#another spot hayate photo

[hiroshitanaka]

Why Bahrain Deserves a Spot on Your Travel Bucket List

Bahrain might not always top the usual travel itineraries, but those who’ve ventured into this fascinating Arab nation often come back with tales of unforgettable experiences. It’s a hidden gem, offering much more than meets the eye and surpassing most expectations of what Bahrain tourism has to offer.

Where Exactly is Bahrain?

Bahrain, an enchanting island nation, sits on the western shores of the Persian Gulf, nestled between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It’s the third smallest country in Asia, right after the Maldives and Singapore, covering roughly 780 square kilometres. Despite its compact size, Bahrain boasts a vibrant mix of cultures. With Arabs, South and Central Asian immigrants and Western expats calling it home, its cosmopolitan charm is a big part of what makes Bahrain so appealing.

Why Visit Bahrain?

Bahrain offers a perfect window into modern Arab life. It’s a country where tradition and progress blend seamlessly. The society is refreshingly liberal, and the locals are warm and open-minded. Unlike in some neighbouring countries, women here aren’t required to wear a burqa, and many are successful entrepreneurs running their own businesses. What’s more, the country has a relaxed approach to alcohol, which is enjoyed freely by locals and visitors alike.

Top Things to Do in Bahrain

1. Marvel at the Miracle of the Tree of Life

Known as the world’s loneliest tree, the Tree of Life (Shajarat-al-Hayat) is a true wonder in Bahrain’s desert. This majestic Kherjri tree stands alone, with sprawling branches and lush, feathery green leaves. Planted around 400 years ago in 1583, it mysteriously thrives with no visible water source, perched on a 25-foot-high hill. Its miraculous existence makes it one of Bahrain’s most iconic tourist attractions—definitely worth a visit for nature lovers and curious travellers alike!

2. Step Back in Time at Qal’at al-Bahrain

Ready to explore some history? Head over to the Bahrain Fort, also known as Qal’at al-Bahrain. This archaeological treasure is a former Portuguese military fortress located just outside Manama. What's fascinating is that it's a tell—an artificial mound created by layers of ancient civilisations building over one another. It’s no surprise this site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! The stunning sea views alone make the journey worthwhile, but the history will leave you in awe.

3. Be Awed by the Architecture of Al Fateh Grand Mosque

If you’re a fan of breathtaking architecture, the Al Fateh Grand Mosque is a must-see. This mosque is one of the largest in the world, constructed with Italian marble, Austrian glass, and Indian teak. The interior is adorned with intricate Kufic calligraphy crafted by local artisans. With a capacity to hold 7,000 worshippers, the mosque opens its doors to non-Muslims for guided tours, except on Fridays. Ladies, don’t worry—they provide an abaya and scarf to wear during the visit. And don’t miss the small yet captivating library inside!

4. Shop ‘Til You Drop at Manama Souk

For a true taste of Bahraini culture, take a stroll through the lively Manama Souk in Old Manama. The souk is a sensory overload, filled with colourful stalls offering spices, perfumes, jewellery, clothes, and carpets. Whether you're hunting for souvenirs or unique finds, there's something for everyone, and bargaining is encouraged! Be sure to capture some photos as you navigate this bustling market—it's a perfect spot for both shopping and soaking up local culture.

5. Cool Off at The Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park

Looking for some thrills and spills? The Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park is the ultimate destination for fun, spread over a massive 77,000 square metres. With 18 water slides, it’s a hit for kids, while adults can relax in the cabanas or enjoy the spa pools. The park’s architecture, designed to reflect the ancient Dilmun period, adds a unique charm to this desert oasis. Fun fact: Some even believe the legendary Garden of Eden was located in Dilmun!

6. Dive into Bahrain’s History at the National Museum

Curious about Bahrain’s past? The Bahrain National Museum is the perfect place to dig deeper into the nation’s rich history. Located between Muharraq and Manama, this museum showcases the country’s heritage across nine expansive halls. Highlights include artefacts discovered by Danish archaeologists and a recreated traditional souk. Don’t miss the massive satellite image of Bahrain, which offers a unique perspective on this island nation.

Streamline Your Bahrain Visa Application

Planning your trip to Bahrain and feeling overwhelmed by the visa process? Bahrain Visas will make your visa application journey smooth and hassle-free. If you're travelling to Bahrain for the first time, the thought of navigating the lengthy government process can seem daunting, but choosing Bahrain e-Visas will be the best decision you’ll make. Here’s why:

Stress-Free Process: Applying through Bahrain e-Visas couldn’t be simpler. Their custom-designed forms are incredibly user-friendly, removing the complexity of the government’s visa application process.

Real-Time Updates: You will receive real-time updates. Bahrain e-Visas will keep you informed of any changes in travel rules and regulations, ensuring you stay compliant without any extra effort.

Expert Review: The thorough application review process provided by Bahrain e-Visas sets them apart. Their experts will catch and correct any minor errors in your application, saving you from unnecessary delays.

High Approval Rates: With their expertise, expect your visa to be approved swiftly. In fact, e visa Bahrain significantly boosts the chances of your visa getting approved, which is a huge relief for travellers who travel often.

Document Management & Delivery: Once your visa gets approved, it will be delivered straight to your inbox in PDF format. No fuss, just easy access whenever you need it!

While the service comes with a fee, the level of support and convenience you experience with Bahrain e-Visas make it worth every penny. From live chat support to assistance with form filling, they ensure your Bahrain trip gets off to a perfect start—stress-free and efficient.

Conclusion

Planning to visit Bahrain? Start your journey by applying for a Bahrain visa. This vibrant island nation offers a blend of modern attractions and rich history, from stunning skyscrapers to ancient forts. Experience its warm hospitality, beautiful beaches, and bustling souks. A visa is your gateway to exploring the beautiful places in Bahrain and creating unforgettable memories.

[aiph-daicerandomstuff]

Da-iCE MEDIA: [@DaiCECAFEosaka - Twitter] MUJACK LIVE in Kansai TV Nandemo Arena (4/12/18)

[presumenothing]

FMAB: Daughter of the Dusk – Chapter 8: A Gunshot Through Hope

(A little late, but here’s my non-fic contribution to the fandom in honour of FMA day! The game is quite long overall, so this covers just the first part, which I figured people might be curious about since it ties up the cliffhanger from Prince of the Dawn. Not sure if I’ll do the rest of the game yet, but in the meantime – enjoy this chapter!)

-

Daughter of the Dusk is the sequel to Prince of the Dawn, which covers Chapters 1-7 of the story, and has a English-subbed playthrough by EnvyPlays (which you should watch first before reading on, obviously). I don’t have either game, so this summary is based on this playthrough by チキンオレ, starting from video 9 in the playlist.

The game is set before the Briggs arc, and picks up directly from where the previous one ended: at the Amestris-Aerugo peace treaty signing ceremony in Central City, with Bradley and Prince Claudio shaking hands onstage. Ed spots Scar in the audience, but he vanishes before Ed can give pursuit. 

Meanwhile, up on the radio tower, Hawkeye prepares to snipe Claudio (on Bradley’s orders) with Black Hayate by her side. She takes out her pocketbook to check the ceremony map, and a photo of the team falls out, leading to this moment as she looks at the photo…

HAWKEYE: [silently] I pull this trigger of my own will. [aloud, at Hayate’s worried expression] It’s alright. [aims the rifle at Claudio as he begins his speech] The Hawk’s Eye does not miss. Goodbye, Colonel.

[sound of gunshot, cut to black]

[flashback to before the signing ceremony]

CHAPTER 8: A GUNSHOT THROUGH HOPE

NARRATOR: Central City gladly welcomed “Envoy of Peace” Prince Claudio, whose arrival marked the end of a long war. But the gunshot that rang out at the climax of the festivities – the peace treaty signing ceremony – abruptly turned the celebratory cheers to screams. The beginning can be traced back to several hours before the fated time……

FUHRER’S OFFICE: Envy leaves to bring Hawkeye to the sniper spot. Greed arrives. Bradley assigns him to bring Hawkeye’s rifle from the armoury (G: “How could a sniper forget her rifle?” B: “She couldn’t carry it and get past security.”), and gives him an ID for a weapons dealer so he can get in.

[player character: Greed]

CENTRAL COMMAND - RECEPTION: Greed bluffs his way past (G: Lying is against my creed, but I did promise to do this…), mainly because it turns out Bradley informed them beforehand of his arrival.

CENTRAL COMMAND - ARMOURY 2: Greed notices something odd about a large box, but dismisses it as his imagination, and takes the rifle. Bradley appears, having “coincidentally” passed by. Greed realises this was a test. (B: “This is a tactic that will shake the nation. Who knew if ‘the prince’ would make a racket.”) Bradley then reveals Greed’s next task – blowing up the sniper spot after the deed is done, to erase the evidence and silence Hawkeye.

[PC: Mustang, who is implied to have been hiding in the box Greed noticed]

Mustang thinks about what he overheard – the assassination and silencing of Hawkeye afterwards. (M: “My instinct was spot on, to have picked this as the meeting place! [beat] Time is running out. ……I’ll have to cancel my date. Hang in there.”) He heads out to search for the sniper spot.

CENTRAL COMMAND - LOBBY: A soldier tells Mustang that Hawkeye has gone out, and someone at the entrance might know where she was headed.

At the entrance, best boy™️ Black Hayate barks and proceeds to tug Mustang’s uniform. (M: “What’re you doing! I don’t have time to play with you now…" BH: [growls] M: “Ow ow ow! Let go! [beat] Fine, I’ll follow you! Lead me to where your master is……")

Mustang spots Envy in the city, and deduces that Hawkeye is somewhere nearby. He arrives at the train depot, followed swiftly by Ed looking for Hayate (this scene was seen from Ed’s POV in the previous game, at 13:20 of Part 18). Mustang decides to return Hayate and make Ed leave so they won’t get caught up in this. He reflects on how Hawkeye has been given nothing but tasks opposite to him ever since Claudio arrived, likely because the higher-ups wanted to separate them so he wouldn’t find out about the assassination plan… which didn’t work out, clearly. Hawkeye then arrives (their confrontation was also previously seen from Hawkeye’s POV, at 7:08 of Part 19).

[PC: Fuery]

Fuery wrings his hands over having lost sight of Mustang, Ed, and Hayate. He decides to track down Mustang since something about him had looked off, by asking around if anyone’s seen him.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT: Fuery runs into Vanessa, who is Peak Angry at Mustang for passing by without noticing her at all. She says that he’d headed towards the abandoned factory.

[PC: Mustang]

ABANDONED FACTORY: Fuery finally finds Mustang, who asks what he’s doing here. (F: “Please stop saying such stand-offish things. Something happened, right, Colonel?” M: “You’re no longer under my command. Whatever I do has nothing to do with you.” F: “It does! I’m worried of my own accord!” M: “One after another… I really did get some strong-willed subordinates, huh.”) Scar then appears out of… seemingly nowhere, causing Mustang to dimiss Fuery over his protests, telling him to contact Breda and Falman. Scar and Mustang both declare they don’t have time for this. Scar activates his disintegration alchemy, but Mustang makes a smokescreen with flame alchemy and runs off.

[Time left until the fated moment – 00:59:59]

Having explained the situation to Falman, Breda, and Fuery, Mustang tells them it’s not too late to return to their posts, but of course they reject this offhand. Mustang then says that he’s going to meet Claudio and try to stop the signing ceremony somehow.

[Time left until the fated moment – 00:51:28]

Mustang asks Claudio to not appear at the ceremony, as he is being targeted. Claudio says he was prepared for the danger all along, and a mini-game follows where you have to choose dialogue that will convince him. Mustang says that it’s a plot by rebels within the military (another option says it’s by mysterious aliens, lol) with a sniper known to be a crack shot, though he claims their identity is still under investigation. Claudio then asks the real reason why he’s so determined to stop this, since it might even endanger his standing in the military, and Mustang answers that it’s out of his personal wish of peace. In the end, Claudio declares that he still won’t stop the ceremony just to protect his own life, but he will bear Mustang’s words in mind. Mustang acknowledges this determination, and says that he will do everything he can to foil the plot.

[Time left until the fated moment – 00:32:23]

[PC: Fuery]

Fuery sneaks into the communication room to eavesdrop on transmissions from Bradley’s allies to Hawkeye. After some false alarms (including a report of a woman being detained for carrying a rifle-shaped object and blunt weapon, who turns out to be Winry with automail case and spanner), he catches an exchange between Envy and Hawkeye, and finds out the sniper spot is outside the ceremony area and informs the rest. An emergency report then comes in about an intruder at the back door – it’s Scar.

[PC: Scar]

Scar barges in and destroys things while… monologuing darkly about various things, including his comrades and “that man”. (I’ll be honest, I do not like this Ishvalan terrorist subplot at all so I paid about zero attention to it.) He leaves. Falman and Breda arrive under the pretext of providing backup.

