#it’s the kanji for ‘a long time’ and ‘shining���

[consumeroflemoans]

(Click for hq)

Kyuki (久輝)

The result of this create your own monster OC challenge (these were my results)

I wanted to make a more modern take on the kitsune. Like instead of old Japan, what if there was a young kitsune existing in cities?

They’re known for punishing greed and boasting in many stories and I’d like to think they’d continue that legacy, hiding in the shadows of alleyways and slipping hidden through the streets, tricking and humiliating anyone they deem worthy.

They’re still closer to an anti-hero than a true hero. They don’t particularly care who they hurt as long as they gain amusement. The only ones they care for are people who manage to gain their favor (which usually amounts to anyone willing to buy them food. They don’t need to eat but human street food is delicious)

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 421 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

1 おまえらもかよ omaera mo ka yo "You guys too, huh?"

2 そっちもな socchi mo na "And you as well."

3 警察から"まだ戦える者は"って……！ けいさつから"まだたたかえるものは"って……！ keisatsu kara "mada tatakaeru mono wa" tte......! "[I heard] from the police, 'Who is still able to fight?'......!"

tagline A組続々… エーぐみぞくぞく… EE-gumi zokuzoku... Class A, one after another...

4 相澤先生が黒霧を味方につけたって聞いてーーー あいざわせんせいがくろぎりをみかたにつけたってきいてーーー Aizawa-sensei ga Kurogiri wo mikata ni tsuketa tte kiite--- "I heard that Aizawa-sensei got Kurogiri to join our side---"

5 友だちがまだ戦ってんの見てーー… ともだちがまだたたかってんのみてーー… tomodachi ga mada tatakatten no mite--... "I saw that my friends were still fighting--..."

6 行かずにいられましょうか いかずにいられましょうか ikazu ni iraremashou ka "And I felt like I had to go."

7 意識がある内は…どこへだって！ いしきがあるうちは…どこへだって！ ishiki ga aru uchi wa...doko e datte! "As long as I'm conscious...to wherever you go!"

8 勝つ為にここまでやってきたもんね かつためにここまでやってきたもんね katsu tame ni koko made yatte kita mon ne "We've come this far for the sake of winning."

9 今日踏んばれなきゃ きょうふんばれなきゃ kyou funbarenakya "Today we have to stand firm."

10 何の為にヒーローを夢見たかわかりゃしねえ！だからよお〜〜 なんのためにヒーローをゆめみたかわかりゃしねえ！だからよお〜〜 nan no tame ni HIIROO wo yumemita ka wakarya shinee! dakara yoo~~ "For what reason did we dream of becoming heroes! That's why!~~"

11 みんな…！ minna...! "Everyone...!"

1 オイラたちが OIRA-tachi ga "We"

2 来た‼︎ きた‼︎ kita!! "are here!!"

tagline No.421　WE ARE HERE　堀越耕平 ナンバー421　ウィー・アー・ヒア　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 421  UII AA HIA  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 421 WE ARE HERE Kouhei Horikoshi

1 灰色の肉が並んでいる… はいいろのにくがならんでいる… haiiro no niku ga narande iru... (literal.) "Gray bodies are lined up..." (context.) "You are all just gray bodies to me..."

2 本来ならば僕は弔の一部として…もろともうちくだかれていたのだろう ほんらいならばぼくはとむらのいちぶとして…もろともうちくだかれていたのだろう honrai naraba boku wa Tomura no ichibu to shite...morotomo uchikudakarete ita no darou Originally, as a part of Tomura...I probably would have have been destroyed along with him.

3 だが daga But,

4 与一が砕ける音を聞いた時 よいちがくだけるおとをきいたとき Yoichi ga kudakeru oto wo kiita toki when I heard the sound of Yoichi smashing to pieces,

5 僕の世界は色褪せた ぼくのせかいはいろあせた boku no sekai wa iroaseta the color of my world faded.

6 執心を喪い しゅうしんをうしない shuushin wo ushinai "I've lost my passion,"

7 故に ゆえに yue ni "therefore,"

8 喪失の穴に通る攻撃はなくーー… そうしつのあなにとおるこうげきはなくーー… soushitsu no ana ni tooru kougeki wa naku--... "there is no attack that can pierce through my loss--..."

9 僕は止めを免れたのだ ぼくはとどめをまぬがれたのだ boku wa todome wo manugareta no da "I am the one who escaped the final blow."

10 今なら理解る いまならわかる ima nara wakaru (kanji: rikairu) "Now I understand,"

11 緑谷出久 みどりやいずく Midoriya Izuku "Izuku Midoriya."

1 悲劇こそが人を強くする ひげきこそがひとをつよくする higeki koso ga hito wo tsuyoku suru "It is tragedy that makes people stronger."

2 そう思わないか？ そうおもわないか？ sou omowanai ka? "Don't you think so?"

3 どうだろね dou daro ne "I don't know about that."

4 あんたらみてーに起伏に富んだ人生じゃねえから あんたらみてーにきふくにとんだじんせいじゃねえから antara mitee ni kifuku ni tonda jinsei ja nee kara "My life is not full of ups and downs like all of yours."

5 「明日の実技置いてかれねーよーに」とか…そういう事でしか俺は頑張ってこなかったな 「あしたのじつぎおいてかれねーよーに」とか…そういうことでしかおれはがんばってこなかったな 「ashita no jitsugi oitekarenee yoo ni」 toka...sou iu koto de shika ore wa ganbatte konakatta na "I had no reasons to try my best other than things like...'I don't want to be left behind at tomorrow's practicals.'"

6 それに sore ni "Also,"

7 今日まで大変そうだったよ きょうまでたいへんそうだったよ kyou made taihen sou datta yo "until today, he seemed like he'd had it rough,"

8 かつてガンギマリだった彼は かつてガンギマリだったかれは katsute GANGIMARI datta kare wa "and one time his face was so intense and distant*." (Note: What Sero is saying here is that one time Shouto had this look on his face that is described by the Japanese slang word: gangimari. Gangimari refers to an intense, eyes-wide face that comes from a marijuana high. It also refers to a feeling of emptiness that comes with the high. If you search for images of the face, you'll see it's often a frightening look. I believe Sero here is referring to the face Shouto makes at him in their sports festival battle in chapter 34, so I believe this description is meant to refer to how Shouto was overwhelmed with anger and mentally somewhat removed from the fight itself.)

1 悲しー事なんざ かなしーことなんざ kanashii koto nan za "[I think] such sad things"

2 あるよりない方が良いだろ‼︎ あるよりないほうがいいだろ‼︎ aru yori nai hou ga ii daro!! "would be better not to have than to have!!"

3 赫灼 かくしゃく kakushaku Flashfire

4 熱拳 ねっけん nekken Fist

1 早くリカバリーガールの元へ…！ はやくリカバリーガールのもとへ…！ hayaku RIKABARII GAARU no moto e...! Quickly, to where Recovery Girl is...!

2 婆さんも怪我人を診続けて限界だ…治癒できるかどうか… ばあさんもけがにんをみつづけてげんかいだ…ちゆできるかどうか… baasan mo keganin wo mitsudzukete genkai da... chiyu dekiru ka dou ka... The old lady is at her limit as she continues to examine the injured... I wonder whether it can be healed...

3 あんたいても母さんたち熱いだけだ あんたいてもかあさんたちあついだけだ anta itemo kaasan-tachi atsui dake da Even with you here, mom and the others will only be hot.

4 行きなよ いきなよ iki na yo So go.

5 まだ少しでも まだすこしでも mada sukoshi demo Even if it's [just] a little,

6 力が出るんなら ちからがでるんなら chikara ga derun nara if you can muster [any] strength...

7 ってな！ tte na! "That's what"!"

8 荼毘に勝ったって聞いた時ちょっと思った！ だびにかったってきいたときちょっとおもった！ Dabi ni katta tte kiita toki chotto omotta! "When I heard you won against Dabi, I thought about that for a moment!"

9 ……ありがとう… ......arigatou... "......Thank you..."

10 戦える奴召集完了 たたかえるやつしょうしゅうかんりょう tatakaeru yatsu shoushuu kanryou "Recruiting of those who can fight complete."

1 ガイズ‼︎今日が分水嶺だ‼︎ ガイズ‼︎きょうがぶんすいれいだ‼︎ GAIZU!! kyou ga bunsuire da!! "Guys! Today is a watershed [moment]!!"

