student at Koukei High School. Alright, let's get along!" 3: "Young mistress, young master, master, and mistress; welcome home! You must be tired after your long journey. Please wait, I'll prepare you a drink and a snack. Please take your time to unwind… Ugh, still not good enough."

OTHER CHARACTERS' COMMENTS From REI: There's not much in particular to say about Takashina." From ROU: "My elder sisters always spoiled me, so I think I'll treat Takashina Ranto like a cute younger brother as well. From AIMERY: "I wonder… is 'everything you do is like an event' a compliment unique to this country?" (not 100% sure on this one tbh i couldnt fully understand LOL)

KISAKI YOKA

"Ehehe, Ranto-kun is like the younger brother I've always wanted."

Hello. I'm Kisaki Yoka, a second-year at Koukei High School~. From now on, let's make lots of fun memories together, okay?"

"Young mistress, young master, master, and mistress; welcome home! You must be tired after your long journey. Please wait, I'll prepare you a drink and a snack. Please take your time to unwind… So, how do you like it? This is the power of the head."

OTHER CHARACTERS' COMMENTS

From ROU: "We've known each other for a long time. Besides, I'm the one who should be supporting you." From AIMERY: “I-I-I-I’m s-sorry Yoka-chan, p-please be in a good mood…!” From SHUMEI: "This glowing emerald would look good on you! Your family works in the jewelry industry, so it makes sense, huh~?"

AMAKI ROU

“Forgive me. I’ve done it again, haven’t I?”

“Ahem. Amaki Rou, Koukei High School Second Year. I’m sure there’s not much I can teach you, but I’m looking forward to working with you from now on.”

“Young mistress, young master, master, and mistress; welcome home! You must be tired after your long journey. Please wait, I'll prepare you a drink and a snack. Please take your time t–t– AUGH!”

OTHER CHARACTERS’ COMMENTS: From RANTO: “Amaki-senpai is somehow… surprisingly like a youngest child.” From SHUMEI: “His coffee is EXCELLENT! I want to quickly open a chain, make Ma-chan into a successful millionaire, and then expand overseas~!” From REI: “Isn’t he Mr. Kisaki’s dog? That’s the only image I can think of.”

KIKU SHUMEI

“Service to others is an investment in yourself with great returns!”

“Kiku Shumei, Koukei High School second year! I’m so happy to meet you! I have a lot of jewelry that will look good on you! I look forward to working with you~! Thanks for your patronage~.”

“Young mistress, young master, master, and mistress; welcome home! You must be tired after your long journey. Please wait, I'll prepare you a drink and a snack. Please take your time to unwind… Hm~ It’s perfect!”

OTHER CHARACTERS’ COMMENTS: From REI: “He’s someone who’s very clear about what he means.” From RANTO: “Are the gemstones that Kiku-senpai has the real thing…?” From Yoka: “Today’s recommendation is a green emerald? But I’m the one in charge of pink after all…”

AIMERY CÉNOIR

1. "I've heard that for a boy to be allowed to wear these ‘totes kawaii’ clothes is the highest honor."

2. "My name is Aimery Cenoir, a second year student at Koukei High school. I am honored to meet you in this way. I am still studying the customs of this country, so if I am rude in any way, I'd like to politely apologize. Ah, and if you don't mind, I'll ask you for a lesson next time." 3. "Young mistress, young master, master, and mistress; welcome home. You must be tired after your long journey. Please wait, I'll prepare you a drink and a snack. Please take your time to unwind… Hm, is this trendy right now?"

OTHER CHARACTERS’ COMMENTS: From ROU: “Come to think of it, Cenoir has a younger sister. Isn’t she worried about him leaving the country?” From YOKA: “Aimery-kun, huh? Ehehe, he makes some funny noises when you push him, right?” From SHUMEI: “He’s terrible at shopping!”