[Time left until the fated moment – 00:24:45]

[PC: Falman]

Falman and Breda head towards the watchtower to look for Hawkeye’s sniper spot. Just to be on the safe side, Falman memorises a guard assignment map of the ceremony area, which turns out useful when a suspicious soldier gives them a literal pop quiz to prove they’re really here as backup. Falman aces it, and Breda sneaks off while he proceeds to distract the soldier… with a long, long, long monologue on the founding of Amestris. Which continues even as the screen fades to black. Who ever said history wasn’t useful?

[Time left until the fated moment – 00:15:22]

[PC: Breda]

Breda sneaks up to the watchtower, and spots Hawkeye through a telescope, at her sniper spot atop the radio tower. He’s then discovered, but manages to send word to Mustang before he’s knocked out.

[Time left until the fated moment – 00:04:48]

[PC: Mustang]

Mustang hears Breda’s message but can’t get any further response from him, and rushes off. Fuery also radios in to warn that Bradley has ordered Mustang’s arrest, saying not to reply before he’s seemingly arrested too. Mustang is then surrounded, but spots a certain gremlin.

[Time left until the fated moment – 00:03:11]

[PC: Ed]

Unsurprisingly, Ed is furious, and proceeds to furiously kick ass via alchemy. Mustang warns him about the plot before leaving. (M: “The Hawk’s Eye is aiming for the stage. She’s being used by them. I don’t want to ask anything of you, but–” E: “Leave it to me.” M: “You’re not surprised? ……so you already noticed.” E: “No. I didn’t know until now.” M: [shrugs with excessive sass])

Other soldiers try to stop Ed, on account of him being Mustang’s ally, leading to an entertaining obstacle course as he dashes towards the stage. (E: “Hah, as if they could keep up with me! [beat] …wait, this isn’t the time for that!”)

We’re now back to the start, at the moment where Claudio begins his speech. From offstage, Ed spots a flash from the radio tower. He rushes forward to tackle Claudio down and gets shot……… on his automail, so it’s all fine!

It gets much less fine a moment later, when the radio tower blows up. Hawkeye pulls Hayate into a hug, trying to shield him as the tower falls onto them, but the entire thing goes up in flames just in time, metal and all. Stunned, Hawkeye turns around amidst the drifting ashes to see none other than…

MUSTANG: Sorry I kept you waiting. You ended up bearing all this alone. HAWKEYE: I chose this myself. MUSTANG: You were trying to protect us, weren’t you? Leave the rest to me. [Hawkeye inhales sharply] Protection is my job. HAWKEYE: Understood.

Meanwhile, back at the ceremony:

AL: Brother! ELENA: Brother! WINRY: Ed! AL: [silently] “Brother”!? Elena definitely said that just now……!

ED: That was close. CLAUDIO: …time to change plans. We’ll retreat for now. [leaves] ED: What was that about……?

There’s a bit more aftermath: Scar talks with another Ishvalan, Envy chews Greed out for letting Hawkeye escape (until Father bitches them out for sibling quarrels), and Bradley says he’ll release Mustang’s team.

We cut to Mustang and Breda right outside the ceremony area:

ED: Is everyone okay!? BREDA: Everyone was let off without censure. Sergeant Fuery, Officer Falman, and Lieutenant Hawkeye are fine too. MUSTANG: “In recognition of heroic actions to save the prince’s life”, apparently. ED: And what about the ceasefire treaty? MUSTANG: It’s taking everything we have just to handle the fallout. About the treaty, or the prince… none of it has been decided. ED: That prince……

AL: [narrating] The prince’s life was saved with Brother’s involvement. It seems that the Fuhrer and his allies had planned from the start to worsen the war by killing the prince. Unaware of all this, Prince Claudio remains in this country, and is said to be hoping to start over on the treaty. But there’s something I’m far more bothered by–

[flashback to Elena shouting “Brother!”]

AL: The word Elena shouted while looking at Prince Claudio… and yet, I wasn’t able to ask her anything. Because it felt like Elena would vanish somewhere, if I did ask……

To be continued.

-

And last but not least… the trailer for the next chapter!

WINRY: Oh no, it’s terrible! There’s been a case! A locked-room murder! The name of the case is “The Murder of Colonel Roy Mustang”! ED: So you died without achieving your goal… go to your sleep in peace, Colonel. ROY: Hold it right there! I’m still alive! WINRY: I’ll solve this case for sure! I definitely will! Next time, on FMAB: Daughter of the Dusk, Chapter 9 – Automail Mechanic Winry Rockbell’s Splendid Casebook! ROY: Like I said, stop progressing the story however you like! [gets elbowed(??) by Winry] WINRY: Well then, who’s the culprit!?

[fullmetalscullyy]

your fanfic,, the good shit. if you're still doing prompts, can i ask you to consider one where roy's dogsitting and starts talking to hayate about how much he loves riza and how he wants to marry her. idiot doesn't know that she's just conveniently come home and is short circuiting in the corner

you’re too kind anon;;; imma start crying in the club 💖 tysm and i hope u enjoy!!!!

rated: t | words: 1312

“Here, boy,” Roy commanded to his charge, slapping his thigh. Hayate followed him into Riza’s living room, out of the kitchen. Roy sat on her couch and Hayate sat obediently by his feet. Roy cocked his head and looked at the pup, causing Hayate to copy him. After a moment’s deliberation, Roy patted his lap and motioned for the dog to jump up. Hayate shifted in place and whined, obviously unsure. “I won’t tell if you won’t, boy,” Roy whispered conspiratorially with a grin, bending forward to lift Hayate onto his lap.

Riza was adamant he wasn’t allowed up on the furniture, but technically this wasn’t the furniture. It was Roy’s lap and he wanted the comfort from the pup. Plus, Roy knew for a fact that Hayate was allowed up on the furniture, because Roy had seen him up on Riza’s couch countless times before when she was home. Perhaps she just didn’t trust him not to let Hayate run riot in her house while she wasn’t home… The cheek!

Hayate made himself comfortable and settled on Roy’s lap, his head resting on Roy’s knees. Sighing happily, Roy sat back in place and ran his hands over Hayate’s fur. He loved this little dog as if it was his own. In a way, he snickered to himself, he was Roy’s dog. No one could know about it right now, of course, but he and Riza had been together forever and that hadn’t changed since the Promised Day happened. They’d grown closer – in every way possible – and the thought made Roy grin.

“How are you doing, boy?” Roy asked, bending forward to look at Hayate’s face. He let out a sigh and Roy laughed in response, rubbing his head vigorously. “Yeah, I miss her too.” He’d only been dog sitting for two hours but he still missed Riza. Ever since they’d hooked up – discreetly, of course – every moment apart was agony. Riza had rolled her eyes at his dramatic claim, making Roy grin. He’d smile, because claims like that always drew a smile out of her too, and it was a wonderful sight.

But he still moped and pouted when she had to go somewhere without him.

Maybe he was just whipped. Roy chuckled. He was definitely whipped. He missed his girlfriend, so sue him. Well, his girlfriend, who wasn’t really supposed to be his girlfriend, but they’d both said fuck it and done it anyway. Roy snickered again at the pun.

Roy’s eyes roamed around Riza’s apartment and noted the photos she had placed on her coffee table. There were photos of them both, professional and personal. There was the team. Rebecca was in there too. Then there was the photo Winry had sent each of them of her new family. Roy’s smile turned into a grin after seeing that one. He hadn’t got around to finding a frame for his yet, so it was pressed in a book in his bookcase to keep it tidy and clean. He was so proud of those kids. He would’ve never admitted it to Edward or Alphonse, but they did feel like sons to him. Riza felt the same way. She was the only person who was aware of just how much Roy cared for them, and vice versa.

He grinned again. Despite all they’d been through, he was happy Riza was still there with him. It felt wonderful to share his life with her, even when they weren’t together. He hadn’t exactly told Riza how much she meant to him yet, but something told Roy she already knew. Still, it was different to hear it in person. Perhaps he should do it soon…

“Y’know,” Roy began, using both hands to pet Hayate’s fur. “I really do love Riza, Hayate,” he told his canine companion. “I’m so happy she hasn’t kicked me out on my ass yet,” he chuckled. “God knows I deserve it after all the headaches I’ve caused her,” he grinned. “But no, she truly is a gem and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her.” Roy leaned forward again, watching as Hayate’s eyes looked up at him. “What would you say to me marrying her?” he mused aloud. Roy had spotted the joke gift he’d given her one Christmas. It was a sign that said, “all visitors must be approved by the dog before entering”, and it hung up on her wall. It looked tacky as hell, Roy had to admit, but it was a joke and he hadn’t expected her to hang it up, of all things. “Hm?” he prompted the dog.

Hayate sighed but his tail began to wag, the fur brushing over Roy’s stomach. That had to be a good sign, right?

Raising an eyebrow, Roy stared down at the dog. “A yes or a no would be great, buddy,” he joked. Hayate let out a quiet yip, lifting his head to lick Roy’s cheek. A grin broke out over his face. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied proudly. Sitting back, Roy beamed. “I’ll ask her to marry me then. I just need to find the perfect time –”

“Married?” a startled voice cried out in disbelief.

Roy froze. The hands petting the dog stopped and Hayate looked behind him, whining for Roy to continue. Obviously seeing Riza drew his attention away, and Hayate hopped down off the couch and padded over to his stunned master.

Standing in a flash, he whipped around, panicking slightly. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! “Uh…” Roy stated eloquently.

“Married?” Riza stuttered again. Roy blinked at her, the panic within him dying down when he noticed the state she was in. Her mouth was opening and closing like a goldfish in her surprise. Her eyes were wide and, he hated to say it, slightly crazed.

“Uh… surprise?” he grinned sheepishly.

That seemed to throw her over the edge because her eyes almost bugged out of her head. Roy felt a laugh bubbling inside of him. He’d never seen her so surprised before. It seemed like her brain was short-circuiting, unable to restart and function again after hearing that titbit of information. The laugh left him, and that caused Riza to frown. Then glare.

“I’m sorry,” Roy replied through his giggle. He approached her hurriedly, gripping her biceps gently in his hands as he gazed into her eyes. “I didn’t even realise you were home.” She wasn’t supposed to be back for another hour, that’s the only reason he was talking to Hayate about marrying her. Whoops.

“Married?” she stated again, disbelieving.

Roy nodded, his sheepish grin returning. “Not the most conventional way to ask – and not the way I planned to ask at all – but it’s out there now. So… What do you say?” he asked expectantly.

“Married.”

Roy felt his laughter bubbling back up again. That seemed to be the only word she could say. Her, Riza Hawkeye, his Captain, reduced to one word and completely speechless outside of that. It was entertaining, and Roy was glad he’d been the one to do it. This was unprecedented. He never thought this could be done! Gleefully, he was taking great pleasure in bringing her to this state, so shocked she couldn’t believe what he was saying.

“Yes. Riza Hawkeye, will you marry me?” he asked, his voice soft.

“Married…”

Roy rolled his eyes fondly at her, drawing Riza into his embrace.

“Married,” he confirmed, apparently finally speaking her language.

There was a long pause before she replied, and it had begun to set Roy on edge, but everything was right with the world when she finally replied.

“Yes,” she whispered, the grip on him tightening as she squeezed him, and her voice cracking in her joy. Roy grinned and returned the tight embrace, kissing her temple in response.

“Married,” he confirmed with the happiest smile on his face.

[btskismet]

Kismet (Chapter 18): A BTS Jin Imagines Fanfic

First ever fanfic. Contains some fluff and smut. Please read sequentially as it is a long story arc. Please provide feedback! My IG is btskismet.

November 7, 1944

Jun-seok was staring at a short Japanese man with a funny mustache. It was as if this man was trying to copy Adolf Hitler's tiny mustache. However, his mustache didn't seem to grow as well as Hitler's so it was half the length of the German dictator's, which made it look slightly skewed.

He expected for the Shosa (Major) to look a little more... refined. After all, he was the highest ranking officer in this district so far. He overheard that General Isumi was traveling to the capital of the country but would be back soon. So, Shosa Kimori would be calling the shots in this district for sure.

The man was smoking a tabacco as he was sitting inside what used to be a meeting room in the government building. He was looking at several papers placed on top of the table beside him.

He saw that he was looking at the military application form he filled out when he applied to be part of the Japanese Army. As the man looked at each page intently, Jun-seok shifted his weight while standing, anxiously waiting for what he had to say.

"So you know how to speak both Japanese and Korean, eh?", the man asked.

"Hai, Shosa Kimori", Jun-seok answered with a loud voice.

"Oh, I'm not Shosa Kimori. I'm Tai-i (Captain) Yuzawa. The Shosa couldn't meet you today. He went to the next town."

Jun-seok bowed really low and expressed his apologies. He felt stupid and for sure, he would be getting a beating. What a horrible mistake.

"It's alright. Stand up. I have another question for you.". Captain Yuzawa said, motioning Jun-seok to stand up straight.

"Do you know how to speak English?", the Captain asked, looking up to Jun-seok with one of his eyebrows raised.