2 行こう‼︎最後の大仕事だ!!! いこう‼︎さいごのおおしごとだ!!! ikou!! saigo no ooshigoto da!!! "Let's go!! It's the last big job!!!"

3 手負いのヒーロー…これだけの数がいて何も感じないのは…��しいものだな ておいのヒーロー…これだけのかずがいてなにもかんじないのは…さびしいものだな teoi no HIIROO...kore dake no kazu ga ite nani mo kanjinai no wa...sabishii mono da na "Wounded heroes... With just this number of them here I don't feel anything... How lonely."

4 オールマイトに届きえぬ屑肉に オールマイトにとどきえぬくずにくに OORU MAITO ni todokienu kuzuniku ni "You scraps of meat who can't match All Might,"

1 掃き掃除だ はきそうじだ hakisouji da "I'll sweep and clean you up."

2 逸らせえ‼︎ そらせえ‼︎ sorasee!! "Deflect!!"

1 速ぇ…！ はえぇ…！ haee...! "Hurry...!"

2 一つの挙動に数十人で対処しなきゃ ひとつのきょどうにすうじゅうにんでたいしょしなきゃ hitotsu no kyodou ni suujuunin de taisho shinakya "If dozens have to deal with a single action,"

3 戦いになんねえ！ たたかいになんねえ！ tatakai ni nannee! "this won't become a battle!"

4 みんな離れないで‼︎ みんなはなれないで‼︎ minna hanarenaide!! (literal.) "Everyone, we can't be apart!!" (contextual.) "Everyone, we can't be scattered!!"

5 一かたまりになって戦おう！ ひとかたまりになってたたかおう！ hito katamari ni natte tatakaou! "Let's fight as one bunch!"

6 行かなきゃーーー いかなきゃーーー ikanakya--- "I have to go---"

7 体が…！ からだが…！ karada ga...! My body...!

8 戻ったのはあくまで数分 もどったのはあくまですうふん modotta no wa akumade suufun "Only a few minutes were returned [to you],"

9 腕を失う少し前まで… うでをうしなうすこしまえまで… ude wo ushinau sukoshi mae made... "to a little bit before you lost your arms..."

10 継戦のダメージは残ったままだ けいせんのダメージはのこったままだ keisen no DAMEEJI wa nokotta mama da The damage from the rest of the battle remains.

11 …どれ程長く激しい戦いを… …どれほどながくはげしいたたかいを… ...dore hodo nagaku hageshii tatakai wo... "...What a long and violent battle..."

12 …っ ... "...gh!"

13 僕は…OFAをなげうちました ぼくは…ワン・フォー・オールをなげうちました boku wa...WAN FOO OORU wo nageuchimashita "I...relinquished One For All."

1 ないのか⁉︎ nai no ka!? "It's gone!?"

2 歴代の"個性"は……でも… れきだいの"こせい"は……でも… rekidai no "kosei" wa......demo... "The successive generations' quirks are......but..."

3 短い時間だったけど… みじかいじかんだったけど… mijikai jikan datta kedo... "[I had it for] a short time, but..."

4 "無個性"の僕に染みついてる… "むこせい"のぼくにしみついてる… "mukosei" no boku ni shimitsuiteru... "it's ingrained in me [as I'm] quirkless..."

5-6 オールマイトがそうだったように OORU MAITO ga sou datta you ni Just like with All Might.

7 まだ残り火があります まだのこりびがあります mada nokoribi ga arimasu "I still have the [lingering] embers."

1 残り火があれば…AFOあいつは… のこりびがあれば…オール・フォー・ワンあいつは… nokoribi ga areba...OORU FOO WAN aitsu wa... "If I have the embers...then that All For One..." (Note: This line is partly cut off, so I made some educated guesses.)

2 ……緑谷 ……みどりや ......Midoriya "......Midoriya,"

3 傷薬と包帯あと…体を冷やしちゃいけない きずぐすりとほうたいあと…からだをひやしちゃいけない kizugusuri to houtai ato...karada wo hiyashicha ikenai "After a wound salve and bandage...don't let your body relax."

4 避難先の方々からだ ひなんさきのかたがたからだ hinan saki no katagata kara da "It's from the people who evacuated."

5 メンズノンノの全サ第五弾Tシャツ…！ メンズノンノのぜんサだいごだんTシャツ…！ MENZU NON NO no zen SA daigodan T SHATSU...! "A Men's Non-No one-size-fits-all fifth edition t-shirt...!" (Note: Men's Non-No is a men's fashion magazine.)

6 走ろう☆ はしろう☆ hashirou ☆ "Let's run ☆"

7 僕らは君の力が必要だし君も僕らの力が必要だ ぼくらはきみのちからがひつようだしきみもぼくらのちからがひつようだ bokura wa kimi no chikara ga hitsuyou da shi kimi mo bokura no chikara ga hitsuyou da "We need your strength, and you also need our strength."

8 この��を握ってくれ青山くん このてをにぎってくれあおや��くん kono te wo nigitte kure Aoyama-kun Please grasp my hand, Aoyama-kun.

1 頑張れ…‼︎ がんばれ…‼︎ ganbare...!! "Do your best...!!"

2 皆 みんな minna "Everyone"

3 一緒に戦ってくれてるよ いっしょにたたかってくれてるよ issho ni tatakatte kureteru yo "is fighting together!"

4 デクさん DEKU-san "Mr. Deku!"

5 緑谷兄ちゃん みどりやにいちゃん Midoriya-niichan "Big Bro Midoriya!"

6 デク…！ DEKU...! "Deku...!"

1 頑張れ がんばれ ganbare Do your best!

tagline 少年は走るーーー しょうねんははしるーーー shounen wa hashiru--- The young man* runs--- *(Note: This word can mean "boy," but it's also the word All Might uses for Izuku that often gets translated as "young man." Both work.)

[sacchiri]

I recently bought the jp volumes of Hellsing along with the guidebook, and since I'm reading the series in its native language for the first time I might as well share some random things that stood out to me in no particular order.

This isn't meant to be an analysis of translation differences, I'm too lazy for that. Also it's been 12 years since I've watched the anime and read the low quality fan scans of the manga so some of these comments are just "Lol, forgot this was a thing"

Volume 1

... I really want to know who this guy is at the beginning, yelling at Alucard in overly familiar language to "Get your shit together!" and "You're the only one we can count on!!". We know from the style of speech that it's a dude, probably just some Hellsing rando, and maybe it's not all that strange since he has probably been working with the same soldiers for years--but it's still funny.

"I know, it's just so nice out :("

..The way "HELLSING Organization" is spelled out like this reminds me that apparently the name is supposed to be an acronym. No really.

...

God they're so silly.

Now that I think about it, the only thing Seras has done this chapter since being turned into a vampire is say "I'm sorry" over and over.... girl you got shot in the lung, why are you apologizing

Not a huge difference, but what Integra actually says here is "Leaving a corpse here for 20 years... You're a terrible person too, Father" and not "What were you thinking, Father?" as the Dark Horse translation suggests (note the lack of question mark in the raw version). I thought that might be of interest to some.

Something else I thought was interesting is the first line Alucard ever says to Integra, and how uncharacteristically polite he sounds.

O-kega wa gozaimasenka- That's two honorific 御's back to back! (He even said them in kanji, even Walter isn’t that straightlaced and he’s literally the butler.) This is also the only time Alucard uses this overly flowery gentlemanly language with her, and good thing too because it would be so annoying if he spent the whole manga ending his sentences with ~gozaimasu.

What I'm trying to get at is, after seeing this sentence in the Japanese version, I'm like 100% sure he actually heard her when she was mumbling to herself about hoping to find a knight in shining armor, and he was totally going the extra mile in playing into that role for their first encounter. Which is kind of sweet.

Lol they misspelled Alucard on the top left... or rather, they incorrectly spelled it right?

One would normally expect Alucard to be written アルカード, and indeed pixiv dict lists アーカード as a misspelling (the u sound is weak in Japanese, so it's easy to mishear arukādo as ākādo). Hirano was definitely aware of the correct spelling though, since he used it in the pilot chapter and in his old character sheets. It was only when the manga officially began that he switched to the アーカード spelling. I doubt it was because of copyright issues because there is already a long precedent of vampire characters named アルカード in various old manga, OVA, and games in Japan that have coexisted without issue (like this guy Hirano mentions in volume 1's afterword).