HIMEUTSUGI REI

1. “Must I really try so hard at these temporary club activities?” 2. “It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. My name is Himeutsugi Rei, a second year student at Koukei High School. I look forward to your continued patronage.” 3. “Young mistress, young master, master, and mistress; welcome home. You must be tired after your long journey. Please wait, I'll prepare you a drink and a snack. Please take your time to unwind… Tch, ugh. Is that enough?”

OTHER CHARACTERS’ COMMENTS: From RANTO: “Himeutsugi-senpai is the callous type, isn’t he? Why is he in this club?” From YOKA: “It would be nice if Himeustugi-kun could learn what ‘cooperative’ means sometime soon.” From AIMERY: “I’m going to stick to my ideals. I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

[juustozzi]

Mido chan probably likes food...

What do you think would be his favorite dishes and drinks?

And can you please draw Hiroto feeding him?

I'm basing this on nothing, but I think he likes traditional japanese food, and especially the sweets! like stuff with anko, and he's excited for the sweet potato season. every time he travels, he must try the regional speciality treats (meibutsu), like the yatsuhashi from Kyoto in the picture.

for drinks I'll throw a curveball: he doesn't really like matcha. it goes well enough with namagashi and he drinks it when offered, but it's not his drink of choice. he likes his sweets so maybe his drinks aren't too sweet, like pressed juices and flavored waters? (I don't know what those kinds of drinks are called, are they just vitamin waters or flavored sparkling waters? that have some flavor but aren't sweet like sodas)

aaand does sharing food count as feeding? when they go to eat or have a snack, Hiroto always picks a different one from Midorikawa so he can have a taste too. (and just because I can: Midorikawa's taiyaki has anko filling with vanilla/black sesame ice cream, and Hiroto has custard filling with white chocolate ice cream)

[archive-of-the-lost]

𝐆𝐞𝐦 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 — @tillichan

𖢻 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝 — 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞

♡ You're well loved by everyone in the agency. Especially by the younger ones like Kyoka and Kenji, who are always vying for your attention while you try and make sure Ranpo and Dazai aren't causing trouble. The office ladies like you a lot for your patient and gentle personality, often attempting to befriend you by inviting you to lunch with them or sharing tea leaves they usually keep to themselves.

♡ Yosano likes to invite you to go shopping with her on your days off. You and Kyoka will follow her as she introduces some of her favourite Japanese sweets to you or suggests clothes that she thinks would suit you both well. She'll try out new skincare products with you too.

♡ Ever since Poe became friends with you, Ranpo, you and him have been pretty much inseparable. He's been showing up more and more at the agency, and the others don't question it, considering him an honorary member at this point. It doesn't hurt that Poe has been helping you and Ranpo with your detective work.

♡ Ranpo is normally reluctant to share his snacks with anyone, but you're the one person he would share with. It's such a shame you don't like the unhealthy snacks or sweets he enjoys. He wants to share his snacks with you but you don't want them??!

♡ Kunikida worries that you might get hungry throughout the day, and you're not interested in Ranpo's junk food like your other colleagues. So if he's going out to run errands, he makes sure to buy snacks for you. You'll often find bags of blueberries and hazelnut chocolate left on your desk. You know exactly who left them there.

♡ Fukuzawa is a quiet and stoic man, so it's hard to tell what he's thinking or his impression of you. One time you turned around to see him staring at you with a blank face. You were about to ask him if something is wrong, but he simply put out his hand and placed it atop your head gently. A headpat. You couldn't help but smile.

𖢻 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥 — 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐫?

♡ You haven't had a first meeting with Fyodor, or a confession from him. You are completely unaware of his feelings for you, or his existence for that matter. For now? You only hear of him from Dazai and Ranpo sometimes, when they mention him and his plans they have to counter. The way they talk about him makes him sound like an omnipotent monster (are they wrong?). That's just the way he likes it. You shouldn't know about him or be close to him. In fact, he doesn't care for you at all (but he's just lying to himself).