Jun-seok hesitated. He thought he might need to lie because he might be sent to the enemy lines if he said he didn't speak it well enough, especially after what he said earlier. Would it matter if he didn't?

Before he was about to respond, the Captain raised his right hand and waved it slightly in front of his face. He was letting Jun-seok know that he didn't need to answer. "If you don't know, it's fine. The Mayor has someone in his family who can speak Japanese. It's important that you can speak both Japanese and Korean. Not all the locals speak very good English either."

Captain Yuzawa sets aside the papers and stands up to look out the window. He smoothens the creases on his pants. Jun-seok can tell that this man was stern and very detail-driven - his office was impeccably clean and all items on his desk, though minimal, were placed in a very purposeful way. Nothing was out of place.

When he faced Jun-seok, he started to speak in a very firm voice and said, "First of all, I don't agree having you here, Ittohei (first class private) Sakurai. We are having problems with some of the platoons here so if you do the job Shosa Kimori wants you to do, I think it will cause more trouble."

The Captain came up close to Jun-seok, peering into his eyes as they were of the same height. "Do you think you can speak to your fellow stubborn-minded Koreans to stop killing the populace?"

Jun-seok was flabbergasted in so many levels with the Captain's question. Yes, he heard the blatant insult to his race but what perplexed him was the fact that they were killing people and he was challenged to stop them.

"I will do my very best, Captain.", Jun-seok said as firmly as he possibly could. He knew he wasn't as confident as he would've liked, especially in front of this man who has profound disdain of his presence.

"Tch.", the Captain muttered and sat back down. "Dozo", he said and offered the seat across his table for Jun-seok to sit on. "I have a lot to share regarding your orders. Sit."

They spoke for almost an hour about what Jun-seok was ordered to do. It involved him knowing all the Korean platoon leaders and soldiers in the camp.

Lieutenant Akagi aka Gang Cheol was the one the army had most trouble with. Since he was the only commanding officer in certain remote areas of the district, he was the one who gave orders of having several locals killed on the spot. He also executed them as well. Though he was diligent in following orders from up top, if he was the lone officer with his platoon, he would exercise brutality in the most horrid way. 

“Lieutenant Akagi's platoon is fiercely loyal to him because they are all Koreans. But a few follow him because they are afraid to be beaten up.”, the Captain said with a bit of displeasure. Jun-seok thought that the Captain probably had several issues with Lt. Akagi in the past. After all, the lieutenant reported to him. He must’ve been reprimanded before in not being able to keep Lt. Akagi in line, he thought.

"We are stern and brutal if we need to be, especially to set examples to the locals. But if we just randomly kill them, then it doesn't serve our purpose here. Plus the Shosa is friends with the Mayor and he needs to have the coffee fields removed so we can build the tarmac. But he can't just order them to be done or else he destroys the friendship he has with the Mayor."

"Why is the Shosa friends with the Mayor of the town?", Jun-seok asked.

"Wouldn't you be if the man saved your life?"

The Shosa was in camp the first few days he arrived to the country and then rebel forces infiltrated it. A bullet struck the Shosa's abdomen and was bleeding heavily. The Mayor was on his way to the camp since he was summoned minutes before the fighting broke out and to take cover, he went inside the tent where the Shosa was at. He saw him and instead of running away, he dragged him to a nearby jeep and drove to the town hospital and had him treated. If he didn't do that, the Shosa would've died.

"Since then, Shosa Kimori wants to respect the Mayor and his community's needs to keep the town's resources running and for them to keep supporting us. Akagi and his platoon's antics are ruining those chances."

Jun-seok assessed how dangerous this was going to be. He knew that he would have extreme difficulty dealing with Akagi-san if he found out that Jun-seok is really Kim Man-seok's son. He had to make sure they thought of him as purely Japanese. But he won't be able to communicate with them if that's the case; they would shut him out.

"Captain, none of them must ever know that I am Kim Man-seok's son." Jun-seok said hurriedly. "Or else I'll never get close to them."

The Captain nodded in agreement. “Yes, you would have that difficulty. We have to make sure they don’t know. Did your face appear in any of the photos in the newspaper?”

Jun-seok tried hard to remember. He knew it was only photos of his father and brother that appeared in the papers. Since he was younger then, his mother made sure that he was not exposed to the media as his father and brother were recovering in the hospital.

“No. I’m sure of it”, he replied to the Captain.

“Alright then. You are to mingle with the rest of the platoon and make sure to get the others soldiers to change their mind about Akagi so they will follow him less. If Akagi sees that his soldiers are not as loyal to him, he would be less confident and then we can easily move him out of the platoon. If we did that now, his platoon will rebel against the higher officers and we will never get anywhere. Knowing them, they would kill everyone on sight. And I don’t want to lose soldiers anymore by executing them. We still have the rebel factions to deal with and I have less troops as it is.”   

Jun-seok nodded and understood his orders. He also surmised that he had to be crafty to make this work. His life depended on it too. Looking at Captain Yuzawa, he wasn’t one who would accept failure. He wouldn’t hesitate to execute Jun-seok if he failed.

“Before we assign you to the barracks to meet the platoon, you will have to report to the Jun-i (Warrant Officer) Watanabe. He handles our military equipment and you’ll be reporting to him. He is aware of your ‘other’ mission and agreed to help you.”

Jun-seok’s face lit up as soon as the Captain mentioned about the warrant officer and the latter noticed. “Yes, you are getting what you wanted, private. We are not going to let your skills go to waste. After all, you are going to work to get that tarmac built - it’s only fitting you get to work with actual aircraft.”

“Yes, sir! You can count on me, sir!”, Jun-seok said, beaming because of this news.

“You are dismissed.” 

Jun-seok stepped out of the office and was given information by the other private outside. He had to pick up supplies from the local market and meet the warrant officer there.

He couldn’t contain his happiness with the news. Finally! I’ll be able to do what I really wanted to do.

Jun-seok was pleased and he did a bit of a skip as he was walking to the market. He was smiling to himself, thinking of what it would be like to get close to an actual fighter plane. “I hope I can work on a Zero* or even the new Hayate**! That would be so cool!”, he thought with a huge smile. 

He was jostled from his thoughts of fighter planes when he reached the market. It was a busy area that morning and he was surprised that a lot of the locals were there and it was pretty noisy. He noticed that the locals didn’t seem to be too scared of the soldiers here as they were also quietly mingling with them, buying produce and food. The locals were selling their wares of vegetables, fruits, rice and fish. The smell of coffee was pretty strong as there were stalls brewing coffee and selling coffee beans. 

He came upon one stall and looked at the beans being sold. They were of good quality and they smelled wonderful. A young man talked to him in broken Japanese, asking if he wanted some. He said yes and he was given a small bag of ground coffee. When he was about to pay, the man decline. “Muryo de (free of charge)! Ok?”, the man said.

He bowed and thanked the man. As he walked away, he put the bag near his nose. The coffee smelled so good and this made Jun-seok smile. But he stopped in his tracks when he was in front of the sundries store where he was to meet Warrant Officer Watanabe.

“There she is again.”, he muttered. He was looking at the young woman he saw earlier who helped the man who was beaten up by the soldier. She was still wearing the same clothes and the nice 1940s hairstyle she had. She was smiling and talking with a Japanese officer in a very respectful yet comfortable way. he could see that the officer was smiling and acknowledging her, pleased that they were conversing.

She was bowing slightly for every comment the officer gave and though she moved respectfully, he could see that she was comfortable in her own skin. Like she was not about to be bossed around. She was very confident, even though she was acting gracefully and respectfully towards the superior officer. 

“She really is beautiful.I wonder who she is.”, he thought, observing her intently.

He started walking towards her and the officer but as he was about to approach them, she started saying goodbye to the officer.

“Gokigen'yō, Jun-i! Atode mata hanashimashou!” (Have a nice day, Officer. Talk to you later!), the lady said to the officer and waved. She didn’t look where she was going and bumped into him, which startled her. 

“Ah, gomen nasai, Yakuin (I’m sorry, officer)!”, she said loudly and bowed her head low.

Jun-seok gave a short chuckle as soon as she bowed, finding her quick change of disposition amusing. Because of this, it made her look up quizzically.

“Daijobu desu (It’s fine).”, he said softly. This made her stand up straight and bowed slight before walking away quickly. 

He looked back as she walked away, quite curious about this beautiful woman who was sparky and exciting underneath the surface. And to his surprise again, she looked back at him with that intense stare before walking away.

“I will meet you again.”, he declared in his mind before his attention was called by someone.   

 - - - to be continued - - -

*Mitsubishi A6M fighter plane - used by the Japanese army from 1940 to 1945

**Nakajima Ki-84 - a well-known Japanese fighter plane introduced in WW II in November 1944

[medea10]

My Review of Aggretsuko

Her one bright spot in this day-in, day-out hellhole is her mic, a karaoke business, a solo room, and blazing death metal. Once she’s singing some hardcore death metal and unleashes her fury of her hectic workday, she’s ready to take on the world again. And just like with the Hello Kitty world, this series has many animals with quite the interesting line-up of quirks. For example we’ve got a sly fox who monitors Instagram, a suck-up dog, a hygena who is into rock, a fashionable gorilla who’s friends with a bird, a hippo that’s a spy, and yeah, the chauvinistic pig who’s also the boss. BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: So this anime is sort of exclusive to Netflix in every aspect (that includes in Japan). I’m noticing a lot of popular anime titles are being exclusive to Netflix. I mean, if they’re able to air them weekly as they air in Japan, I have no problem. It’s just the waiting for something to air and then they decide to bundle everything so you can binge watch is where I have a problem. Believe it or not, I’m not a binge-watcher. Every now and then I can breeze through at the most 6 episodes in a whole day, but a whole series or season, no! Yeah, Medea has a life outside of anime reviews (shocking)! I only did that once and that was a good eight years ago. But I digress! I will say that Netflix got their shit together better than Amazon. Anime Strike was such a major fuck-up from day one. Thank God it’s dead. Anyways, this does include an English dub. By the looks of all the Netflix exclusive animes, they all seem to be dubbed by VSI in L.A. (I guess a smaller version of Bang Zoom productions) with Patrick Seitz doing a lot of the casting. This was a very well casted dub (which is more than what I can say about a certain redub they did recently). But I really do love this dub with Erica Mendez, G.K. Bowes, Ben Diskin, Ray Chase, and many others. And oh my God, Jamison Boaz is like the best with the metal Retsuko moments! With the sub, you will not find much info on the voice of Retsuko. Rumor has it that she’s married to the guy who does the screaming death metal for Retsuko (who is also the director of Aggretsuko). Here’s what you might recognize these folks from. JAPANESE CAST: *Retsuko is played by Kaolip *Retsuko (metal version) is played by Rareko (director of Aggretsuko) *Haida is played by Shingo Katou *Fenneko is played by Marina Inoue (known for Aria on Pokemon XY, Armin on Attack on Titan, Yoko on Gurren Lagann, Jessica on Umineko, Kyouko on Skip Beat, Wataru on Hayate, and Rei on H.O.T.D.) ENGLISH CAST: *Retsuko is played by Erica Mendez (known for Ryuko on Kill la Kill, Haruka/Uranus on Sailor Moon redub, Emma on The Promised Neverland, Nico on Love Live, Yuuki on SAO II, Tsuruko on Anohana, and Tsubaki on Your Lie in April) *Retsuko (metal version) is played by Jamison Boaz *Haida is played by Ben Diskin (known for Sai on Naruto Shippuden, Satoru on ERASED, Joseph/Jojo on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Umino on Sailor Moon redub, and Numba 1 on Kids Next Door) *Fenneko is played by Katelyn Gault (known for Prof Badcock on Little Witch Academia) FAVORITE CHARACTER: I’m a Fenneko fan. What’s not to like? Her mischievous behavior, her social media activity, and that freakin’ laugh! DISLIKED CHARACTER: It’s hard to find characters to hate here! Believe it or not once you get past the debut episode of an asshole character, you see them for more than just an asshole and think, maybe they’re not that much of an asshole. Yeah, in all good conscience I can’t really add Ton even if he’s a sexist pig. And Anai just needed to be pushed in the right direction so he can succeed. I don’t fully hate Anai…I fear him. Wait a second and I’ll talk a bit below! Then there are those characters who still rub on me the wrong way and those characters are Tsubone, Tsunoda, and Komiya. But I’m laying off Komiya. I don’t know why! Maybe it’s because Todd Haberkorn plays this little brown-noser that it makes me laugh to a point where I can’t hate on him. Yeah, Haberkorn is that good! Tsunoda knows the game and does what she has to do in order to survive in the office and on social media. I’m not thrilled to witness females put on the charm at the workplace the way she does, but you know it happens. Tsubone just seems like such a bitch so for the moment I’ll leave her on my dislike corner. Okay, anybody else? Shit. Retsuko’s mother!