Most likely Hirano simply thought it looked better, or was a means of differentiating his character from the others somehow. It certainly makes life easier for Japanese fans searching for fanart since アーカード is only going to bring up Hellsing and not the Castlevania character.

Jan Valentine even pokes fun at the spelling discrepancy later in volume 2, but since there wasn't a good way of expressing this in English it was left untranslated.

(Speaking of spelling inconsistencies, there's a lot of minor details I'm noticing now, like half the time the furigana for 吸血鬼 is written バンパイア and the other half it's ヴァンパイア... anyway)

Um, just noticed literally everyone's wearing glasses What should I do

Hirano's habit of jotting random comments underneath his panels is one of the underrated perks of reading the manga

The Dark Horse translation almost makes it sound like she's looking forward to seeing this battle play out, while in the Japanese she simply sounds apprehensive. Almost as if she's worried about them? And she's going out on the field personally to make sure nothing bad happens? Aww

Ok this is a weird tangent, but I just noticed the scans of the Dark Horse version I've been looking at use a slightly larger image range than the Japanese version does. It was only noticeable when I got to this part:

The second image is what the Japanese version of the scan looks like and I can confirm that this is what it looks like in my physical volume as well. You shouldn't be seeing the messy borders of the inking on the bottom like that.

Manga manuscripts are set up so that there are a few millimeters of bleed border around each page. You're supposed to color and line all the way up to (4) while keeping in mind that printing and paper cutting may result in the image being trimmed up to (3).

Either Hirano didn't color his lines all the way to (4) (this man has been drawing manga for years but this is Hirano we're talking about so it's very possible), or Dark Horse didn't honor the original bleed borders of the manuscript. I'm kind of leaning towards the former since there was a Hellsing exhibit in Japan a few years back where you could look at Hirano's original manuscripts and there's one where you can clearly see that he spilled a mug of tea or coffee across the entire page

Anyway, it's weird, and I'm curious to see if someone that owns a physical copy in English can confirm whether theirs actually looks like that. It's volume 1, page 141.

[ultraamanarc]

i tried to look more into the boonboomgers' names because despite being obvious puns on car parts, all of them have kanji characters and therefore they technically do have specific meanings .,!!! copy and pasted this off of discord so the formatting is bad and also the spelling and grammar might be really off too so sorry about that! all of the kanji meanings are taken from a kanji dictionary under the cut

taiya - taiya's full name consists of the kanji 範道 大也 (handou taiya). 大 (tai) is a kanji that has a generally consistent meaning, which is "grand"/"big"/"great", but it can also mean "excellence" and "respectful" (the quality of being respectful, not having the respect geared towards them). 也 (ya) varies depending on its readings, but when read as 'ya', it means "will it be (so)?" or "is it so?" 範 (han) means "model" or "example". 道 (dou) has many different meanings, but the ones that are most relevant to taiya's character "road"/"path", "skill"/"technique" and especially "guide"/"lead" ishirou - again, but this time with 鳴田 射士郎 (meita ishirou). his first name consists of three kanji ,. 射 (i) is usually used in names to mean to "shine", but this particular kanji also means "shoot", "strike" or "aim" which is suspiciously fitting for him (professional sniper 😭 😭 ). 士 (shi) in general means a person with a duty (particularly a samurai) but it also just means "a man" in general and in a name it's usually used with another kanji to mean "a man of _". 郎 (rou) actually just means the same thing as the former, refers to a male. with the kanji in mind, ishirou's name basically means "a man that shoots" but also could be interpreted as "a man that has a clear aim" 鳴 (mei) can mean "to make/produce a sound" but it also means "to reverberate" in the sense that a person's reputation 'echoes' and is widely known. 田 (ta) is a fairly common kanji in last names that means a few things but in surnames it almost always refers to a "field" or a "countryside" ishirou's nickname 'shasshiro'/'chasshiro' refers to a chassis. the kanji 射 (i) can also be read as 'sha' mira - kind of like ishirou's except it's her last name that has 3 kanji 志布戸 未来 (shifuto mira). 未 (mi) has 4 completely different meanings, which are "not yet", "sheep", "south"/"southwest", and "time" (specifically referring to "2 PM and 2 hours before and after"). 来 (ra) is usually used in names to refer to the act of "bringing" something or for something to "come" (ex. combining it with a character for something like 'joy' so the name means "to bring joy") but is also used similarly to refer to something "in the future". interestingly, 未来 (mira) can also be read as "mirai", literally the word for "future", and in tandem with her surname her name could be read as "shifting future" which can refer to how she constantly changes jobs 志 (shi) can either mean "aspiration" or "resolution" (as in a goal) but can also mean "record" or "document" and thus "memory". 布 (fu) means 3 completely different things but can either mean "cloth", "spread" or "currency". lastly 戸 (to) is again one of those kanji that mean multiple, completely different things, being "entrance", "house", "name" and "amount of alcohol" (???) jou - jou's first name consist of 4 kanji, 3 going into his last name and only 1 for his first name 阿久瀬 錠 (akuse jou). 錠 (jou) means "lock", but also refers to the state of being "fixed" or "locked" into place. likely refers to his unmoving heroism but also how he views his job as a police officer ("lock" implies security and protection) 阿 (a) is another one of those kanji that mean several different things 😭 "hill", "cove", "eaves" (like roof overhangs), "to approach", and "endearment". 久 (ku) can mean "long lasting" or "ancient" but the meaning i found most relevant to jou's character was "to remain unchanged". 瀬 (se) means "shallow water", "rapids" and "position"

genba - genba's name consist of 4 kanji, 2 for his first and last name 振騎 玄蕃 (bureki genba). 玄 (gen) is a fairly common kanji for names although it usually appears as its kunyomi reading 'kuro' instead. means a couple of things like "black"/"dark", "north" and "heaven" but the meanings that seemed relevant to him were "mysterious"/"profound" and "distant". 蕃 (ba) has a couple different meanings but its most common ones are "to grow"/"to flourish", "to expand" and "to increase" 玄蕃 "genba" is also a pun based on the word 工事現場 (kojigenba) meaning "construction site" in reference to his suit motif and his mecha being based off of machines you'd find in a construction site 振 (bure) can mean "to stir up" or "to rouse" (foreshadowing..........) but also refers to the physical action of "shaking". it can also mean to "rescue" or "help" (interesting paired with his catchphrase that basically means "looks like you need some help"), "flock" (of birds) and "gesture". 騎 (ki) means to "ride"/"mount"/"straddle" (a horse), but can also refer to the horse itself (used to refer to specifically horse for horseback riding) or a cavalry (soldiers riding on horses) if you have more to add onto this PLEASE tell me about it

[tired-reader-writer]

Because the AO3 author's note box has a character limit and my author's note was way too long even when I split it into two (honestly crying right now like literally I'm legitimately distressed), here's the full fucking thing in all its glory.

This is the fic it was supposed to be attached to.

Sooooo, yeah! This is the first chapter of what will be a longfic following Hoshiori— it's functionally a prologue I realize but I didn't want to name it a prologue because I didn't want to deal with the thing where it turns out like “Chapter 2: Chapter 1” because it hurts my delicate sensibilities, LOL.

Many, MANY thanks to my dear friend wolfghost who kindly agreed to beta this fic… *checks time-stamp* six entire months ago! Oh wow I really took forever in actually delivering the chapter to you, my fucking god.

First things first, I would like to say that the worldbuilding here might be very unfamiliar to y'all because of how much it departs from other fics— heavily inspired by wolfghost's Drag My Dark Into The Dawn series (please do check it out, it's very good, realistic exploration of war and trauma) the dynamics between civilian and shinobi are… well. It'll get explored in more detail in the future, please look forward to it! I will note that this isn't supposed to bash civilians. I know they're causing problems right now and will continue to, at least some of them (a specific subset of civilians), but I want to give the civilians a proper chance in this fic because they rarely do ever get the chance to shine! In a similar vein, I seek to not bash any character in this fic (well I think it's impossible to truly bash Hiruzen because man's just That Bad from the outset but I digress), not Hashirama, not Tobirama, not Madara, not even Jiraiya, no one, even as they have caused problems and will continue to cause problems down the line (particularly with Jiraiya). The choices they make will inevitably impact someone in a negative manner. The narrators will end up disliking one person or another. It will happen. I just hope y'all enjoy this absolute hot mess of a web.