♡ Fyodor didn't think anyone would ever catch on to his feelings for you. He is such an isolated man, and the one person who spends enough time around him to figure it out is too busy rambling about a certain someone else to notice. He just forgot to account for one situation... Being stuck in a glass box next to Dazai in Mersault for months. Bored out of their minds, they talked about random things, like how to make subordinates more proactive or how to convince a waitress to fall in love with Dazai. Then, one day, their conversation took an interesting turn. Fyodor hated this direction.

"So, does Fyodor have a crush on anyone?" Dazai leaned forward with a grin, chin resting on the back of his hands. "What brought this about?" Fyodor feigns ignorance. "I don't know. It's just the way you reacted when I mentioned Ashiya-chan-" Fyodor can't help the way he perks up just the slightest. Damn Dazai. "See! You did it again!" "I don't know what you mean. You must be seeing things." He turns away to preserve what's left of his dignity. "Hey, we're not done talking. You're crushing on her, aren't you?" Fyodor doesn't acknowledge him. Dazai huffs amusedly. "Fine. But don't think this is over~"

♡ It was too late for poor Fyodor though. Once Dazai found out about his little crush on you, he would not stop bringing it up, teasing Fyodor to the point of madness. It's bad enough trying not to think about you on his own already, but with Dazai mentioning your name every hour and feeding him facts about you and your life at the agency, he finds himself constantly tormented with thoughts of you.

♡ At night, as he tries to get some sleep or at least plan his next moves, he daydreams of another universe where he comes home a little late from work to you waiting for him with dinner. Maybe in another universe, there are no abilities, so he doesn't have a God given mission to get rid of them. Maybe he greets you with a kiss to the cheek, then eats while listening to you talk about your day. Maybe your cat doesn't like him, because they're too similar, but your dog warmed up to him after a few weeks and won't stop begging for scratches to the ears now. Maybe he prepares a bowl of nuts and berries for you while you pick a movie to watch. Maybe you both fall asleep on the couch with your pets on your laps, waking up late into the morning on a Saturday. Maybe he wakes up first and takes a moment to admire your features, lightly tracing the curve of your face. Maybe in another universe, he is free to love you, and you love him back. But with everything Fyodor has in mind for the world, it's impossible for you to love him in this universe. Because you are a good person who would never forgive him for throwing the world into such chaos.

♡ When he makes the offer for Atsushi to be his companion, in the remains of a destroyed airport, your visage flashes through his mind. He'll need Atsushi around as the "bookmark" of the Book anyway. What harm would it do to keep you close to him as well? Atsushi wouldn't object to sparing your life, and he'd be willing to have you both continue with your relationship, if you wish. Just having you close by would be enough. To listen to your voice, see you up close, maybe run his fingers through your hair when you're turned the other way... He has no intention to spare the Armed Detective Agency, but you can be the one exception. Just the thought of meeting you properly for the first time sends shivers down his spine. He hopes he won't regret this.

Ship tropes:

Dark and scary guy (him) x the sunshine who's the only one he's soft for (you)

Good and kind to a fault (you) x their protector (him)

Moon (him) x Moon but he thinks you're his sun (you)

𖢻 𝐙𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧 — 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

♡ Your sister's whereabouts is one of the few cases that has Ranpo stumped. You don't have a lot of information to work with, and the orphanage you grew up in has closed down, so it's hard for him to gather clues. His best guess currently is that an ability was involved.

♡ When you're at work and you miss your pets, you will use your ability to see what they're up to at home. Hopefully not knocking things over or destroying your things. It's kind of like watching them through a CCTV, but the video quality is better.

♡ A few months after you joined the ADA, a specific good thing started happening to you. When you want to order from a drive through, regardless of whether or not you're driving or if someone else is, the cashier will inform you that the previous person bought one of your favourite items on the menu and asked them to give it to the next car. So besides your initial order, you get a free tea drink! If that was what you planned to order, even better! It happens often enough that you start to wonder if everyone who treats the next car to something somehow knows your preferences? It's probably just a coincidence...