Yeah, as I mentioned recently in my Top 10 Worst Anime Mothers list, I had to put Retsuko’s mother on there. She was such a pushy mama that she did so much damage to her daughter’s life. Okay lady, lay the fuck off! Your daughter is not living with you at home, she has a stable job, and she’s making the most of her life. She doesn’t need you giving her embarrassing clothes to wear, hooking her up with random bachelors, flat-out lie to her with photoshopped photos, force her on speed-dating, break into her apartment, and just be a complete hypocrite! SHIPPING: Retsuko has had quite the romantic cycle throughout the 20 episodes. Let’s go down this list, shall we? Retsuko x Haida: Ah, the little ship that can’t even leave port. Haida has had this humungous crush on Retsuko throughout the entire series. However this love is unrequited. Retsuko just sees Haida as a workmate and a friend, nothing more. Haida has been friend-zoned so many times. Even when he tries to release his feelings towards Retsuko, most of the time it would fall on deaf ears or in the case of season one’s finale/Christmas special, a rejection. Then again, it came right after a break-up and no one wants a rebound! But I do find myself rooting for this little ship to one day set sail. I know one day they’ll be together and I will await for that to happen. Retsuko x Resasuke: I really don’t know what drew Retsuko to this pot-plant. Yeah, I call Resasuke a pot-plant because of his nothing phases him attitude, his abundance of plants at home, and monotone voice. IT DOESN’T HELP THAT HE’S VOICED BY SAITAMA! It was pretty clear that there were a lot of loose connections between this couple that despite both Retsuko and Resasuke having some things in common, not going to work. It was not the best of ships. Retsuko x Tadano: Tadano was the man in Retsuko’s life that could have given her anything her heart desires. Everything except a family since Tadano doesn’t want to get married or start a family. Retsuko always dreamed of having a sugar daddy of a husband so that she could quit her soul-crushing job (at least that’s what she wanted in season one). But in season two she realized that she likes her job and wants to be with someone that resonates with her. As for wanting a family, Retsuko kind of grew to the idea of one day becoming a wife and mother. But Tadano wants nothing to do with that. Retsuko x Shirota: Aw, this was kinda cute even though these two were totally hooked up because of their nosy mothers. Retsuko at the time was scared at the prospect of getting married and Shirota completely understood. But when Retsuko asked about Shirota after some time had passed, Retsuko’s mother said that he was hooked up with another girl and it’s going well. I felt that sting all the way over here. I know he was the right guy at the wrong time, but I felt for Retsuko. Second place for me in the shipping department. Retsuko x Anai: GOOD FUCKDOM NO! Who would ask for this to happen?! TWO THINGS THAT FRIGHTEN ME: Yep, two things frighten me quite a bit. First thing would be whenever Ton smiles. I know most of the time when he’s smiling, it’s one of those fake as hell smiles, but they are frightening to see regardless. And the whole floor agrees as seeing that scared the ever-loving crap out of everyone there. And second…Anai! When you first meet him, you think he’s a positive go-getter. But when he’s behind his cellphone, he is downright scary. He ends up cyber-stalking half the office including Retsuko, Haida, and even Ton. ENDING TO SEASON ONE: We all know how much Haida has a this huge crush on Retsuko right? Let’s add a new love interest to spice things up! An absolute space cadet by the name of Resasuke! Retsuko has seen him around the office and on the train when she’s on the way to work. The only problem is, no one is able to get through to him…he’s so spacey! So one night, Retsuko gets roped into going on a speed date with some of the girls in the office. And the men they met are also some men from the office. And Retsuko surprisingly wound up having a meaningful conversation with Resasuke. Through text messages. Even though they’re right in front of each other. Sighs in disgust because I really hate that in real life as to showing my real age. Actually, I probably shouldn't scold the boy as he could be on the Autism Spectrum and has problems communicating normally with people in social interactions. Unfortunately, Retsuko winds up drinking too much alcohol that night and forgets key parts of what happened. All she knows is that when she woke up, her heart was all pitter-patter. It must be indegest…no, it’s love! Retsuko definitely sees something in Resasuke that no one else can see. Not even Washimi or Gouri can see it! But the important thing is that Retsuko is on cloud nine that nothing gets her down and when nothing gets her down, she’s not going to go “metal”. However, the “metal” side was ready to peak out. It’s clear that Resasuke doesn’t know much about relationships or other social interaction for that matter. He can’t tell when Retsuko is in pain and isn’t that considerate to her. Plus he wasn’t really the one who wanted to go on the dates. He was always put up by one of his co-workers. Meanwhile, Haida (who has had a major crush on Retsuko from the beginning) has been super moody. He gets so drunk one night and ends up the hospital because dumbass injured himself accidentally. So the following day at work was hectic for Retsuko, Fenneko, and Ton. During that long day of work, Retsuko’s boss (while always grumpy and insulting to Retsuko) made a little sense to her today. His words kinda hit Retsuko in the terms of the relationship dilemma. I know he meant it in terms of the accounting job, but I think it struck a nerve with how Retsuko is in her relationship with Resasuke. “If you keep giving out more than what you’re getting back in return, eventually there ain’t gonna be anything left” So…Retsuko took Resasuke to karaoke and expressed it all out. In the end, Retsuko and Resasuke split up. But could there be hope for Haida now? Well, we close things out in Haida’s hospital room and Retsuko visits him. And surprise, surprise, it looks like a love confession! What will Retsuko say? Tune in next ti…end of the season now! CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Unlike all the other episodes (which are 13 minutes long at most), this one is a full 22 minute special. We start the Christmas special with what Retsuko said to Haida. It was a rejection. So you know Haida was going to be a depressed basket case for a while. But let’s not worry about that now, it’s Christmas time! And the episode focuses on what everyone around the office is doing for the special holiday. Tsunoda’s going out with a guy (no surprise there). Kabae is spending it with her husband and three kids (and also hide the presents so the kids won’t find them). Before Retsuko could figure out what she wants to do, in comes Ton with paperwork that needs to be done by the end of the night. Retsuko still put up a brave front finishing her work and also fooling social media that she’s having a fabulous dinner. But Fenneko knew that was a lie when she saw the picture and told Haida that she’s at work suffering through paperwork. And being the hopeless romantic, Haida tries to get to the office to help her, but found she was no longer there when he arrived. After Retsuko finished, her friends Gouri and Washimi swooped in and treated her to dinner. But after dinner, Retsuko bumped into Haida…so Haida got a little lucky there. And he got to spend a few moments alone with Retsuko. SEASON TWO: After the success Aggretsuko made in 2018, strike twice while the iron is still hot! Season two dropped this June with brand new characters, new love interests, and so much METAL! Actually, not as many metal moments as season one, but still there. Retsuko had her hands full all through this season with her mother setting her up with “eligible” bachelors, work still giving her the business, a new guy at work who’s possessed by Beelzebub’s cellphone, getting her driver’s license, and possibly meeting the man of her dreams. And with all those, Retsuko’s going to need some time in the karaoke booth to let out this pile of rage. And this season we meet Retsuko’s mother (a different shade of panda than her daughter), a woman who is way too invasive of her daughter’s privacy and home life. Then we have Anai (a badger), a straight out of college newbie at work. If even one thing is said to him that even seems 1% offensive, he will break out his phone and cyber stalk that person and threaten them with a harassment charge. And then there’s Tadano (a donkey) who Retsuko meets in a driver’s education course. Oh, wait until you meet Tadano! END OF SEASON TWO: As it turns out, Tadano (the guy Retsuko meets at Driver’s Ed) isn’t really a slacker like she thought at first, but a multi-millionaire with his work in A.I. He’s a major celebrity in the tech world and Retsuko’s company wants to partner with him. Meanwhile Tadano has eyes for Retsuko…as a love interest! This could be it! This could be Retsuko’s chance at absolute happiness, where she can have anything in the world with this sugar daddy. There’s a drawback to this. Recently, Retsuko has been thinking if she’s really wife/mother material after seeing some of her coworkers (like Kabae and Ton with their families). Plus the whole marriage conversation with her mom probably got to her too. So she’s thinking more and more about starting a family. However… Tadano has NO interest in either marriage or having kids! For some time, Retsuko and Tadano were seeing each other privately. But somehow, someone got pictures of them together and it spread throughout the internet. And everyone, including Retsuko’s mother, friends, and co-workers were blown off their asses when they saw pictures of Retsuko with Tadano. Meanwhile, Haida got drunk and wound up on his back again! Retsuko tried her best to see the bright side of all this. But she kept running into hate-filled posts bashing her for dating Tadano. And the whole dilemma that she and Tadano aren’t on the same wavelengths when it comes to marriage and family is digging at her like a shiv. Add to that, Tadano wants Retsuko to quit her job since he believes her job will be obsolete once his A.I. business takes over. After some soul searching, Retsuko came back to work after a few days of being AWOL and was ready to hand Ton her resignation letter. Ton sat back and watched all this happen and wouldn’t accept this. He gives her shit literally every day of her job, even giving her the nickname “Calander” because her “days are numbered”. But he knows that all of this isn’t even her deciding. Tadano is doing all the talking and actions for her. Once again, Ton was able to reach Retsuko with his words. So Retsuko knows what she must do. Retsuko’s friends Washimi and Gouri put aside a heated fight they previously had in order to help. So they ambushed Tadano, had Haida take care of his entourage, and have Retsuko hijack his limo. Their destination, the karoke bar! And that’s when Retsuko released out everything through METAL! In short, Retsuko and Tadano split up. So she’s (once again) back at square one. But it was fun, right?! Wow, this is pretty…real to me. In fact, it’s almost on Bojack Horseman levels. Yeah, you can tell I’ve dived into Netflix. Cartoons with cute animals in it…but they deal with adult issues. Yeah, animation’s not always for kids (otherwise I would have watched a lot more Ralph Bakshi when I was 7). Anyways, this anime does speak to me and just about anyone with a job that causes you immense stress. Retsuko gets the shit-deal at her work which causes her to vent it out in a karaoke booth. A job that chips away at you every single day you’re there. Disappointment of every variety when some shred of hope pops through. Workers who take advantage of the hard work you put in. Drunk boss that stumbles into work late and passes out hungover. Working 10 hour days with no overtime pay! Having that drunk idiot boss always calling in sick because he’s hungover from the night before. Whoops, those last three were my bad experiences with a bad job. The working world can be cruel. I’m glad I left that nightmare job for the good old store that rhymes with Mole Goods. It has its ups and downs but it’s been kind enough to me for me to stay in the company for almost 12 years at this point and time. But everyone has their own reasons for staying at a job that abuses you. Mostly survival! Retsuko wishes that she could find a rich husband so that she could quit this horrible job. Don’t we all? Sadly things can’t be like the way they were in post-war era United States (or so I imagine). In my case, the middle class is a gangrene arm ready to be chopped off, cost of college is expeninential and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to pay off my student loans 30 years after I die. Depending on what economic world you’re in, it’s almost impossible to quit your stable job to be a housewife. Unless you’re Marge Simpson or part of the elite 1% there’s no fucking way. And then Tadano shows up! But funny thing, money can’t buy you happiness! Sure it’s great if you could find a sugar daddy husband, but if there’s no real love or compatibility, it’s not gonna last. The love issues Retsuko had these last two seasons…I can’t really relate. Thankfully, my mother is not as neurotic about me finding a husband. As I have been butt-fucked in the relationship department, I don’t give a shit about finding a mate (at the moment) and my mother has accepted that. And I’ve never really felt anything for workmates nor have I ever met a young entrapeneur. I’m sure other people can relate to some of these issues, but not me. Thankfully we see different views on marriage from different characters. Fenneko believes people her age don’t even think about it and hopefully they’ll be the generation to kill the idea of marriage, Haida is still a hopeless romantic when it comes to Retsuko, Gouri will get back up after being heartbroken time and time again, Washimi thinks marriage isn’t worth it and even sheds light on an old marriage during the second season, Ton is married and has two kids (though he seems pretty put-off by them), and then you have Kabae who has a husband and three little kids and she’s happy with her family every single day! Back to the working world topic, Aggretsuko showed how much the working world impacts us. Without having a character say it, this anime brought out many thoughts when we see many of these characters. For example, Anai! Many fans hated this guy the second he started cyber-bullying Retsuko. But others see Anai as a guy with the adult world finally crushing down on him. An ugly glimpse at how life can be (particularly in Japan). He’s fresh out of college and sometimes college does NOT prepare you for the real working world. And as we all know this cruel statistic, Japan has the highest rate of suicides in several age brakets in the world. Including young teenagers! An atmosphere of failure can cause one to do that or act erraticly. Aggretsuko doesn’t necessarily say this, but it’s very much felt that it’s implied if you think about it. Yes, I still find Anai to be a bit of that millennial shit that feels offended by anything even when a co-worker is trying to help them. But if you think about it, all of this feels new and scary. I’m sure everybody in the office at the beginning of their job experience had felt this scary feeling before. Man, these shows really get me to think a bit! I do recommend this anime to just about anyone. Just note that this anime is NOT as depressing as Bojack Horseman. But it can get real at times that makes you step back and say, “Wow, I can totally relate.” And to anyone who is a total metal-head (like me) might enjoy those parts when Retsuko screams into a microphone. This anime is only available through Netflix. It shouldn’t take you too long to finish though as each episode is approximately 15 minutes each and there’s only 20 episodes overall (+ one special). Okay, now that Aggretsuko is done...what's next?