Marigolds symbolize… a whole lot of things, both positive and negative. I felt that they were a fitting flower for many reasons which I won't state here because I want to hear you guy's thoughts! I will give you a hint in that “万寿菊” consisting of kanji for thousand, longevity, and chrysanthemum respectively, means marigold. Let me know what you think they represent here!

As for the name Uzunoshima… well, the island had to have a name before it became Uzushiogakure, before the Hidden Village system was established here, and I decided on this name to imitate Japan's island names such as Tokunoshima, Tanegashima, Kagoshima, Hikoshima, Kamishima, Tomogashima, almost said Hitogashima before realizing that's a fictional island but it *is* based on a real island, specifically Tomogashima, so yeah! Funnily enough, I originally wanted to name it Zokunoshima meaning “island of thieves” because the Uzumaki were originally pirates and that just sounded like a name the rest of the world would give them and the Uzumaki would have their own endonym for it but I feared it might've gotten too confusing for my readers, so I decided against it.

Toyonabe and Niezaki are, of course, not names or places found in canon because I guess I have to do all the work establishing place names here. The name Toyonabe consists of the kanji 豊 (abundant, lush, bountiful, plenty) and 鍋 (pot), because it's a bit of a melting pot port city situation, and the region it's in, Niezaki, consists of kanji 沸 (to boil, to cook) and 崎 (peninsula). It was originally part of Yu no Kuni who trades openly with Uzunoshima despite everybody else being afraid of the Uzumaki, before Hi no Kuni would eventually annex the area. They still bear the name. I also like to think that the region has volcanoes and the hot currents from the region meet the colder waters from other places and the temperature shenanigans gave the Sanzu strait its signature whirlpools along with some quirks on the ocean floor probably, but it's not important so I didn't mention it. Just a fun thought.

My sincerest thanks for my good friend reipastuminen on ao3 for helping me name Niezaki and Toyonabe. Truly, you were a godsend.

As for the Sanzu strait, it's named for the Sanzu river in Japanese Buddhist belief, one that souls of the dead must cross to get to the “far shore” (Higan) aka the afterlife. Why do you think I named it Sanzu strait? Tell me about it!

Imo-mochi is a type of mochi made of potatoes.

I headcanon that Tobirama is an albino man rather than it being just Anime Logic™, and so I ended up incorporating that headcanon into the fic. Yes, his eyelashes are black, but everyone has black eyelashes in Naruto, I think it's just the artstyle. It's a bit of an unusual headcanon, I know, but please don't try to pick a fight with me over it. I've already seen people try to discredit the headcanon and it's exhausting.

The Natsuboshi festival is… about four celebrations rolled into one. The Tanabata festival, of course, and the Bon Odori festival, also the celebration of the ocean, and the Shichi-go-san celebration. Shichi-go-san because it just felt appropriate to smudge it a little for the seventh year ceremony for children here, and ocean day because it happened to be in the same month as Tanabata (July), and Bon Odori because… Actually, it's interesting how Bon Odori and Tanabata were originally the same celebration historically in Japan, held in the seventh month of the traditional Japanese calendar, but eventually drifted apart because Tanabata moved to the western calendar's July, and Bon Odori stayed in its original month which was the seventh month in the Japanese calendar but fell on August. Some places in Japan do celebrate it in August still, though. And since I decided well there's no reason for there to be two calendars I just smushed the two festivals back into one. I've already cried bitter tears wrangling calendars in my other fic, Winds of Wolfsong, if I have to do it for this fic too I will start to cry. The name of this festival consists of the kanji 夏 “summer” and 星 “star”.

The tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi will be symbolically important for Hoshiori!

Uzunoshima has two time systems, the 24-hour system for everything else, and the traditional Japanese time system (which has varying hour lengths according to season) for the shrine, just like how many cultures today have a western calendar and a traditional calendar, just on a smaller scale. The hours were counted from nine to four, backwards from noon until midnight, and the numbers one, two, and three were not used because those were the times used for Buddhist monks to call to prayer. Uzunoshima is primarily Shinto though, but I wanted to keep this irl Japanese tradition. Dawn and dusk are marked as the sixth hour in this time system. Each hour is assigned an animal from the Japanese zodiac as it is irl, and I won't go into detail but the two hours mentioned in this chapter were: usagi-ji (hour of the rabbit, dawn, six strikes), and tatsu-ji (hour of the dragon, five strikes). Now I have no proof the hours were called like that irl, I just wanted to do this because I found it neat.

The bell strikes would come from the island's shrine here, and Kazuma compares the prayer voices to the tremor of the tsurigane, which are also called oogane irl but I realized, hey, the “tsuri/釣” in the word means “to strung up/to fish” and Uzunoshima is an island, it felt fitting so I went with the term tsurigane.

The gods Fuchi-no-Kami and Uzu-no-Mikoto aren't irl Shinto deities, obviously, I found that the gods from the usual pantheon didn't click with me, and in Shintoism which is an offspring of animism, a mountain can be a kami, a tree can be a kami, a rock can be a kami, almost anything can be a kami, really, so I felt comfortable in just making new gods up. Fuchi-no-Kami is the goddess of the sea (only to the Uzumaki though, Susanoo fills that role for others which makes up for funny religious conflict as the Uzumaki insist Susanoo and other such ocean deities are actually Fuchi-no-Kami's children LMAO) and Uzu-no-Mikoto are her daughters, representing the whirlpools. Uzu-no-Mikoto's name is pretty self-explanatory, but the word “fuchi/淵” means abyss/depth/deep pool/deep waters and I thought it was appropriate for both the sea between the Kiri archipelago and the Continent. Also yeah the archipelago is named Kiri for the mist that envelopes all its islands, Mizu no Kuni as a collective has not been properly established at this point in time though it will start to do so eventually.

The Shinigami… actually, it's quite the interesting case. I always did think the term Shinigami sounded odd for a single deity, it sounded plural, so I looked into it and… yeah! Shintoism does not have a singular death deity, and historically, Shinigami were depicted as many death gods or as youkai-like vengeful spirits who possess people and drive them to suicide. Obviously, the Naruto world seem to have a singular death god, so I kept it that way, but made a small nod to the historical portrayal of Shinigami as vengeful spirits via the detail of ayakashi (phantoms) serving him. And since the Shinigami mask came from the Uzumaki in canon, I thought why not, and made him the consort of Fuchi-no-Kami. The ayakashi… their name can be translated as “strange phenomenon of the sea” and they're said to be phantoms who appear on the water's surface, and there are many types. Though interestingly, the ayakashi in Noh theater where their name is written in kanji (the non-Noh ones are written entirely in hiragana, I know, it's confusing) 怪士 meaning “strange warrior”. I decided to stick with the sea phantoms interpretation for my sanity's sake.

Though a lot of the Uzumaki's faith is a certified me-original (as is their matriarchy, I know canon featured a dude next to Hashirama, shush, if Kishimoto can retcon his own stuff I can retcon his stuff as well), the belief that a child is not fully human until the age of 7 and “belongs to the gods” is not! It's a belief found in Japan's history, where they had a practice called “mabiki/間引き” meaning “thinning out an overgrown garden” which is slang for… infanticide. Yeah. It was such a common practice, too. I'm not putting it in the story, though. Other such beliefs will be making an appearance in the future as well, particularly with the Hyuuga. Do look forward to it!

Both miko and kannushi are women here, they can marry, miko can become kannushi on Uzunoshima. No, it is not how it works irl, but I'm doing this to simplify it and keep my sanity. The prayer chanted during the ceremony is based on what little I could find of Shinto prayers called “norito/祝詞”, also the beginning of one of the poems “divine gods noble and fearsome” is also based on my feeble attempt at translating the beginning of a norito addressing the gods. AGH! I'm not gonna go into the kagura dance because this author's note is unmanageably long already.

Chitose-ame (千歳飴, thousand-year candy) is given out to children at the shichi-go-san celebration, meant to symbolize healthy growth and a long life. The bags typically have cranes and turtles on them, two animals which will be important to Hoshiori. The lines “A thousand years for the graceful cranes, ten thousand for the gliding turtles” are based on a saying “鶴は千年、亀は万年” (cranes live for a thousand years, turtles live for ten thousand years).

The civilian-shinobi relations on Uzunoshima are decidedly less well-defined and distant compared to their mainland counterparts, mainly because the Uzumaki did not regard themselves as shinobi in the first place and did not see fit to adopt those labels before the reforms, but also because they are a small island nation and so relations are gonna be more intimate whether Kokuen likes it or not. Mainland relations will take on a slightly different flavor. You'll see.