𖢻 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 — 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝?!!!

It's not like you to not show up to work without telling anyone. Funny enough, it was Ranpo who first noticed you weren't at work at your usual time. Of course he would, who else would be willing to do his paperwork and bring him snacks? He didn't think much about it though, maybe you were caught up in traffic or something.

When two hours had passed after work started and you still hadn't shown up, Atsushi started officially panicking. He and Kyoka were worried long before that, and tried calling you a few times, but resisted the urge to go to your house to check up on you. At this point, even Kunikida was worried, so he allowed Atsushi and Kyoka to visit your house. Maybe you were sick and still asleep? Hopefully.

Atsushi and Kyoka checked every room in your house, but there was no one there except your cat and dog, curious about the visitors at such a strange hour without the presence of their beloved owner. Atsushi called Kunikida to report that you seem to have disappeared without a trace, and that's when all hell really broke loose.

Or, rather it was just Atsushi having a breakdown while Kyoka tried to calm him down. Over the line, Kunikida can be heard yelling at Ranpo to figure out where you are, forgetting to mind his volume in his fear at the thought that you might be hurt somewhere all alone.

Dazai comes in late to work after another failed suicide attempt to see Kunikida yelling at someone who is not him for once! What a strange occurrence. Whatever did Ranpo do to be talked to so bossily by Kunikida- Ashiya-chan might have been kidnapped?! No, no, this won't do. He can't let one of his favourite juniors be mistreated. Especially not one so delicate such as yourself.

He's quick to help Ranpo try and figure out who took you, where and why. But it's a bit difficult since there are so little clues, and its not like you have a bounty on your head like Atsushi does. The Port Mafia doesn't seem to be the culprit this time. And most damning of all, you aren't around to supply live coverage of 30% of the city for them.

They didn't have to think for long through. Atsushi receives a call from the hospital only 10 minutes after Dazai came to the office, and is informed that you had been found passed out in one of their waiting rooms, mostly unharmed save for the markings on your wrists where you might have been tied up with rope. You must have been brought in by someone, but none of the hospital staff could say who.

Most of the office visits you after they get off work. You are awake by then, dazed and confused, with no memory of what had happened. You just remember coming out from your house, and the next thing you knew, you woke up in the hospital.

"Does it hurt anywhere?" Atsushi looks over you with concern, holding your slightly bruised wrist gently to inspect it. "I brought you some chocolate. Do you want to eat it now or later? If it's later, I can give it to the nurses to put in a fridge."

"Whoever kidnapped you must have knocked you out from behind. You have to be more careful of your surroundings." Kunikida chides, shaking his head. He secretly contemplates giving you some self-defense training. He doesn't want this happening again.

"I'm glad you're okay." Kyoka says quietly behind Atsushi, but her eyes glare with a fire you know is reserved for your kidnappers. If she ever finds out who hurt you, she'd probably-

Ranpo hadn't said anything since he came in. He holds his phone to your ear. You catch a glimpse of the screen, showing an active call. "Are you okay??!!" Poe shouts across the line.

You can only imagine how worried he must have been when Ranpo told him of your kidnapping. You try to reassure him. "I'm okay-"

"Don't worry, I'll pay for your hospital fees!"

"Um, thank you but it's okay. We have medical insurance in Japan..."

----------------------------------------

Bonus: Fyodor sighs as he watches Atsushi walk you home, one protective hand wrapped around your arm. The ADA should be better at protecting you. He thought they would be more careful with you, with you having such a useful ability and being a non-combatant... How disappointing. They're lucky he's usually watching over you. It wasn't difficult to handle the kidnappers himself and get you to the hospital. When he saw the men who planned to force you to use your ability for them, he was overcome with such rage, he killed them instantly. You were asleep the whole time, which is good. Someone as pure as you shouldn't have to witness such a sight. Not like he would have allowed you to see the face of your rescuer anyway.