Little Witch Academia it is!

[kyndaris]

Hi! What’s going on with your Life?

In just another year, it will have been a decade since I graduated high school. Ten years of change, of learning, and realising that despite all that schooling, I wasn’t as prepared for life after a spoon-fed education than I thought I was. Instead of becoming a successful CEO and enjoying the better things in life, it’s been ten years of floundering. For both my personal life and my rather lacklustre career. Ten years from high school and I’m trapped in a job that seems intent on removing every shred of joy I might have, of finding myself in terse conversations with family, and feeling detached from everything and everyone. 

There is a reason why so many of my short stories are written in the first person. Most of them are derived from my feelings and mindsets at particular moments in time. They prey upon the circumstances I find myself in and are reflections of my relationships with other people.

Of course, the narrative that spins out of them are just that. Stories to be told as they explore a theme and run with it. Truth be told, there’s something fascinating about taking an idea that pops into my head and pushing it just a bit to see where it might lead me. Currently, inspired by one of the prompts during my Year 10 School Certificate exam, I’m working on a project currently titled: “The Monsters Beneath Our Beds.” In fact, I’ve actually envisaged it as a 16-bit game, a throwback, perhaps to a time when everything was so much simpler and our imaginations much more vivid. Alas, as I have no actual artistic skill or programming ability, the only thing that I can do is spin it into a story aimed towards younger audiences. Although, I’ve found tweaking the language a bit of a challenge. Maybe once I’ve finished it, I’ll go through it and simplify some of the terminology that pops up.

But, I’m getting sidetracked from what this post really is about. Though there’s almost a year before the inevitable reunion, I’ve found myself catching up with old friends all throughout 2019. And honestly, I’m not sure how it all happened.

In our isolating world, filled with worries of keeping ourselves fed and searching for a fulfilling purpose in this grand old game called life, it’s easy to put aside the friendships of yesteryear and focus more on office politics. The immediate and the now demand so much of our attention that we look upon the years before with a certain wistful nostalgia. 

Perhaps it was this very reason that saw several of my old high school classmates reach out and request a meet-up of sorts. The first one, for me, was in May. It was only the four of us, but it had been a good long while since we had last managed to find some time to talk about everything that has happened in our separate lives. While most of it was the same, it was eye-opening to see that not everything was as perfect as the Facebook photos would suggest. One was transitioning to a new job and another was thinking of pursuing a different area of employment.

Yet, despite the divergent ways our career paths had led us, there was still a sense of solidarity and familiarity that was immediately apparent. And as we enjoyed our very much discounted pizzas and pasta - with a few cocktails thrown into the mix - it felt as if we were still seated around the wattle tree between C and D block, chatting away as we usually did during school lunch.

Of course, this time, we had more time and money at our disposal. There was  no rush to complete homework and our conversations drifted a little to different topics that we had pursued before when all we had known was a rigorous institutionalised existence.

My next reunion of sorts came not from old high school classmates but rather a reconnecting with a friend I had made years ago at a China camp. Though she and I had tangentially crossed paths at university (with me in my final year spotting her as a lost First Year), it had been a long while since we had even exchanged words over Messenger, despite how easy it would have been to do so. Of course, if I hadn’t reached out and wished her a ‘Happy Birthday’ perhaps none of it would have come to pass.

Lunch and board games was enough to seal the deal. Happily, we drifted apart again after catching up on all the different news that we had to share about the state of our lives. Which was mostly miserable, or just eking out a living. 

Why anyone thinks my writing a blog is all that impressive is beyond me. Honestly, it’s merely an outlet for my thoughts and to make short summaries about non-important events in my life. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever reread anything I posted. Or, if I did, I cringed as I identified a spelling error.

And of course, in the middle of September, my other friend, known online as Hayate, and I arranged a little get-together after our weekly badminton sessions with another of my old high school classmates. Driving out to Dural, we enjoyed a delicious meal and chatted about what we (Hayate and I) of our non-existent love lives. She, on the other hand, provided a slideshow of the people she had dated. From Sri-Lankan to Vietnamese to one of mixed European heritage that, presumably, shipped out to Australia in the distant past.

Though the ones I’ve detailed above were all planned, I also had some run-ins that were mostly incidental. If ever there was a sign that the world had grown a little smaller, 2019 was the year.

Here’s hoping that rather than being planets orbiting each other, they’ll be more collisions from this time forth. Of course, I’ll be in the corner eagerly awaiting the invitation. Just make sure that the time that’s chosen doesn’t clash with my other priorities such as binge-watching Netflix, playing video games or enjoying a good book. Also, writing up blog posts. 

[ai-da-ice]

Fan Account: ai-da-ice at TOKYO SWISH

(Before I get started, I just wanted to mention that the overall concert-going experience in Japan is very different from what I’m used to in America, so I’m going to write a separate journal about how to attend concerts in Japan and what is common etiquette and behavior in live houses. This will mainly focus on the concert itself!)

Since this is Da-iCE blog, I want to focus on the Da-iCE portions of the show, but stay tuned for a later update showcasing the other groups because they were awesome and I want you all to love them, too.

In Japan, idol culture is centered of Johnny’s on one side and 48-project groups on the other. There are some outliers with mass appeal such as LDH and Hello!Project idols, but otherwise, idol groups can struggle to find their market and place in the spotlight separate from the big league idols the nation is automatically focused on through management reputation. The SWISH concert series is answer to that issue. It joins together both established and up-and-coming male/mixed gender groups, and unites the fandoms of the groups who don’t have the big league market recognition but still have a lot to offer the industry through their modern, more genre bending approach to J-pop. The event is the dream of the multi-fandom crowd, which perfectly defines me as a J-pop fan. I’m all for seeing J-pop evolve and branching out to support the new groups who give it unique color.

The venue, Tokyo Dome City Hall, was filled around 5:20 ahead of the scheduled 6:00 start, and by 5:30, the opening acts were already hitting the stage. We started off first with MADKID (MDKD), a dance and vocal unit from Tokyo which served up a powerful hip-hop performance to kick off the night. They were followed up by a-X’s (pronounced “A-Cross”), a mixed gender trainee unit from avex formed by the winners of their boys and girls dance and vocal auditions. On top of their standard group performance, they also performed a fantastic dance cover of The Weeknd’s “Rockin’”.

Next up was our “bonus opening act”. This changed depending on which location the SWISH event happened in, but TOKYO SWISH’s bonus was Yudai x Keisuke Murakami, Yudai’s former groupmate in his Fukkin Gakuen days. Usually the venue announced who was performing next via an overhead screen, but since Yudai and Keisuke were “the bonus,” they were presented in somewhat of a surprise fashion. The lights were dimmed too low to see the stage, but we could all hear Yudai’s voice in his microphone set, so everyone reacted to him immediately. The two performed an original acoustic ballad entitled “Futari dake no ai”. I really hope this song makes an appearance on Keisuke’s debut album because it was gorgeous and I want you all to hear it. Yudai and Keisuke also did the thing Sota and Yudai often do during “A WHOLE NEW WORLD” and “Boku no Kiseki”-- the intense staring at each other during the love ballad. After their performance was over, a member of the audience screamed out “YUDAI-KUN!” and Yudai responded by cutely going “Kei-chan~!”

Afterwards, the main acts quickly followed. Mixed gender avex group lol was the first performer of the night, and they were followed by my second favorite J-pop group FlowBack. Both groups really set the tone for the night, that this generation of groups isn’t about the stereotypical “cute and quirky” label J-pop usually gets from outside of observers. These groups have EDM, hip-hop, and trap influences which give them a Westernized feel, without even getting into how broad and diverse their dance skills are. Anyone who still thinks of J-pop as only “AKB48,” please point them in the direction of these groups.

Following FlowBack was Ebidan’s massively underrated but supremely infectious PrizmaX, then X4, who genuinely was X4 that day since member Shota was not there due to an injury. Here’s to hoping for his quick recovery in time for X4′s tour performance tomorrow! Next up was Tensai Bonjin, who delivered one of the night’s most diverse sets by going from comedic, pump-up hip-hop to a heart-wrenching ballad while slaying the performances of both. Next was BRIDGET, the underrated visual and dance kings of avex, and then WHITE JAM, the masterminds behind several of Da-iCE’s hit songs and the improv Kings and Queen. Gashima and Shirose chose an audience member at random, asked for her name, and came up with a totally amazing free style rap on the spot using her name as the starting theme. PrismaX’s Daiki also came back to join them on their song “OVERSIZE.”

Last up of the night was Da-iCE!! Even before they were announced on the big screen, the arena lit up with their lightsticks, which the majority of the arena seemed to have-- they were one of the biggest draws of the night by far! They came out wearing the red and black gear they’ve been sporting for their between NEXT PHASE and Tonikaku HEY! performances, as you can see below:

Their first song of the evening for Da-iCE was “NEXT PHASE,” which showcased their completely knock-out choreography at its finest. They wrote this song to replace “FIGHT BACK” as their tour opener anthem, and it does it’s job of hyping everyone up to perfection. The dance was explosive and the vocals just as dynamic as you would expect from Yudai and Sota.

To keep things energetic (and sexy), they moved right along to “Chocolate Sympathy.” Which, as they have mentioned in interviews, involves chair dancing. Yes. Chair dancing. I thought I had prepared myself, but I was not ready to witness this in person. When they call this the legendary song of their album, they are not lying.

The group did a short greeting for their MC, but naturally had a lot of charm points since they’re Da-iCE. Taiki started off by saying “I’m the leader, Taiki Kudo,” which Toru followed up with “I’m not the leader, Toru Iwaoka” and Yudai adding “I’m also not the leader, Yudai Ohno.” When it came to Sota, he was immediately trolled by the members per tradition, but brushed it off quickly to introduce himself. Hayate, naturally, received no trolling and remains the apple of the group’s eye.

Next up was my favorite performance of the night, “Koigokoro.” The music video leaves a heart-wrenching impression enough, but the in-person vocals and the way both Yudai and Sota portray them is almost physically painful in the most beautiful way. When Sota went for his high note, you could almost feel the raw agony coming from him. The dance line was also powerful during this performance, showcasing their high-flying turns during the song’s climax.

Keeping the atmosphere serious, they moved along into “TWO AS ONE,” their fan-dedicated anthem from their album. Once again, the emotions of this song carried over even stronger in person, especially thanks to the complex and interpretive choreography by the dance line. One of the point moves of the choreography involved putting their hands together in the shape of a dice, which was beautiful to see, especially since it perfectly matched the shape of their updated lightstick.

Last, they closed with their summer anthem and crowd pleaser “PARADIVE”. For this one, we were all waving our slogan towels and singing along with them, so I think this was one of the moments that best united all the many fandoms in the room. And I always thought the moment Hayate came to the center of the dance formation during the breakdown was iconic, and seeing it live just confirmed it. Everyone went wild for that part.

Of course, a concert isn’t a concert without an encore, but since there were so many groups, this one was unique. Sota, Yudai, Tensai Bonjin’s MiNE, WHITE JAM’s Shirose, and BRIDGET’s Shun, the night’s harmony masters, were selected to perform two original songs for the encore before inviting all the groups onstage again to do a final bow and take a commemorative photo. After a closing anthem from the DJ, the long concert came to a close.

SWISH was overall a exciting and energetic event which not only gives groups of varying public recognition a chance to promote themselves, but also unites the fandoms of these groups and gives them a sense of being family, much in the way that DANZEN TV does for boy group fandoms. The groups are all close to each other in real life, so to see them onstage together was a moving experience. I also think these groups are truly a new era for J-pop-- they represent a shift in genre that I think will really appeal to diverse audiences, if they are willing to give J-pop the chance it deserves. And, of course, seeing Da-iCE again was a heart pounding experience that I’m happy I had another chance to feel. They are some of the strongest live performers I have ever witnessed from their stable singing to their powerhouse dancing. Thank you, TOKYO SWISH, for giving me the chance to see them and experience the delightful lives of other fantastic contemporary performers, too!

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Anime vs. Real Life – “Hand Shakers”

Hand Shakers follows around high school student Tazuna, who one day visits a university hospital in Osaka. There he meets Koyori, a young white-haired girl who’s been bedridden and unconscious for quite some time. Being reminded of his deceased sister, Tazuna approaches Koyori, only for her to suddenly wake up and reach out for his hand. All of a sudden, both of them get dragged into a different dimension called Ziggurat. With the special powers they gain by holding hands, they now have to fight other Hand Shakers in order to get a wish granted by God himself.