The fuuinjutsu rankings are based on the Japanese martial arts “dan/段” ranking system, going from shodan (first dan, lowest) to juudan (tenth dan, highest), and the Uzumaki wear these waist sash tassels to signify what rank they are. The ornaments are jinbu, an actual accessory seen with Chinese hanfu garments.

I am aware hanafuda refers to the cards and not the game, you can play many games with those cards, I just didn't feel like specifying a particular game. Also, the symbolism in those cards… yum.

I ended up inserting little poem snippets between scenes, this is my first real attempt at poetry, and I do not think I can keep it up for other chapters, so it'll have to be a prologue-exclusive! They're not based on any Japanese poetic structure, as I am not learned in that area (my Japanese is barely N4! I can't even keigo! 😭) The first one and the last are based on Japanese songs I've heard, though! Keep an eye on the mention of yorimashi, human vessels that attract the kami and allow the kami to dwell in them for rituals and ceremonies. Doesn't it remind you of… jinchuuriki? 👀

And, yeah, this fic is absolutely infested with OCs, and that's a feature not a bug because Kishimoto did not see fit to give us Uzumaki characters and so I have to fill in the space myself. Let's talk about their names!

Hoshiori: 星織, “star-weaver” or “to weave the stars”, a direct reference to the folktale figure Orihime

(Senju) Kazuma: 和守, 和 meaning “harmony, peace, concord, sum/add” and 守 meaning “protect, defend, obey, guardian”, together it can mean something like “to protect peace”. It just sounded like something Hashirama would name his child.

Tsurue: 鶴衣, 鶴 meaning “crane” and 衣 meaning “clothing, garment”, and so her name is a reference to The Crane Wife folktale

Tsurue and Kazuma's names represent… aspects of their daughter.

Kiho: 祈帆, 祈 meaning “prayer” and “帆” meaning sail, so her name would mean “prayer to sail”

Haine: 波音, meaning “the sound of waves”, it's a Summertime Render reference

Kofune: 小船, meaning “small ship/boat”, also a Summertime Render reference

Kokuen: 黒炎, meaning “black flames”, a recycled Magi OC LOL

Gyokuen: 玉炎, 玉 meaning “ball, sphere, jewel, gem” and 炎 meaning “flames”

Mana and Shinpei's names don't have kanji, sorry kids I kinda gave up (Shinpei's name is a reference to Summertime Render. Again.)

Unusual though the worldbuilding choices may be, I *am* basing them on the little snippets we got in the Chuunin exam arc, such as: this, this, this, this, this, this, this and this

Also recommended is The Weaver by concernedbrownbread! The politics in that fic takes a very different flavor from mine and wolfghost's, but captivating nonetheless! Please give both a try, I promise you it is very worth it.

[lostuntothisworld]

Some thoughts on the Graffiti

I've been doing a lot of research and thinking about Lilamoth's graffiti, and the names she has chosen to decorate her walls with.

First up, there's the tags of Ladybug and Cat Noir. These names are so obvious I don't need to explain them or the reasoning for them being on the walls. The rest of the names are less obvious. I would like to discuss them.

First up it is Marina. Marina is the feminine form of Marinus and means "of the sea". It is used as is in many countries without alteration. It is interesting to note, that Marinette is the French form of Marina, and bears the same definition. It's also of note that Marina is a popular girls name in Japan, and judging from clips, Tomoe is going to continue being a Big Bad in the future seasons. On another note, Adrien's name is a reference to the Adriatic Sea, and Luka's name can be a reference to the Serbo-Croation word for harbor. What these connections mean, I'm uncertain, but my brain is reeling.

Next up we have Shone, which in English, means something that had once been shining. It is also a gender neutral name in German which means beautiful. It's of note that new character Sublime is Belgian, and German is one of the official languages of Belgium. It's interesting to note that the word Shone is tagged on the wall far more frequently than the others.

And then finally we have Mio, which is only tagged once in the example, but the name has many more meanings than the others...

First of all, in Italian, it means "my." Lilamoth is presumably Italian.

Mio is also a gender neutral name in Japanese, and has an incredibly long list of meanings depending on the kanji used. I recommend scrolling down the list linked to get a good idea of what the name could mean. Some of my favorites reference music or harmony, the sun, water and the ocean, time, and threads and strings or stringed instruments. I can't possibly list all of the compelling meanings here, as there's so many.

Mio is also the name of the protagonist of the Swedish literary classic Mio, My Son, which is about a boy who discovers he is a prince of a mystical faraway land.

I would also like to point out the fact that the word Mio in Chinese can also mean an error, absurd, false, erroneous, or preposterous. This is of note because of Lilamoth's many fake identities.

[akihabaradivision]

"Freedom lies in being bold." - Robert Frost

Introduction

Skye, also known as "Saya Yoshie," is the third and youngest creation of Nikki Yoshie, the genius behind the Otaku Corps. Despite being the most recent addition, this rebellious android appears to be the oldest (physically and mentally) among her siblings. With a confident and commanding presence, this daring young humanoid often sees herself as the queen of her domain, expecting those around her to follow her lead without question.

Saya has a striking and commanding appearance that complements her role within the Yoshie household. She stands taller than her siblings, with a slender yet strong build, exuding a sense of authority and confidence. Her hair is a vibrant white, styled in a long ponytail, but the majority of it is dyed a bold blue. This striking combination reflects her rebellious and unique nature. Her eyes are the same blue color, often carrying a bored yet focused look that hints at her complex personality. In situations where she enters her "Defense Mode," her hair and eyes shift to a vivid and dangerous crimson red, signaling her heightened state of alertness and readiness to protect her loved ones.

Her clothing is bold and edgy, often featuring a white t-shirt with a grayish-black jacket over it, paired with black jeans and sturdy shoes. This outfit not only symbolizes her rebellious spirit but also adds a touch of style and strength to her appearance. She has two tattoos: one featuring a barcode on her face underneath her right eye, and a jagged scar on her neck. She has ear piercings in both ears that further emphasize her bold and defiant nature.

Name Meaning

Saya - "Saya" (沙耶) can mean "swift arrow" in Japanese, symbolizing speed, agility, and directness.

Yoshie (義江) - 義 (Yoshi): This kanji means "righteous" or "good." 江 (e) - This kanji means "inlet" or "river." So, "Yoshie" can be interpreted as "good" or "righteous inlet" or "good river."

Aliases

"Skye"

"Saya-chan"

"The Rebel Queen"

"TealTornado" - Gaming Handle

Big Sister - Piro

Biographical Info

Gender - Female

Age - 2 (21 Physically)

Birthday - April 15th

Ethnicity - Japanese

Hair Color - Snow White with blue highlights

Eye Color - Light Blue

Height - 188 cm/6'2"

Weight - 63 kg/139 lb.

Star Sign - Aries

Piercings - Piercings in both her ear lobes

Markings - A symbol on the palm of her left hand, a jagged scar covering the front of her neck, and a barcode tattoo on her the right side of her face

Family - Creator/"Older Sister"

- "Older Sister"

- "Older Brother"

Voiced By - Megumi Toyoguchi (Speaking) / Chanmina (Rapping)

Personality

Saya is the youngest creation of Nikki, yet she possesses a commanding presence that makes her seem like the oldest among her siblings. She stands out not only for her appearance but also for her bold and rebellious nature. She carries herself with a confidence that borders on arrogance, often viewing those around her as followers who should heed her commands. This rebellious streak is a defining trait, making her the self-appointed queen of her domain. Despite her demanding demeanor, there are moments when Saya's true depth and complexity shine through, revealing a side of her that cares deeply for her family.

Around her family, Saya's attitude softens slightly, though she still enjoys teasing her siblings and chiding Nikki for spending too much time behind a computer screen. She takes particular pleasure in making Piro dress in feminine outfits, mocking Natsuki's brooding personality, and pushing boundaries within the household. However, beneath this tough exterior, Saya's actions are often driven by a genuine concern for her loved ones. When worried, she offers kind gestures or words, though she quickly masks these moments of vulnerability, preferring to maintain her tough façade.

Saya's rebellious nature is not without its benefits. Her strong-willed personality and refusal to conform make her a natural leader and a force to be reckoned with. She challenges those around her to think differently and push their limits, creating an environment where growth and change are inevitable. Saya's innovative and bold approach often leads to breakthroughs and unexpected solutions, proving that her defiance can be a valuable asset.