𖢻 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐭 —꒰ఎ 𝐀𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 ໒꒱

Lionel Schmitt - Forever Searching

I thought the title of this track and it's emotional melody encapsulates your search for your missing sister well. From the strong start of the song, when you first realize she's nowhere to be found, to the highs and lows of the rest of the track as you continue your search throughout the years. You will definitely reunite with her.

Mark Petrie - Meaningful Change

The title of this track is exactly what you what to do as an agency member, to help others and bring light into their lives. This uplifting song represents the values of you and the agency well. It's fitting. At it's core, Bungo Stray Dogs is a story about hope and finding a reason to live in spite of a troubling past.

towerz - bloom

Lofi, the genre is known for its calmness, really suits you! The bird noises throughout the track remind me of you, due to your love of animals and me associating you with angels. It's a nice calming and groovy track. I think it encapsulates your energy well. :)

Cozy sweaters, enjoying a cup of tea or coffee every weekday at the Uzumaki cafe, laying under a sunny spot with your cat, picking up pretty stones from a river and taking them home, dancing to music in your kitchen, scratching the ears of your cat and tiger-eared boyfriend with each hand, pampering your dog when he comes over to demand attention of his own, tending to your houseplants on a sunny afternoon, Ghibli movie marathons with Atsushi, guiltily ignoring your dog when he whines for a taste of the chocolate you're eating, going on park dates with Atsushi, flower rings, doing Ranpo's share of paperwork because he doesn't want to and he wouldn't know how to do it anyway, watchful eyes, guardian angel, keeping peace when Kunikida and Dazai fight, blushing when you receive flowers and chocolate from everyone on Valentine's day.

[my-plastic-life]

Japanese Summer Festival, part 1

(PART 1 due to a limit on number of photos per post)

Wow, more than a month since my last post! I'm slacking! But I have a good excuse - I was working on a HUGE project. This is my biggest scene to date. It's so large it won't fit in my usual diorama cube box. This was on my coffee table, and for an example of scale, that table measures 48" wide by 26" deep. And it was all covered LOL

It's still technically summer, and in Japan, summer festivals are a very popular pastime. I've wanted to create an actual festival scene for a while, and I finally took the plunge this year. My husband used his Glow Forge to create the little food stalls, and I created the rest. The awnings, booth covers, prices, signs, posters, floor, walls, etc. are all made by me. I also painted the silver on the booths. They're technically still a bit under scale compared to real life stalls, but I was basing my measurements off actual props I had, most of which are Re-Ment. There are even a few Re-Ment festival sets, so I had to use those! And next year I plan to add even more stalls - but I'll have to alternate what's on display since I think I'm at my limit of what will fit on that table LOL.

So here we go, a 1/6 scale Japanese summer festival! We've got lots of food street stalls (yotai) and a few popular games, and all the girls are wearing kimonos (a popular tradition).

Looking down the street toward the stairs leading to more fun (through a real torii gate!):

Overview:

Looking down the street toward the shrine:

Cold drinks are important to beat the heat!

Miwa is watching Kiku try her hand at yo-yo fishing:

Kiku is yo-yo fishing. In this game, you're meant to use a hook attached to a paper rope to pick up a water balloon. The balloons are filled with air and water, and they're called yo-yos because of the bouncing effect they have. This game can be difficult due to the rope being made of paper and the balloons are in the water.

Miwa has a popular snack - a tornado potato - along with the popular Ramune drink:

She got one! Any balloons that you successfully pick up with the hook can be kept.

Goldfish scooping. This game requires you to use a small wand called a poi to try to catch goldfish. The poi's net is made of paper, which makes the game tricky because of the water. The game is over once the paper in the poi breaks. However, people will often get to take one of each fish home after trying even if they don't actually catch them.