To be honest, that premise sounds as generic as it could be, but you’ve got to hand it to GoHands, the studio's unique and unmistakable visual style definitely makes the show stand out this season – for better and for worse. Now, you’ve probably gotten wind of the relatively negative buzz surrounding the show’s over-stylized art and animation direction, and while these accusations unfortunately hold true for the most part, I’d rather like to focus on one of the good aspects of Hand Shakers. The show actually has some pretty neatly traced photo backgrounds and its setting is based on some interesting real-world locations, but you’ll see that for yourself below. So, put on some fancy elevator music, and let’s jump straight to the comparison shots!

  *All real-world images were taken with GOOGLE STREET VIEW (images I took myself are marked ‘WD’)

    As I already mentioned above, Hand Shakers is set in Osaka, Japan's third biggest city and second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo with over 19 million inhabitants. Osaka can be kind of described as the eternal second. Economically the city is being trumped by Tokyo, and culturally by the relatively nearby Kyoto. However, Osaka still has a lot to offer, and is a very unconventional and flashy town, making it the perfect setting for a show like Hand Shakers. By the way, studio GoHands is also located in Osaka. Personally, I’ll always associate the city with good food and the vivid Dotonbori area.

    The Tempozan Ferris Wheel is the city's largest Ferris wheel with a total of height of 112.5 meters. It’s located right next to the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and offers some spectacular views of the bay area. 

    And that’s the just mentioned Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. I’m not the biggest fan of aquariums, but the cool whale sharks there were worth the visit. 

    The Osaka City Central Public Hall.

    Shitennoji Temple’s Gokurakumon Gate. Shitennoji Temple was founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku and is one of Japan's oldest temples.

    The Animate store in the Nipponbashi shopping district, which is basically Osaka’s equivalent of Akihabara. You’ll see Animate stores pop up quite often in Hand Shakers, as the anime is meant to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Animate chain. 

    Hanshin Koshien Stadium.

    The Shinsekai (literally translates to “new world”) in Osaka has gained the reputation of being one of Japan's more disreputable and dangerous neighborhoods, at least by Japanese standards. The neighborhood's northern half was modeled after Paris, and the southern half after New York. The Tsutenkaku Tower in the center is the district’s landmark, and was modeled after the Eifel Tower. 

    Takashimaya Osaka Store to the right. 

    Dotonbori is one of Osaka’s most popular tourist destinations. It was originally a theater area, but is now considered a very popular nightlife and entertainment district. The area is shaped by its many neon billboards and mechanized signs, the most prominent being the Glico Running Man sign on the right here. It’s definitely my favorite spot in Osaka. The Dotonbori signboards and the Ebisu Bridge in the foreground were also shown in Hand Shakers' key visual. 

    I’ll talk about Osaka Castle in more detail a little further down. 

  WD

  In the fourth episode of Hand Shakers, Tazuna and Koyori lure Hayate and Chizuru, another pair of Hand Shakers, atop Osaka Castle for their all-out battle. Like many of the castles in Japan, this one too has often been destroyed and rebuilt. Construction began in 1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but the castle was destroyed soon after his death by Tokugawa troops. The castle was rebuilt in 1620, but the castle’s main tower soon after burned down by a fire caused by lightning in 1665. In 1931, the main tower of the castle was again reconstructed in the center of Osaka Castle. 

  WD

WD

  The castle now houses a museum about its history. Also, the view up there is pretty nice. 

  WD

WD

  Tazuna strolls around Dotonbori here with the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade in the background. 

    The yellow construction to the left is the Don Quixote Ferris Wheel.

  WD

  Despite suffering a bitter defeat against Tazuna and Koyori, Hayate and Chizuru still decide to celebrate at one of Osaka’s most famous crab restaurants, the Kani Doraku. Chizuru forces Hayate to pay for their meal, and as he correctly states, it’s quite expensive. The mechanized crab outside of the restaurants is of the Dotonbori’s most iconic signs. 

  Have you ever been to Osaka yourself, and what are your thoughts about Hand Shakers? Sound off in the comments below! 

---

You can follow Wilhelm on Twitter @Surwill.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[thicckittyyy]

WHAT I DO FOR LEISURE :)

       Okay, so most of my friends know that I’m not really into writing stuffs (just wanna put it out there lol). Though, I like discovering cool things while having fun around the city and I’m a huge fan of photography too. I love taking photos of ANYTHING about urban lifestyle, food, makeup, you know, those “millenial” stuffs lol. But basically I’m just a yuppy with an SLR, so I thought why not just put up a blog. 

Well, here goes nothing. Wish me luck! >.<

I’ve always had that feeling like I need to document all of the photos I take and share it to my friends, heck, to the world. Like, why not spread news about a new hang out spot, new ideas, new products, and the GOOD VIBES, right?

(Excuse our faces, we just came from work. Lol) 

Like most people, or at least most filipinos like me and my gals, we just go out during or after the salary day haha. Why? because first, we’re on a budget. We can’t just run around breaking the piggy bank *oink oink*. After all, we’re here to work, save moolah, so when we get home to The Philippines, we’re gonna have the time of our lives! YASSS #partyanimals 

Secondly, we run a tight schedule. Working 12 hr shifts in a roughly 18-20+ days in a month isn’t really something fun. We’re physically, emotionally, and mentally stressed so most of us are extremely tired even on our rest days. Not to mention, doing house chores. So whenever I hit my friends up like “Hey! Mall today?” err guess what?..... a rain check. -_-

Lastly, an honest truth, there’s really not a lot of fun stuffs to do here unlike back in the Philippines where you can just get off work and go to a bar or a beach, get wasted, and go back to work the next day with a hangover. *ssshhhhh*. jk. 

(The Pumpkin Spice is back y’all!)

So you might wonder, what do we do to chill over here. Well, for me at least, I try to stay fun and sane by going to the mall, have dinner with friends, and for the most part, SHOP. Nothing fancy. I’ve just always been a city girl anyway and most girls like me have the blue print of these places inside our heads, haha. It’s our comfort zone, we just know it from A to Z. Talk about special talent. <3

My favorite go-to place is Hayat or Danube Mall, the one next to Sahara Mall which is just 20 minutes away from my house. Grab an iced coffee, have a “chismis” with whoever is available on that day, take a stroll, window shop, and if you’re like me, buying make-up or anything for skin care. Lol. 

Now, let’s talk about the latter. if you’re a big fan of MAC, (aside from we’ll be very good gal pals) do you know that they have a promo this month? They’re selling all their bestsellers in MINI VERSION which means you only get to pay LESS THAN half of the original prices. Cool, RIGHT?!

Name it! They’re Fix Plus, strobe light primer, mascaras, even their concealers I think. And of course, their highly pigmented and topnotch lipstick shades like RUBY WOO, WHIRL, MEHR, AND VELVET TEDDY!! Gah, I just couldn’t resist!  

Love, my friend who’s wearing the blue scarf in the first pic, even told me that I totally change my personality whenever I step into a make up store. Lol. (Don’t worry, I don’t have a split personality disorder... NOT YET lol). Because I entered the mall with a totally calm me, and a minute after seeing the store, I went coo coo! >.<

 So, can you IMAGINE how I reacted when I saw this?! haha. #crazy

The small versions are being sold for only 49sr (around 680 pesos). The upsides are: it’s the best especially if you don’t wanna commit into buying a regular, bigger one which is around 110sr (1,500 pesos more or less), and it’s more travel friendly. 

Compared to the original packages above, the mini version looks super cute next to them. I purchased the shade called “Velvet Teddy” which I’ve been planning to buy but never did. I wish I could swatch and show it to you, but I’d rather apply it with my full make up on instead of just wasting a sample on my hand or arm. It’s tiny that I can’t afford to waste a dang swipe! haha! sorry x

To put a cherry on top, there are a couple of other makeup brands that are sitting right next to MAC. My friends went bonkers to the popular Korean Brand ETUDE HOUSE while I pranced my way to NYX with the following words that rang inside my head: “Dear gawd, please, stop me!!!!! This is soooooo not planned.” hahaha

Naturally, I got another product. T_T 

They’re not as expensive as the high-end brands out there, with a price tag of only 35sr and are re-usable too, I just couldn’t stop myself from grabbing these wispy lashes! They’re not mink, nope, but they look as gorgeous! 

The next thing I know, the cashier was already handing out the change into my hand. Perhaps you’ve heard about  cliché: “it’s so bad but it feels sooo good”? Coz that’s exactly how I felt at that moment, I totally lost control of myself. AGAIN. 

*Great job, kitty, giving in to temptation is exactly your forté.*

So, anywho, that’s it for now. Remember, the promo in Mac is only for the month of September according to the MAC sales rep (but they may extend it for the next months) and it’s okay to treat yo self from time to time kids! haha till the next! x - Kitty

[viralvideofunda]

If You are looking for top 10 Urdu1 dramas then you arrived at right spot. In this video we collected best Urdu1 dramas 2017, I hope you like this video of Urdu 1 dramas. Baaghi Baaghi is a drama serial that premiered on Urdu 1 on July 27, 2017. It is a biographical TV show on the famous, controversial Pakistani figure Qandeel Baloch who was murdered by her brother for the sake of honour. Cast: Saba Qamar, Isman Khalid Butt, Khalid Malik, Ali Kazmi, Sarmad Khoosat Be Inteha Be Inteha is a 2017 Pakistani drama which aired on 29 March 2017 on Urdu 1. Written by Radia Bilal and Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed Cast: Naveen Waqar, Sami Khan, Agha Ali, Saba Hameed, Farish Shafi, Ghana Ali, Rubina Ashraf Ahsas Ahsas is a Pakistani Romantic Drama Serial aired on Urdu1. Produced by 7th Sky Entertainment and Directed by Najaf Bilgarami. Written by Qaisara Hayat. Cast: Noman Ijaz, Sarah Khan, Ghana Ali, Wahaj Ali, Yasir Mazhar, Fariya Hassan, Nida Mumtaz Shehrnaz Shehrnaz is a Pakistani television drama serial, aired on Urdu 1. Written by Hoor Shamaeel and Directed by Syed Ahmed Kamran Cast: Ayeza Khan, Imran Ashraf, Alyy Khan, Farhan Ahmed Malhi, Ghana Ali, Komal Iqbal, Nida Mumtaz Paimanay Paimanay is a Pakistani drama arrived on Urdi 1. Written by Rukshana Nigar, and Directed by Danish Nawaz. Cast: Eshal Fayaz, Asim Mehmood, Laila Wasti, Fatima Effendi, Asad Siddique, Imran Ashraf Mujhay Jeenay Do While there are so many dramas being televised on major social issues, there comes another, Mujhay Jeenay Do, that will talk about the issue of child marriage. Cast: Hania Aamir, Gohar Rasheed, Emaan Sher, Nadia Jameel, Mehreen Raheel, Sarmad Khoosat, Ali Tahir Gustakh Ishq Gustakh Ishq is Pakistani drama arrvied on Urdu 1. Written by Mustafa Ayub and Directed by Furqan T Siddiqui Cast: Firdous Jamal, Iqra Aziz, Ramsha Khan, Zahid Ahmed, Aish Khan, Kinza Malik Titli Titli is a Pakistani romantic drama serial which aired on Urdu1, it is produced by 7th Sky Entertainment and directed by Ahmed Bhatti. Cast: Hania Amir, Ali Abbas, Emmad Irfani, Tauqeer Ahmed, Shameen Khan, Abid Ali Amanat Amanat is a Pakistani drama serial which is aired on URDU 1. Written and Directed by Amna Nawaz Khan. Cast: Noor Hassan Rizvi, Robab Hasim Khoobsurat Khoobsurat is a Pakistani drama serial which is aired on Pakistan's best and famous channel Urdu 1. Cast: Azfar Rehman, Mahnoor Baloch, Meher Bukhari, Zarnish Kham Welcome to Pakistan Top Ten, a collection of Pak Top 10 Lists from around the Pakistan. Here you'll find Top Ten Lists on almost every subject possible, with new top ten lists added all the time. If you enjoyed this Pakistan Top 10 video and want to watch this kind of video in future, then never forget to Subscribe to this channel: YouTube https://goo.gl/rMHBzR Google + https://goo.gl/vmPUOJ FaceBook https://goo.gl/8yURmF Blog http://goo.gl/8SCrQm Note: Hello, This is Pak Top 10 Here. I declare that all slideshow belong me. Photos all are taken from Google Image search and using advanced image search option. Music is taken from the you-tube library. All Videos making only for Informational Purpose, try to accurate information, but No Guarantee Accuracy. Thanks. Source: You're free to use this song and monetize your video, but you must include the following in your video description: Celtic Impulse - Celtic by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (http://ift.tt/1bFo3O7) Source: http://ift.tt/2bMbUwB Artist: http://incompetech.com/

[vennomax]

Why was Pakistan general giving money to protesters?

New Post has been published on http://www.vennomax.com/leadership/why-was-pakistan-general-giving-money-to-protesters/

Why was Pakistan general giving money to protesters?