In times of danger, Saya's "Defense Mode" is activated, transforming her into a formidable protector. Her hair and eyes shift to a vivid crimson red, signaling her readiness to defend her family with unwavering determination. This heightened state reveals the extent of Saya's loyalty and the lengths she will go to protect those she cares about. Despite her rebellious and tough exterior, Saya's complex personality and fierce dedication make her an integral and irreplaceable member of the Yoshie household.

Trivia

She has a intense rivalry with Aruto Shinozaki, with the two of them frequently butting heads whenever they are in the general vicinity of each other. Despite that, she won't deny that he is "kinda hot" when he's pissed.

Unlike her siblings, she doesn't know much about Scorpion Den since she doesn't visit them as much as they do.

She is an active participant in whatever plans the androids are engaged in, especially if it involves causing some form of chaos.

Her virtual A.I. form is the same as the symbol on the palm of her hand.

She has a mantis-bot form that she turns into, and uses to fight against Aruto with.

[colourful-jack]

Paper Talk Special: YOSHIHARA Rieko's interview (1989)

“Riki is an almost full-grown black panther”

YOSHIHARA Rieko has written in a wide variety of genres, from high-school stories to fantasy and science fiction. If there is one thing her characters, like Aki and Kacchan or Iason and Riki, have in common, it’s their impressive charisma. We had the opportunity to ask her more about Ai no kusabi in this interview.

Profile

Pen name’s origin: My birth name. My family name changed when I got married, so I thought “nobody would know it’s me!”.

Date of birth: October 4th, 1954

Blood type: B

Place of birth and residence: born in Fukuoka Prefecture, living in Kumamoto Prefecture

What made you send your manuscript to the magazine: It had been a long night…

1. What made you start writing Ai no kusabi?

I didn’t really… want to write about “pure love” in a science fiction setting (ah ah ah), because I wanted to write about an “encounter” than would not just be casual, the bonds it would create and the various feelings they would draw along.

2. Which character can you empathize with the most?

Probably Riki, as one could expect. Because, even though he has a sharp tongue and is quite mature, his way of thinking is fundamentally straight. Him running around struggling yet unable to act, because he’s caught between two feelings of different natures, makes him seductive, I like it.

3. What is your favourite scene? And what is a line you like?

My favourite, hmm… It would have to be the scene where Katze cries while stifling his voice. But I also cannot put aside the scene where Riki is kept waiting in vain in the rain by Guy… As for the lines, those would be “there’s no way I’m letting him die alone” or “you may be able to look the other way despite everything, but I… wouldn’t be worth more than trash if I did. I couldn’t go on living.”

4. Could you tell us about the creation process of the characters, like Riki and Iason? (size, weight, blood type, date of birth, etc.)

I had their personality roughly figured out, so I didn’t think about their finer characteristics, but…

Riki: Because he’s a slum mongrel, I pictured him as an almost full-grown black panther. Not frail, but slender and lithe. As for his appearance, his intelligence shines through the strength of his obstinate spirit, that’s all.

Iason: Since he’s an absolutely perfect member of the elite and the Black Market’s king, he should definitely be like the God of the Sun Apollo, but raised in the depths of the sea (or something). He’s shrewd and good-looking, incredibly proud, and wouldn’t collapse under any circumstances. Regarding his height, all things considered, he’s a head taller that Riki.

Guy: In my first draft, he was a tolerant and broad-minded herbivorous felid… that was my intention, but I wonder where and how things went wrong.

Raoul: His looks, intellect and handsomeness are on par with Iason’s. He has a sense of humour and, even more than Iason, nerves of steel.

Katze: Went from being raised in the slums to being a Furniture in Eos to being a broker on the black market. Putting aside the protagonists, he’s the one with the most dramatic life, so that’s probably why I gave him a tragic handicap, like being a scarface or being a man without manhood…

Kirie: Representing slum dwellers in their late teens, he’s overconfident and reckless. He has a very limited worldview, so he’s the most fragile yet also the most dangerous character.

5. Concerning the way you chose the characters’ names, you previously said you were “drawn to the “dragon��� kanji”, were you fixated on something like that for Ai no kusabi?

This time I wanted to give them names that would fit their character, so… I gave Riki a name conveying “power” (riki is one of the few ways to read the kanji meaning “power”), I named Iason after a hero from Greek mythology, and Guy after the goddess of the Earth, Gaia, for his ability to embrace everything. But when you list them, they’re not consistent. All things considered, you could say they’re just far-fetched choices, ah ah ah…

6. Writing Ai no kusabi, what did you enjoy? What did you find difficult?

For the most of it, the story was ever changing with the characters’ feelings, so until I had reached the ending, I had fun worrying (somehow) while writing. Difficult things that would bring wrinkles to my forehead, I tend not to think too much about them.

7. A number of different types of Pet Rings appear in readers’ four-case mangas, but how do you picture them yourself?

No, well, when it comes to Riki’s, its basic image was something like Sun Wukong’s circlet. Looking at it like this makes Journey to the West quite salacious too… don’t you think?

8. Could you tell us your thoughts about the cassette adaptation?

I thought “Are you sure we can really do that?”… but when it became real, well, I mean, ah ah ah, what could I say? As you know, this work involves many human relationships, some violent lines, and it’s quite heavy on that. “How can we make all that fit in 60 minutes?” I wondered… When I heard the tape for the first time, it dawned on me that letters and voices are truly two completely different things, obviously. I wrote it, so it’s weird for me to say that, but I thought “can I really make Mr SEKI and Mr SHIOZAWA say those things?”… on the other hand, when I wondered what faces they made then, Tokyo felt so far away… So those were my thoughts. But everyone used their beautiful voice to give impassioned performances, so I’m very happy!

9. And lastly, what is June to you?

A breather between child rearing and house chores, a teatime friend… or something like that. (October 1989)

[adorableears7]

@inukag-week Yearning, Moonlight, Bickering

**Stars Aligned**

---

The night of Tanabata had arrived, draping the sky in a tapestry of twinkling stars. The legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi, the star-crossed lovers who could only meet once a year, hung heavy in the air, resonating deeply with the hearts of those who longed for reunion. Among them were two souls bound by fate: Inuyasha and Kagome.

Inuyasha sat atop the Goshinboku tree, his amber eyes fixed on the heavens. The sight of the Milky Way streaking across the sky brought memories of Kagome flooding back. She had returned to her world after the defeat of Naraku, and though time had passed, the ache of her absence never dulled. He sighed, the rustle of leaves his only company.

Far away, in her own world, Kagome gazed at the stars from her bedroom window. The lights of modern Tokyo couldn’t diminish the beauty of the night sky. She held a small piece of parchment in her hand, her wish for Tanabata written in neat kanji: “I wish to see Inuyasha again.” The legend of Tanabata gave her hope, and she clung to it with all her heart.

As the stars twinkled brightly, a strange sensation washed over Kagome. She felt a tug at her soul, a pull that she couldn't resist. Without thinking, she grabbed her backpack and ran to the well shrine. She whispered a silent prayer and leapt into the Bone-Eater’s Well, feeling the familiar rush of magic as she traveled through time.

Inuyasha’s ears perked up as he sensed Kagome’s presence. He jumped down from the tree and sprinted towards the well. His heart raced with anticipation and worry. Was it really her? Could his wish have been granted?

As Kagome climbed out of the well, she was greeted by a pair of familiar golden eyes. “Inuyasha!” she cried, tears of joy streaming down her face.

“Kagome!” he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. He reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair. “I missed you,” he murmured, his voice rough with unspoken feelings.

Kagome hugged him back just as fiercely. “I missed you too, Inuyasha.”

For a moment, they simply held each other, the world around them fading away. The stars above seemed to shine even brighter, as if celebrating their reunion.

After a while, Inuyasha pulled back slightly, his usual gruff demeanor returning. “What took you so long, huh? I’ve been waiting forever.”

Kagome laughed, wiping away her tears. “Oh, come on! You think I haven’t been trying? It’s not exactly easy to jump through time, you know.”

Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, yeah. Always making excuses.”

Kagome glared at him playfully. “Excuses? You’re one to talk, Mr. I-Can’t-Admit-My-Feelings.”

Inuyasha’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “W-What? I— That’s not—”

Kagome giggled and took his hand. “It’s okay, Inuyasha. I know how you feel.”

He squeezed her hand gently, his expression softening. “Yeah, well… I guess I do, too.”