Aika is watching the goldfish scooping game, carrying a bag of cotton candy:

Superball fishing. This game is like the goldfish scooping game, only the prize is super balls. I made these little tubs myself. The Re-Ment sets had the yo-yo fishing and goldfish scooping, but no superballs. So I took the measurements of those tubs, used TinkerCAD to create two boxes made to the same size, and 3D printed them. I then used some of the Miniverse resin (the recalled stuff, lol) to fill the tubs in layers, and I used beads without holes (they exist!) to make the super balls. I'm very pleased with how they turned out!

Takoyaki stand. Takoyaki is a bite-sized, ball-shaped dumpling made from batter and grilled, then filled with octopus, tempura, pickled ginger, and green onion:

A definite favorite in the summer - the shaved ice stand (kakigori). Similar to shaved ice in the U.S., with the Japanese variant, blocks of ice are shaved into fine flakes using special machines, then topped with flavorings like strawberry or melon syrup, sweet matcha (strong green tea) sauce, sweetened beans, or condensed milk.

Fuka got a variety of flavors on her kakigori! Yum! Meanwhile, Lycee is preparing to make some more - she'll use the little machine to grind that block of ice to shave it down into edible pieces:

Look closely at the lady below in the blue kimono and you'll see that she's tucked in a traditional uchiwa (hand fan) into the obi (belt) of her kimono. These fans are a must for summer festivals to help beat the heat, as well as add a more traditional look to the yukata (kimono).

Choco banana and candy apple stand. These treats are also popular - they're your traditional candy apple on a stick, and also chocolate-covered bananas on a stick covered in sprinkles.

Cotton candy stand. Another popular treat for festival-goers of all ages. The container on the counter features fortune sticks inside, and you're meant to reach in and pull one out. You then tell the miko (shrine priestess) what fortune you got on the stick, and she will give you a paper that explains your fortune.

Japanese cotton candy bags frequently feature popular anime or pop culture characters on them. I made these bags by using small jewelry bags, cutting off the Ziploc sealer, placing cotton balls inside (almost all festival cotton candy I've seen has been white), then sized down pictures of characters, printed them out on clear sticker paper, and stuck them on the bags. I'm very pleased with how they turned out!

[juryama]

Tea Leaves Nourished by Our Friendship

Chapter 6

Here, I prefer to use the term "Goukon" rather than “blind date” or “mixer”.

Goukon (合コン) is a Japanese group blind date or mixer—an event where men and women gather to eat, drink, play games, and maybe find romance. In this story, that term not for dating, but to describe a friendly welcome party or mixer to get to know each other.

Arthur slowly brings over a cart loaded with tea sets and tins of tea.

Arthur: This is the tea that was delivered to the castle this morning, created with the image of the Sage and the Sage’s Wizards in mind.

Murr: Oh!

Faust: This is…

At the appearance of the star of the show, both I and the wizards couldn’t help but lean forward in anticipation.

Even Bradley, who apparently joined for the snacks, is peering into the wagon with curious interest.

Heathcliff: What a chic and lovely package. It’s really stylish.

Akira: It feels very classy, or rather, it has a sense of luxury.

The fact that the paper wrapped around the tin is blue, purple, or yellow—that mean they’ve changed the image color for each wizard.

Arthur: If I remember correctly, in your world, a color that represents someone’s personality is called an image color.

Figaro: I see. Then, this dark green must be me.

Arthur: Would this one be yours, Oz-sama? It’s the same beautiful crimson red as your eyes.

White: Hohoho, what a tasteful touch. This makes me look forward to the flavor as well.

Arthur: Well, first, let’s all have a drink together.

Arthur lifts the pot and carefully pours tea into the nine teacups.

Murr: It's nice to have a prince pouring it for me! It's like the Central Country is hosting me!

Heathcliff: When you say it like that, it feels a bit too much for me…

Arthur: Here you go.

Figaro: Thank you.

From the beautiful pale color poured into the cup, a fragrant steam rises.

Feeling slightly formal, I lifted the cup and took a sip.

Akira: …, delicious…!

Like flowers blooming all at once, a rich and elegant fragrance spreads throughout my mouth.

Murr: It smells amazing! It’s like a flower garden in my mouth!