Maj-Gen Hayat is noticed handing envelopes stuffed with money to protesters

That’s a good use of taxpayers money — give some to members of a religious group that had paralysed Islamabad for days and damaged public property — and killed a policeman pic.twitter.com/gb5tz8QrrY

— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) November 27, 2017

A video appearing a senior Pakistani military officer distributing money to anti-government protesters in Islamabad has brought about a fierce response on social media.

The photos is being interpreted by way of some as uncommon proof of the “soft spot” the army is assumed to have for spiritual teams, whose give a boost to may also be mobilised towards mainstream political events.

The demonstrators blocked a primary highway in Islamabad for 3 weeks till the army brokered an finish to the protest on Monday after a botched police operation.

The legislation minister then resigned, assembly a key call for of the protesters who had accused him of blasphemy.

The deal was noticed as capitulation by way of the civilian government below drive from the army.

In the video, director-general of the Punjab Rangers Maj-Gen Azhar Navid Hayat is noticed giving envelopes containing 1,000-rupee ($nine.50; £7) notes to individuals within the protests, who had been described as having no money to pay their bus fare house.

“This is a gift from us to you,” the general is heard telling one bearded guy. “Aren’t we with you too?”

He then is going on to pat some other protester at the cheek and provides a reassurance that, “God willing, we’ll get all of them released” – probably a reference to arrested protesters.

“This is all we had in one bag. There’s some more [money] in the other,” Gen Hayat says, earlier than the photos ends.

It’s no longer transparent who shot the video, or the way it ended up on social media. And there was no fast response from the army, which has lengthy performed a distinguished function within the nation’s politics.

The protests became violent over the weekend earlier than the civilian authorities gave in

No politicians from the governing celebration or the opposition have commented and TV channels have kept away from operating the photos, most likely reluctant to antagonize the robust navy.

The Nation and Dawn newspapers did quilt the tale however didn’t headline it, and it were given a back-page point out within the Urdu-language day-to-day Jang.

However, there was fierce response from some Pakistanis on social media.

Omar R Quraishi, a Samaa TV journalist, requested whether or not it was a just right use of taxpayers’ money.

Taha Siddiqui, a France-24 reporter who not too long ago were given into bother for his common anti-military feedback, tweeted that the video didn’t surprise him.

I keep reading how its saddest day in Pak’s history as gov surrenders to “religious extremists” (read: proxies). Truth is situation is disappointing for a long time now. But I feel nothing this time. Country’s masters have pushed us to a point where I m drained of all emotions

— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) November 27, 2017

Perhaps probably the most witty media remark got here from Mochi – an nameless account that has been commenting on Pakistan’s never-ending civil-military tensions.

Tweeting in Urdu, Mochi made a comical reference to a decades-old allegation by way of many circles in Pakistan and in another country that the Pakistani navy nurtures Islamist teams so it might probably use them as leverage to extract money from the West.

Another tweeter, Saleem, despatched out a an identical message when he juxtaposed the scene of the main general handing money to protesters with an image of a military officer garlanding Mullah Nazir, the first-ever Pakistani Taliban chief who was killed in a US drone strike in 2004.

Pic 1: Garlanding Nek Muhammad, April 2004 Pic 2: Giving Checks to TLYR, November 2017 pic.twitter.com/CLZ0YSsUdb

— Saleem (@memzarma) November 27, 2017

[fullmetalscullyy]

happy birthday @waddiwasiwitch​!!! i hope you have the best day and enjoy your little present uwu 💖❤💕 a new chapter of “my inferno” bc they have been like gold dust recently but i finally got my butt into gear and finished the next chapter, so thank you for that!! :D

premise: roy mustang is a famous singer and a poster boy for central city records. riza hawkeye is an up and coming singer who just got a record deal with armstrong records. when roy offered riza a regular spot playing at the bar he owns, the two slowly fall in love. the paprazzi snapped an ambiguous picture of them both at a central city records ball, and are spinning it that roy and olivier are now dating. now, the two must deal with the fall out of the media’s actions.

read the rest of the fic here - this is chapter 18

chapter 17 sneak peak:

“Good afternoon.”

“Uh, hi.” His response was flat and Riza was able to pick up on his inner turmoil. Her hands slid down to his hands, running down his arms, and she gripped them tightly.

“I saw the post. Denny showed me it when I arrived,” she shrugged. “Bless him, he was so worried about me,” she chuckled. “These people online will latch onto anything, won’t they?”

Her tone was so casual. She truly didn’t seem bothered by it, which Roy was glad about. After all, who would want news that their boyfriend was dating someone else plastered all over the internet? Sometimes Roy was just waiting for Riza to realise just how much of a hassle this was for her. When moments like this hit, he was a ball of anxious energy.

“It’s not true,” he blurted out without thinking.

She looked up at him, surprised. “Roy… I know that. I’m in the picture.”

“I’m sorry, I…” He sighed, pulling away from her. He walked over to the windows in his office, looking down on the bar below. His hands gripped the decorative dresser in front of it, his knuckles turning white as he rested his weight against it.

A hand was placed on his back in comfort.

“I’m sorry this has happened. You don’t deserve this,” he added, his voice hoarse.

“What are you talking about?” she asked gently.

Roy bowed his head and closed his eyes. When he lifted it, he turned to face Riza. He faced the wonderful woman who owned his heart completely, seeing no judgement or irritation, just concern which was beginning to shift into real worry.

“You don’t need to go through this.”

“I’m… I’m not going through anything, Roy.”

“They’re saying that your boyfriend is dating someone else. Everyone will believe it!” he exclaimed, as if it was obvious.

“But… I don’t care.”

“What?”

“I don’t care what all those people think.”

“Half the world thinks I’m dating Olivier Armstrong, and you’re okay with that? You don’t care?” He couldn’t believe it, and it showed in his tone.

Riza shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” Her hand gripped his tightly. “What I meant was the people that matter to me know the truth. No one even knows we’re dating, Roy,” she reminded him softly. “Remember that. It’s not like they’re saying you’re cheating on me with her. It’s… Well, it’s not harmless,” she corrected herself. “However, it’s not a big deal. These people will latch onto anything to stir up trouble. Don’t let them.”

He watched her expression, noting how she was earnest in the way she spoke, trying to get him to believe what she was saying. There was no betrayal in her eyes and Roy finally let himself relax.

“All right. I won’t.”

“Easier said than done, I know,” she smirked. “But the people that mean the most to me know the truth. That’s what matters.”

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

my inferno - chapter 18

words: 4329

When Riza said “see you in a few”, Roy thought she’d only be a couple of minutes. Hayate didn’t take that long to do his business. Just as he was contemplating going to get her, Jean entered his office hurriedly.

“You need to go out front,” he urged, expression worried.

“Why?” Roy asked, standing from his desk chair, ready for action.

“The paps are here.”

Riza.

He took the stairs two at a time and exited his bar to the flash of cameras. They blinded him like always, but he wasn’t interested.

Luckily, he’d installed security outside his bar from day one. Being a famous celebrity meant there were always paparazzi outside Ignis. They had to remain behind a barrier and maintain a certain distance from the entrance to the bar, otherwise Roy would have them arrested. It was some loophole his mother had managed to find, and Roy wasn’t going to complain, especially when they could be so vicious on occasion. They were always desperate to get a word from him, but Roy ignored them. He was never interested in the vultures. All staff used the back entrance and by the time night rolled around, the paparazzi were uninterested in waiting around any longer. Most of them went home because there was never anyone famous as the live entertainment at Roy’s bar, like they so desperately hoped there would be.

“Roy Mustang!” they called, shoving phones in his direction. He was too busy looking for Riza. Roy knew better than to call her name out loud, so remained quiet. He began to worry when he wasn’t able to spot her.

“When did you start dating Olivier Armstrong?”

“How long has this been going on?”

“When can we expect the wedding?”

At the last one he turned around and re-entered his bar, where the paparazzi wouldn’t be able to follow.

“Jean, where –”

Riza was standing beside Jean, Hayate by her side.

Roy approached hurriedly, placing his hands on her shoulders and taking a close look at both her eyes, trying to decipher if anything was wrong.

“Are you all right?” he asked quietly, sincerely.

“Yeah… Why wouldn’t I be?” She looked positively bewildered.

“Jean said you’d been caught up in the paparazzi outside,” he stated, his worry bleeding through. Roy didn’t want her dealing with those vultures and especially not on her own. Not about anything that concerned them both.

Riza looked between him and Jean, clutching Hayate’s leash in her hands. Her brow furrowed in confusion. “I saw them when I left out front, but I just walked around the back.” She suddenly looked amused. “They thought I was someone important when I opened the door, but they put down the cameras when they saw me and looked disappointed.” She snickered. “That was a nice feeling, actually.”

“You said she had been,” Roy accused, turning his attention to Jean.

“I said the paps were here.” Jean shrugged. “She left that way, so I thought she might have been caught up in it.” He was unapologetic, and Roy was glad. It was good to know that Jean was looking out for her.

“You came looking for me?” she asked. Jean had already left to go back behind the bar, and Riza stepped forward towards Roy.

“Of course. I wasn’t going to let you face them alone. They’re only here to ask about the whole Olivier thing anyway, and I didn’t want you to be ambushed.”

“Thank you.” She kissed him lightly, a smile spreading across her face. “That was very sweet of you.”

“Of course, Riza. And if you ever do now that the photo is out there, just give me a call. I’ll help you if you need it.”

“Duly noted.” Another peck on his cheek, then she turned, waiting for him expectantly, so they could both return to his office.

Roy finished up quickly in his office and grabbed Riza’s hand as they snuck out the back of his bar quickly, swinging their hands together. They would head back to his place, each of them taking their cars, then would get a taxi in to town tonight so they could have a few drinks after Riza’s performance. He was excited to cook dinner for her too. It was always a treat to be able to do domestic tasks with Riza by his side.

“So, what’s on the menu tonight?” she asked as they approached her car. Her expression was radiant, and Roy was stunned for a second, taken aback by her beauty once more. His mouth opened to reply, but no words left him. Riza raised both eyebrows, laughing to herself. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I…” He’d managed to compose himself, finally. “I was just taken aback by how beautiful you were,” he replied truthfully. It was his turn to laugh when he saw how red her cheeks turned. Pecking her cheek, Roy was unapologetic as he beamed at her. “Diner is a surprise. See you soon?” he asked.

“See you soon,” she confirmed, peeking up at him through her fringe. She still wasn’t used to being complimented, especially not on her looks, but Roy made it his mission to mention it to her at least once a day. It was only the truth, after all.

They shared a quick kiss then went to their respective cars. Roy already hated being apart from her and couldn’t wait until they reached his apartment.

Arriving at the same time, their hands were drawn together like magnets as they approached the lift to Roy’s apartment.

“So, Chef Roy,” Riza teased with a grin as she placed her overnight bag on the floor by his door. “You won’t even give me a clue about what’s on the menu for tonight?”

Roy shook his head, noting she was still holding a bag that felt like it had some weight in it. “Nope. It’s a surprise.”

And that’s not the only surprise for tonight, he thought to himself, his palms sweating. He had a question to ask her, but wanted to wait until after they’d ate.

“Is there a special occasion?” she queried innocently as she approached his kitchen with the same bag.

Yes.

“No,” he replied smoothly, following close behind. He was curious about what was in this bag. What had she bought? “I only want to treat my wonderful girlfriend.”

She tossed a radiant smile over her shoulder and placed the bag on top of the counter.

“Although,” Roy added, taking a seat at the stool around his breakfast bar. “I am curious about what you’ve brought with you.”

Riza pulled out a bottle of red wine and two large packets of crisps. Her voice turned softer when she spoke.

“You sounded so worried on the phone about what had happened with Olivier, so I wanted to bring something in case you weren’t feeling up to cooking and wanted to talk through things.” She glanced up at him. “I thought we could order in and then pig out on crisps and wine when we got back from the bar.”

Roy blinked at her. She had been so thoughtful.

Even now, his stomach twisted painfully with anxiety over what might have happened and how Riza could have reacted to the news that everyone thought he was dating Olivier. It still didn’t sit right with him, what the media did, and he was still worried. Was she really okay with it? Riza reassured him she was, but this was just the beginning. With Riza in the spotlight even more now, things were bound to get worse with the media. It shouldn’t, but Roy had been in this business too long to be so naïve to think it wouldn’t.

“What?” she asked when he didn’t reply for a long moment, only stared at her.

“Oh, uh,” Roy stuttered, snapping out of it. “Nothing, sorry,” he replied sheepishly. “That was very thoughtful of you, thank you.” His thanks were as sincere as he could make them. He was surprised by the gesture, but only because he hadn’t expected her to think of something like that. Most girls he’d been with had picked up on anything the media posted, thinking it was true and leading them to believe he was cheating on them for some reason. It was never true, and Riza didn’t jump to conclusions and had seen the best in him. It was a refreshing change, especially in this industry and with his lifestyle.