They stood there, hand in hand, under the starry sky, the spirit of Tanabata weaving their hearts together once more. Despite the bickering, their love was undeniable, and the promise of a future together shone as brightly as the stars above.

** thank you for reading. I have not created in years. **By: Michelle (aka Michi)

I generated images to go with the story. I hope you like it.

[jinnaizaemon]

Done with second movie, and just about done with the first one now! ...My main motivation for this was that I really, really wanted to translate that one exchange between a Dokutake guard and Doi:

- Huh? Aren’t you one of the part-timer aunties? - I’m not an auntie!

of course she's too young to be called an auntie, how rude.

It's usually tricky to translate made-up names, like the medicine featured in this story, especially when the name itself is part of the punchline... But here the original is 軽身剤, keishinzai, whose characters spell literally "light", "body", and "agent/substance/drug". So... Light body agent. It works just as well in English. Now puns are even trickier, and Nintama is full of them. I try to adapt them as much as I can so it doesn't disrupt the watching experience (most of the time I tell my very kind proofreader/editing friend good luck with that!, actually...), but sometimes there's just no way to convey a pun without a long translation notes, as much as I try avoiding them. Which is why I end up making posts like these on tumblr lol. I'm just ranting atm, but later I plan to make a post for each movie, going through them chronologically with translation notes and my own commentary. One such pun that made me ?! was this one, when Kirimaru warns Rantarou that Happousai is after them :

Happy-Holiday is also climbing!

(...the line in the subtitles we'll end up publishing might be different if we find something better LOL)

In the original, Kirimaru calls Happousai 冠婚葬祭 kankonsousai, a four kanji characters compound meaning "an important ceremonial occasions in family relationships". Kirimaru, you're ten, where did you even learn that word. Anyways, he only kept the -ousai part, so I kept the Happ- part myself. ....A holiday is an occasion to meet family right...? So it works..right?!! Hah....... Nintama.......

Anyways, it's a fun movie with great bits of animation, and it's from a time where the cast was much smaller so the featured characters each get a lot of time to shine. it has a lot of Hanko!! Hankoooo!! I'm excited to share it later!

"konjou, konjou, ashita no joe!" has been looping in my brain since. i keep wanting to say it. that random line was just too fun

[blizzardsuplex]

Floriography prompt fill for @milk-crater: ELP and Shota Umino, white lily (sweetness, purity) + foxglove (insincerity). Special thanks to @naritaren for characterization help!!

That he's gone from having a whole group backing him up to being about to be left up the creek without a second person to paddle doesn't disappoint Phantasmo. Not really. He's happy for Tama and Tanga Loa, and now that he's found his stride in being a standup man around town again he can be open about it instead of worrying about violating Mean Girls-esque convoluted Bullet Club etiquette. As for Hikuleo...well, he hadn't brained ELP with a steel chair just yet. They could still be saved, which would be nice considering Tag League was looming and there weren't a lot of people who were free to team with, even in Hontai.

Just in case, though, he had a backup plan, which is to say he brought to his target as a courting gift a sizable bribe. A sweet, cold, creamy bribe.

"How did you get this?" Shota Umino enthused, waving his spoon around so hard Phantasmo was kind of worried it would fly out of his hand with enough force to smash through the guy's apartment window. "I thought this edition was sold out a month ago."

"I have my ways." He keeps his non-explanation short and mysterious, mostly because it had been way harder than he'd thought to get two pints of kinako-flavored ice cream with mochi squares.

"And how did you even know I liked it?"

Well, that was easier to answer. "Hey, I travelled with GoD, too. I knew you had good taste in ice cream. " That and he knew enough kanji at this point to search through Shota's tweets efficiently for clues on his frozen dairy preferences, but Phantasmo digresses.

On Shota's face appears the smile that parts a thousand people from their money at the merch tables—and he can't blame a single one of them. Lucky was the man who could be both a motorcycle-riding, leather-jacket carrying badass and a sort of bright-eyed ingenue. "Well, thanks," he says. "I'm glad you came over to visit—with a great gift, too. Since the injury, it's been..." He searches for a word, shakes his head. "Hard."

The younger man's sincerity is breathtaking. Great, ELP thinks. Now he has to really be careful not to sound like a total douche following those words up with a direct request. "How long did they say you'll need to heal up?"

"A couple of months at most." Now his smile is one of relief. "At least there's that."

"At least," Phantasmo echoes. He lets Shota have a big spoonful of ice cream before fielding the question. "Actually, I have something to ask you about when you get back..."

"Hmm?"

The sound is pleasantly non-committal, but this isn't ELP's first rodeo—he knows that his best bet of seeing the truth of the other's response is in his eyes, and true enough Phantasmo catches a glint of steel behind the warm brown. He isn't at all surprised by that, either; as almost all pro wrestlers had to go through at one time or another, it wasn't just a tag team that broke when things came to a head.

He's already deciding what to say to abort mission when Shota speaks again. It's just one word ("What?") but it's still enough to draw Phantasmo's attention from his planning. The look the younger man gives him is not the total enthusiasm of a while ago, but it isn't completely remote, either. More...expectant, but not (he feels) of betrayal. An affirmation of trust, maybe, some shining light that cuts straight through suspicion learned the hard way.

Or maybe his death glare is being softened by the mess on his face. It's hard to take anyone seriously with an ice cream stain on their cheek. Either way, Phantasmo decides, they didn't need to do this now.

"What ice cream flavor should I get to celebrate?"

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 414 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

1 前回までのあらすじ死柄木に勝つ事が、この戦いに勝つ事！しかし、圧倒的な崩壊と再生を前に、力比べを続けても勝ち目はない！そんな中、２代目が提唱したのは死柄木にOFAを譲渡し、精神の傷を攻撃するという一か八かの戦術。デクは受け継いだ力を手放す決意をする… ぜんかいまでのあらすじしがらきにかつことが、このたたかいにかつこと！しかし、あっとうてきなほうかいとさいせいをまえに、ちからくらべをつづけてもかちめはない！そんななか、２だいめがていしょうしたのはしがらきにワン・フォー・オールをじょうとし、せいしんのきずをこうげきするといういちかばちかのせんじゅつ。デクはうけついだちからをてばなすけついをする… zenkai ade no arasuji Shigaraki ni katsu koto ga, kono tatakai ni katsu koto! shikashi, attouteki na houkai to saisei wo mae ni, chikara kurabe wo tsudzuketemo kachime wa nai! sonna naka, 2daime ga teishou shita no wa Shigaraki ni WAN FOO OORU wo jouto shi, seishin no kizu wo kougeki suru to iu ichi ka bachi ka no senjutsu. DEKU wa uketsuida chikara wo tebanasu ketsui wo suru... Summary up until last time: To win against Shigaraki, [Deku must] win this battle! However, before [his] overwhelming decay and regeneration, even if the competition of strength continues, there is no way to win! Meanwhile, the Second proposed an all-or-nothing strategy of transferring OFA to Shigaraki to attack his spiritual wounds. Deku decides to let go of the power he inherited...

tagline 歪な挙動… いびつなきょどう… ibitsu na kyodou... Distorted behavior...

2 傷んでボロボロの身体を…黒鞭で無理矢理動かしてやがる いたんでボロボロのからだを…くろむちでむりやりうごかしてやがるitande BOROBORO no karada wo...kuromuchi de muriyari ugokashite yagaru "His damaged and battered body... He's using Black Whip to force it to move."

3 実戦からのアイデアを即���用…‼︎ じっせんからのアイデアをそくおうよう…‼︎ jissen kara no AIDEA wo sokuouyou...!! The immediate application of ideas from actual battles...!!

4 なんて使い方を…！ なんてつかいかたを…！ nante tsukai kata wo...! Such a way to use [them]...!

5 これでいい kore de ii "This is good."

1-2 僕がどうなろうとも ぼくがどうなろうとも boku ga dou narou tomo No matter what happens to me.

3-4 その為の…力だ そのための…ちからだ sono tame no...chikara da This power...is for that sake.

5 使命ではなく しめいではなく shimei de wa naku "It's not the mission,"

6 こいつ自身が抱く"個性"への憧れこそが こいつじしんがいだく"こせい"へのあこがれこそが koitsu jishin ga idaku "kosei" e no akogare koso ga "it's because of this guy's own admiration of quirks" (Note: While the line was cut off here, the line appears later in the chapter so I was able to get the full thing.)