Oz: …delicious.

Figaro: I can also sense the freshness of the fruit. The layers of aroma make it really deep and complex.

Arthur: The taste is sweet yet refreshing, and very elegant.

White: It’s sweet, refreshing, elegant, and refined… So this is our tea.

Bradley: My image is in this too, right? Not bad.

It was even more delicious than we’d expected, so everyone was in high spirits.

The rich aroma and flavor made it feel as if they were being praised without words—a strange, ticklish feeling.

Faust: Of course, it’s delicious straight, but let’s adding milk, sugar, or lemon for enjoy a different kind of flavor too.

Heathcliff: Please feel free to add whatever you like to suit your taste.

Faust and Heathcliff bring over small bottles and saucers.

Murr: That’s nice too, but I’ll make it an even more perfect tea for today!

《Eanul Rambul》

When Murr chants a spell, shimmering purple powder falls like snow on everyone's cups.

When it touched the tea, it burst vividly like a sparkler firework.

Akira: Woah…! I wonder what that is?It’s crackling.

Heathcliff: Murr, what kind of twist did you add?

Murr: The surprise begins after you try it! Come on, have a sip!

Arthur: It’s a special treat from Murr. Let’s have it.

White: Well, I don't think it's poisoned.

Though everyone looked a bit suspicious, they each brought their cups to their lips.

Heathcliff: …!

Oz: This is…

Figaro: We adults have no problem with it, but…

Arthur: I’m surprised. What an intense flavor!

Akira: It's super spicy...! My tongue is tingling and my whole body’s heating up.

Bradley: It tastes like a drink for the night. Makes me want to add some whiskey to it. Now, what snacks would go well with this…

Figaro: Alright, that’s enough.

Arthur & Heathcliff: Eh?

Figaro used magic to take the cup from me and the young wizards, and handed it to Oz.

Oz: 《Vox Nox》

In an instant, the crackling light disappeared, and the tea returned to normal.

Oz: It’s too early for Sage and children.

White: Geez~, you’re so overprotective.

Bradley: Even if you drink something spicy, you’re not gonna die.

Arthur: Murr, thank you. Thanks to you, the atmosphere warmed up nicely.

Arthur straightened his back formally and looked around at everyone.

Arthur: It’s been a while since we started living together in this Magic Manor.

It’s not like it’s a special occasion or anything, but I’d like to hold another goukon.

Bradley & White: Goukon?

Faust: Today, here and now?

Arthur: Yes. A goukon is a gathering to celebrate new encounters, but it’s also held to deepen friendships, apparently.

We've become more familiar with each other than at the beginning, but I think there's still a lot we don't know. Today, I hope that we can all deepen our friendship today.

Everyone, including the Sage, let’s go back to our fresh selves, and fully enjoy this long-awaited goukon!

← Chapter 5 ┃ Index ┃ Chapter 7 →

[lgcjaehwa]

˚ ୧ .˚ₓ  tokyo foodies !

ft @lgcsori

japanese cuisine had always been one of jaehwa's favorites (second only to korean food, of course!). everything was delicious during her last visit and she made a promise to herself to try out the street food the next time she returned. so, when she found out she’d be heading back to japan, street food hunting instantly topped her bucket list. she even spent the plane ride researching and compiling a must-try list of local delicacies.

linking arms with sori, the duo dedicated an entire day to indulging in japanese food and snacks. dieting was out the window; today was all about eating. "i heard there's a famous takoyaki stand nearby and right next to it, there is a shop that sells everything matcha. i just hope the lines aren’t too long today. even on a weekday, these streets are packed!"

[katgametable]

TAZ Abnimals Episode 24: A SCUZZ of Our Own

Written 28 Mar 2025, shortly after listening, before listening to Ep24.