Roy stood from his stool and approached her. Riza watched expectantly and didn’t move from her spot. He hugged her tight to his chest, giving her a quick squeeze, but didn’t pull away. He was pleased to note her arms rose to wrap around his torso equally as tight, and it reinforced his love for this woman in his heart. He loved her so much, and if something were to tear her away from him, or if she realised he was too much hassle and stress to be with because of his status, then it would definitely kill him. He now realised that his whole heart belonged to her, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the woman in his arms.

Baby steps first, though.

“What’s this for?” Riza asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

“I love you, Riza.” Roy cleared his throat, surprised at the emotion that had been lodged in there. He squeezed her tight. “You’re so good to me.”

“You deserve it,” she replied without hesitation. Pulling away, she looked up at him with the softest smile on her face. He melted on the spot.

“I’m lucky to have such a thoughtful and understanding girlfriend,” he added, slightly nervous. Roy didn’t know how long the understanding part would last for. Being in the limelight took its toll on relationships, and Roy had more than enough experience of that.

“I like to think this is the standard.” She cocked her head. “Although something tells me this hasn’t been in the past for you.”

He glanced away from her, casting his gaze to nowhere in particular to his side. His eyes landed on the bottle of wine on the counter.

“Being famous…” He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. “It’s not a walk in the park. People will talk and some will try to turn us against each other.” He swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat. “I just…” Roy sighed.

“What is it, Roy?” Riza murmured, turning his head gently by the chin so that he was facing her completely.

“I don’t want that to happen,” he whispered. Right now, that was his biggest fear.

“It won’t,” Riza replied firmly. “I won’t let it. Don’t let what happened get to you, Roy.”

“It’s hard,” he admitted.

This was the first time he’d revealed something like this to someone other than his mother. She knew all about his struggles and hardships with relationships in general after he’d become famous. Not just romantic ones, although there hadn’t been many. That had quickly stopped after his second girlfriend went crazy because some trashy magazine had falsely posted they were having “relationship troubles”. It was completely made up, however she’d lived and breathed that rubbish and treated it like gospel. She left him angrily after that, and Roy didn’t bother anymore. It was too much work. That’s why he couldn’t believe his luck he’d met someone as wonderful as Riza Hawkeye.

Riza offered him a sympathetic smile. “I know.”

He huffed another sigh and slid his hands down, so they were resting on her hips. “It’s always been hard for me to keep people around. Everything about me takes its toll on them at one point and they always leave.”

Silence descended over the kitchen. Even Hayate was quiet, although in the moment, Roy had completely forgotten about him.

“Are you waiting for that to happen again?” Riza asked quietly.

Glancing up, Roy resisted the urge to bite his lip because it would give his answer away. He saw Riza’s head had dipped as she tried to catch his eye.

He nodded. It was tiny, but it was there. He couldn’t admit it out loud. It terrified him too much, losing Riza.

“I understand.” Roy watched as her expression turned sympathetic. “I’ve been through the same thing. At school I was the quiet kid who didn’t have any friends because my father was a “weirdo”, and by association, so was I,” she shrugged. “The only friends I have are Rebecca, Izumi and Sig, and my old music teacher.” Her expression turned fond at the mention of the teacher. She’d never spoken about them before. “It’s a small circle, but it’s with the best people, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. At one time, I was just waiting for them all to leave like everyone else, but they didn’t. They stuck around and supported me like no one else had ever done before.”

“How do you do it?” he asked. She mentioned before that she didn’t care what people thought. Roy, in general, was the same, but when something like this happened to someone he cared about, he couldn’t help but worry about what they thought and if things were okay between them.

“I learned very early on not to care. If I did, I would cry my eyes out, which I hated doing. After I learned not to, my childhood became easier, but it was a hard road getting there. However,” she added, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a rush. She smiled up at him. “It’s done me the world of good. I was so self-conscious and had very low self esteem at school. Once I stopped caring, I was finally able to move forward. And, after everything I’ve gone through, it all led me to you.” Her smile was even brighter this time. “And I’m happy with that.”

Roy crushed her in his arms, never wanting to let her go.

*          *          *

“I love you,” Roy whispered in Riza’s ear, his breath caressing her skin. She shivered at the sensation, unable to help herself, and squeezed him tighter. He obviously needed it.

Riza understood his worry and concern over what had happened with the media. It wasn’t fair to him though. He didn’t deserve to be treated that way, and Riza knew it was going to get worse now their relationship was out in the open. It shouldn’t matter, but Riza wasn’t stupid. She knew they’d be scrutinised over everything, but there was a reason she didn’t have social media. If she couldn’t see it, she didn’t have to worry about it.

“I’ll never leave you because of what someone online tells me. I’ll always come to you about it,” she reassured him, rubbing her hands up and down his back. “Plus,” she chuckled. “I’d have to have social media for that to happen, and I don’t think that’s going to occur anytime soon. Especially not after today.”

She felt his body heave a sigh underneath her arms. “I know,” he murmured. He sounded ashamed and a bit embarrassed.

“I care about you Roy. I care a lot.” The grip on her tightened and she smiled to herself. “I won’t jeopardise that by jumping to conclusions. I’m like you. I don’t want to mess this up, and I don’t want to lose you either. I’d never forgive myself if I acted like that and it ruined everything for us.”

Riza placed her palms on his cheeks, guiding his head out the crook of her neck. She met his gaze head on and didn’t shy away from the eyes begging her to continue to reassure him, for his own peace of mind.

“I’m in this for the long run.” Her tone was firm, and she felt a boldness creep up on her. “I… I hope you are too,” she finished after letting loose a breath in a rush.

“Definitely.”

His lips descended on hers quickly and Riza was powerless to stop it. Not that she would. His hands caressed up and down her sides, driving her crazy, which made her tug at his shirt to remove it from his waistband.

Things were escalating as he began to walk backwards, pushing her with him, but maintaining a tight grip around her waist so she wouldn’t fall. Her back hit the wall and she moaned.

“Dinner,” she gasped, finally able to find her breath.

“You want food now?” he chuckled against her neck, not letting up on his assault there with his lips.

“We need to have it soon or –” She was cut short by her own gasp when his teeth nipped at the vein in his neck.

“We’ve got time,” he dismissed, his breath tickling her neck. Riza’s hands lifted to rest on his shoulders, fingers digging in hard to find purchase and to spur him on even more.

“Not really –”

Her argument was cut short as his lips covered hers once again, silencing her. Once they broke apart for breath, Riza opened her eyes to find him staring at her, his eyes and expression hungry with desire.

“We’ll make time.” It was a statement, but Roy still held back, like he was waiting for her to agree with him before things progressed.

Riza nodded. As she did so, she gripped his shoulders tight and pulled him back towards her. Roy lifted her as they kissed, hooking her legs around his waist as he carried her to his bedroom, kicking the bedroom door closed with his foot. They were lost to one another underneath the satin sheets of his bed.

Once parted, they lay in Roy’s bed, basking in the presence of one another. Riza didn’t want to leave this bed. She didn’t want to leave him. She knew driving back to her apartment alone tomorrow night would be painful. It was becoming harder and harder every time to leave him, and Riza had only started to notice in the last week or so.

She snuggled into his side and Roy wrapped his arms around her, but not before lifting the sheet to cover their exposed bodies.

“I love you,” she murmured into his side. A pleased smile was unstoppable as she felt him shift and press a kiss to the top of her head. Leaving him tomorrow would be agony.

“I love you so much it’s unbearable sometimes.” His reply made her melt next to him.

She’d never felt so loved by someone before. Not only that, he was her biggest supporter. From day one he’d accepted her based on her talent alone – not that she thought she had much else to offer, but apparently so – and helped her with everything she needed, from stage setups, to helping her pick between Central City and Armstrong Records. Maes had been crestfallen she’d chosen Armstrong over him but didn’t complain.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, ghosting his fingers up and down her arm.

“I always wondered…”

“Yeah?”

“When you accepted me as a regular artist at your bar… Did you know you liked me then?”

She heard him shift his head, no doubt cocking it in thought.

“I found your voice absolutely incredible. I fell in love with it immediately.” She felt her face heating up. “And the next morning I played your EP for hours and just listened to it. I was smitten,” he chuckled, not ashamed to admit it. “Then I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and the way you sang. You were so endearing and the way you dressed was so refreshing from all the other artists I’d seen.”

“What was I wearing?” For the life of her she couldn’t remember but wanted to see if Roy did.

“It was a pair of skinny jeans and a plain hoodie. It was a nice change from the too expensive suits and the people caked in makeup.”

“What’s wrong with that?” she queried.

“Nothing’s wrong with it,” he stressed. “It was the people. They were only dressed up like that to try and impress me, but I didn’t want that, I wanted good music and serious musicians. I didn’t want people doing the gig just for the chance to meet me, which has happened more than once.”

Now she understood. It must have been hard for him to get a serious business of the ground when people were only interested in meeting him, and not what he was trying to do.

“And that Sunday Maes told me he was going to offer you a deal – which meant you made a big impression on him, by the way – I was so excited. A part of me was happy for you and I tried to ignore the flipping of my stomach at the thought of seeing you again,” he chuckled.

“Wow,” Riza whispered. That was quick.

“It was mostly just to see you perform again, but secretly I wanted to see you again too. You’re truly a vision when you play, Riza, and every time I witness it, I fall in love with you all over again.” Her cheeks turned pink again and her happy smile returned.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I remember leaving the coffee shop and finding the note you gave me for my EP and was confused about where it had come from. I’d completely forgotten you’d bought it.”

“You forgot about me that fast?” he joked, lifting his shoulder so her head, which was resting on it, was nudged upwards.

“For your information,” she fired back, but with no bite to her tone. “I got home at one o’clock in the morning then was up at five for work on the Sunday. I didn’t have a chance to think about you.”

Roy hugged her against the side of his body. “Hopefully that life is behind you now,” he replied carefully, sounding like he hoped it was the right thing to say.

“Fingers crossed,” Riza agreed. “Anyway, I remembered thinking you were very good looking, but I really liked your smile. And you were so sweet and made me feel so welcome for playing at your bar. I’d never had that experience before. From then on, I fell for you slowly, but it was inevitable.”

“I’m glad things turned out for the best.” She hummed in agreement, shifting so she was more comfortable against him. “And I was thinking…” Roy added, trailing off and sounding uncertain.

“About what?” Riza prompted him.

Roy sat up, gently moving so Riza could move as well. He was facing her completely, the sheet draped across his lap while Riza pulled it tighter around her exposed body. She shivered in the cool air.

“Actually, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking…”

“That sounds dangerous,” she joked. Riza had no idea where that joke came from. Roy blinked at her, then laughed, slightly in disbelief.

“Thanks,” he replied sarcastically, but he was grinning.

“You’re welcome,” was her sweet reply.

“No, but seriously, I have been thinking a lot about us. We both love each other, and I don’t know about you, but when you leave here on a Sunday night, or after I leave your apartment, it’s one of the hardest things I have to do.”

Riza nodded in agreement. “It’s the same for me.”

“So… What about if we… Lived together? Here?”

His question didn’t fully register with her and Riza just stared at him, still waiting for his real question. Was that it…? Was he… asking her to move in with him?

No…

He was.

Roy awaited her answer, shifting in place.

“If you don’t want to, and want to keep your apartment, I completely understand. I just thought it might be easier for you seeing as Armstrong Records is only a short drive from here instead of over an hour, and –”

“Roy.” She cut off his rambling, her brain finally catching up. He froze, watching her almost fearfully. He was scared he’d overstepped things and she’d say no.

Riza’s heart was racing in her chest. She wanted to jump for joy. She wanted to cry. She wanted more than anything to move in with him.

“Let’s do it.”

It was his turn to stare at her and blink while he registered her answer.

Roy surged to his knees and cupped her cheeks in his hands, kissing her fiercely. She laughed against him, losing her balance so they both fell back on the bed.

“Thank you,” he breathed, staring lovingly into her eyes.

“You don’t need to thank me,” she giggled.

“No, but I do, because you’ve made me the happiest man alive.”

“Then I’ll say thank you to you for the same thing,” she grinned.

They almost went for round two when Riza broke apart for a breath, pushing Roy off her playfully.

“We need something to eat,” Riza reminded him.

“Can’t you be on the menu.” Roy waggled his eyebrows suggestively then laughed as she threw a pillow at him. He caught it and rolled over onto his back while Riza sat up and started to dress herself.

“No, and I’m starving. You wanted to make me dinner, roomie, so get to it.”

Roy hopped out of bed, half clothed, with a beaming smile. He saluted sharply like a soldier. “Aye, aye, captain.”

Riza rolled her eyes and laughed at his antics as he marched out the room. As she dressed herself, Riza heard him whistling a tune.

Roomie… She almost started crying at the thought of moving in with Roy. He had become her home. He was her haven, and she couldn’t wait to live every day with him from now on. She pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle a sob. A happy one, though.

Hayate walked through now that the bedroom door was open. He whined up at Riza, his ears pulling back.

“Hey, boy,” she greeted, sniffing and laughing to herself. “Welcome to your new home.”