Our heroes spend some time chilling in Dr Killdeath’s old base. Navy plays a Greenback Guardians arcade fighting game with Lamarr in co-op mode, and notes that the Guardians’ real strength was in their teamwork – Travis gives him a new Mondo move to take an extra d8 when the team work together. Lamarr also seems to be really rather keen on the virtual violence – perhaps paving the way to quitting pacifism? (Note, they make a joke about video games having been proven to cause violence; my understanding is that there’s no evidence games inspire violence, but there’s a sort of gamer rage not dissimilar to road rage that can cause violent outbursts.) Roger finds a rare Japanese dancing game that he feels must be just right for him. He comes third on the leaderboard, then insists on trying again with a Time To Shine, and doesn’t even leaderboard. Griffin and Justin are appalled at Clint for using a TTS for that when they’re probably about to go into a major encounter, but I don’t think it should make a difference? Because TTS reset when they enter a new scene/location, and going from the secret lair to the RCF HQ would surely count for resetting that.

They continue the tour; they go to the Armory, which has been stripped of most everything but some robot attachments, which Navy tries to see if he can utilise, but ends up just taking a spool of wire to save face. Then they go to the cafeteria for a snack; Roger has a beef-less sandwich, Lyle some Daphnia bugs, Navy some live fish, and Lamarr a pizza. I think they’ve all forgotten that they declared their favourite foods at the beginning of the campaign, although Daphnia and live fish is much funnier than…checks notes chocolate and sushi. I suppose with Roger it was declared that he had to eat the Muesli X, not that he liked it. All the while, SCUZZ has been trying to persuade them to stay longer, to have a sleepover, hang out, that sort of thing, because he’s been abandoned by Killdeath years ago and has been alone ever since, so the heroes are sympathetic, but they do still have to rescue Carver. Lyle offers to modify SCUZZ’s programming so SCUZZ can leave, but it’s not very convincing, so SCUZZ doesn’t let him. But after they eat, they start feeling drowsy, and can’t shake it, and as they lose consciousness, they hear SCUZZ saying “I said we should have a sleepover”.

They wake up in a lab tied to tables. SCUZZ is pretty clear that he just wants them to stay forever, and when our heroes point out that he’s acting pretty villainous, he reminds them he was programmed by Killdeath. Navy uses his Siren Song to talk to one of the little robots skittering around, and convinces it that Dr Killdeath is in danger and it needs to free them so they can save Killdeath and bring him back. Which is…only mostly a lie, I guess. Well, the robot is convinced, but it can’t really work out how to free Lyle. There is an argument about other tactics, including cutting Lyle’s arm off, and the robot activates a laser saw that does that. Lyle screams in pain a lot, which is an interesting change from the first two episodes when he was a lot more chill about limb loss. Unfortunately the severed arm is unable to do anything, and Lyle can’t get free. So Roger uses his prehensile tail to free himself, and Lyle’s arm to free the others. Lyle regrows his arm halfway, they patch themselves up, and go.

They sprint through the lair, block some doors to stop the robots following, and parley with SCUZZ to get out the elevator. SCUZZ reluctantly lets them go, in exchange for a saying they’ll get Killdeath to come back to them.

Listen. Listen. They’d been talking in earlier episodes about wanting a base of their own, so why don’t they use this as their new secret base? I mean sure, they have to go rescue Carver first, but after that? Well, let’s be honest, there’s not necessarily going to be much hero-ing after they rescue Carver and presumably have a showdown with the Walrus and end the campaign. (It’s weird, it’s felt like we’re only an episode or two from the end for weeks now, not that I want it to end.) I do wish they’d done more episodic crime-of-the-week type play, but I’m not entirely sure they’ve ever managed that before. They have done discreet arcs, and they did kinda manage that, for…three arcs? The museum heist, the arena heist, the Amphibi-Fortress attack. But after that Carver was captured and they’ve been working through that ever since.

I am very happy about the return of Lyle’s limb-regrowing, even though Justin plays it rather differently from last time. The bonus for teamwork could play very, very well with Roger’s moves requiring techno music, spotlights, or red fabrics. Assuming any of the McElroys have figured that out