7 OFAを輝かせる ワン・フォー・オールをかがやかせる WAN FOO OORU wo kagayakaseru "that he can make One For All shine."

tagline No.414　オーバーレイ　堀越耕平 ナンバー414　オーバーレイ　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 414  OOBAAREI  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 414 Overlay Kouhei Horikoshi

8 「変速」無しで 「２ND」なしで 「2ND (kanji: hensoku)」 nashi de Without the Second (read as: Gear Shift),

9 死柄木のスピード攻略し… しがらきのスピードこうりゃくし… Shigaraki no SUPIIDO kouryaku shi... to capture Shigaraki at his speed...

10 ２代目を譲渡る ２だいめをぶつける 2daime wo butsukeru and hit (read as: transfer) him with the Second.

11 ーーーー…賭けるしかない… ーーーー…かけるしかない… ----...kakeru shika nai... ----...I have no choice but to bet...

1 ワン・フォー・オールを譲渡するには"渡したい"と思った相手にDNAを取り込ませる ワン・フォー・オールをじょうとするには"わたしたい"とおもったあいてにディーエンエーをとりこませる WAN FOO OORU wo jouto suru ni wa "watashitai" to omotta aite ni DII EN EE wo torikomaseru To transfer One For All, make the person I want to hand it over to take in DNA.

2 別にDNAを取り込められるなら何でも良いんだけどさ！ べつにディーエンエーをとりこめられるならなんでもいいんだけどさ！ betsu ni DII EN EE wo torikomerareru nara nandemo iinda kedo sa! Anything is fine so long as DNA is taken in!

3 ワン・フォー・オールは持ち主が"渡したい"と思った相手にしか譲渡されない ワン・フォー・オールはもちぬしが"わたしたい"とおもったあいてにしかじょうとされない WAN FOO OORU wa mochinushi ga "watashitai" to omotta aite ni shika jouto sarenai One For All can be transferred only to the person the owner wants to transfer it to.

4 無理矢理渡すことは出来るがね むりやりわたすことはできるがね muriyari watasu koto wa dekiru ga ne It can be given by force, though.

5 …俺とブルースで仮説を立てて……立証した …おれとブルースでかせつをたてて……りっしょうした ...ore to BURUUSU de kasetsu wo tatete......risshou shita "...Bruce and I came up with a hypothesis......and proved it."

6 懐かしいな なつかしいな natsukashii na "How nostalgic."

7 死んで尚使命に囚われてきた しんでなおしめいにとらわれてきた shinde nao shimei ni torawarete kita "I died, and still I'm a slave to my mission."

8 血を媒介に ちをばいかいに chi wo baikai ni With blood as a medium,

9 傷から"渡す" きずから"わたす" kizu kara "watasu" I'll pass it over from my wound.

10 でも死柄木は再生で傷が残らない でもしがらきはさいせいできずがのこらない demo Shigaraki wa saisei de kizu ga nokoranai But Shigaraki has no wounds remaining due to his regeneration.

11 傷ができるのは きずができるのは kizu ga dekiru no wa What can make a wound is...

12 接触の一瞬ーーー インパクトのいっしゅんーーー INPAKUTO (kanji: sesshoku) no isshun--- a moment of impact (read as: contact)---

13 反動でもう意識が保たない…！ はんどうでもういしきがもたない…！ handou de mou ishiki ga motanai...! Due to the recoil, I can't maintain consciousness anymore...!

14 確実に当てなきゃ かくじつにあてなきゃ kakujitsu ni atenakya I must be certain to hit him.

1 さっきの攻撃 さっきのこうげき sakki no kougeki That last attack.

2 何か　嫌なモノを感じた なんか　いやなモノをかんじた nanka iya na MONO wo kanjita Something...I felt something bad.

3 当たる直前咄嗟に切り離したが あたるちょくぜんとっさにきりはなしたが ataru chokuzen tossa ni kirihanashita ga I immediately detached [from him] just before it hit, but

4 まだ何か まだなにか mada nani ka there's still something

5 企んでいる たくらんでいる takurande iru he's plotting.

6 全身の砕ける痛み…呼吸困難… ぜんしんのくだけるいたみ…こきゅうこんなん… zenshin no kudakeru itami...kokyuu konnan... Crushing pain all over his body...difficulty breathing...

7 普通なら思考全てが生命維持に持っていかれる筈 ふつうならしこうすべてがせいめいいじにもっていかれるはず futsuu nara shikou subete ga seimei iji ni motte ikareru hazu If he's normal*, all of his thoughts should be [dedicated] to life support. (*Note: This word "normal" in this context means "typical, ordinary, usual," like if Izuku were to behave like most other people.)

8 ……普通なら……か… ……ふつうなら……か… ......futsuu nara......ka... ......If he's normal......huh...

9 いいさ何度だって壊してやる いいさなんどだってこわしてやる ii sa nando datte kowashite yaru "That's fine, I'll destroy no matter how many times it takes."

10 おまえも omae mo "[I'll destroy] you,"

11 この国も このくにも kono kuni mo "and this country,

12 全部 ぜんぶ zenbu "everything."

1 これで kore de With this,

2 渡す わたす watasu I'll pass it over.

3 殺す ころす korosu I'll kill you.

1 「煙幕」 「６TH」 「6TH (kanji: enmaku)」 6th (read as: Smokescreen)

2 俺が今一番使い所ないでしょ おれがいまいちばんつかいどころないでしょ ore ga ima ichiban tsukai dokoro nai desho But I'm the one with the least use right now.

3 何でーー⁉︎ なんでーー⁉︎ nande--!? "Why--!?"

4 ……「崩壊」を発動させれば… ……「ほうか���」をはつどうさせれば… ......「houkai」 wo hatsudou sasereba... "......If you let me activate Decay..."

5 何を企んでても なにをたくらんでても nani wo takurandete mo No matter what you're plotting,

6 お前は守らざるをーー おまえはまもらざるをーー you have no choice but to protect--

7 伝播防止で地面を抉って…！こんなデカイのをいつの間に でんぱぼうしでじめんをえぐって…！こんなデカイのをいつのまに denpa boushi de jimen wo egutte...! konna DEKAI no wo itsu no ma ni To prevent the spread, he gouged out the ground...! It's that big all of a sudden?

8 あの時　ふっとばされながら あのとき　ふっとばされながら ano toki futtobasare nagara It was then, while he was being blown away.

1 地中に黒鎖を出して ちちゅうにこくさをだして chichuu ni kokusa wo dashite He sent the black chains underground

2 地面を抉り分けていた！ じめんをえぐりわけていた！ jimen wo eguri wakete ita! and was gouging out the ground surface!

3 次に備えていた‼︎ つぎにそなえていた‼︎ tsugi ni sonaete ita!! He was preparing for what was next!!

4 雄英の崩壊対策か ゆうえいのほうかいたいさくか yuuei no houkai taisaku ka The countermeasures against UA's decay, huh?

1 マント… MANTO... His cape...

2 だけ……⁉︎ dake......!? only that......!?

3 スナイパー戦でXったデコイ⁉︎ スナイパーせんでXったデコイ⁉︎ SUNAIPAA-sen de Xtta DEKOI!? The decoy he used in the fight with the sniper!? (Note: Some of the words are cut off here. My translation assumes the X is 使 tsuka.)

4 だが「サーチ」の光は だが「サーチ」のひかりは daga 「SAACHI」 no hikari wa But it was the light of Search,

5 確かに"これ"をーーーー… たしかに"これ"をーーーー… tashika ni "kore" wo----... so surely "this" is----...

6 血…⁉︎血にサーチ反応⁉︎ ち…⁉︎ちにサーチはんのう⁉︎ chi...!? chi ni SAACHI hannou!? Blood...!? Search reacted to blood!?

7 待て…"この光"…緑谷じゃない！ まて…"このひかり"…みどりやじゃない！ mate..."kono hikari"...Midoriya ja nai! Wait...this light...it's not Midoriya!

8 ーーなら緑谷はどこに… ーーならみどりやはどこに… --nara Midoriya wa doko ni... --Then, where is Midoriya...

9 ーーー…そういう ---...sou iu ---...So that's

10 ことか koto ka what you--

1 遅い‼︎ おそい‼︎ osoi!! [Too] slow!!

2 「サーチ」は見た者の位置を認識する 「サーチ」はみたもののいちをにんしきする 「SAACHI」 wa mita mono no ichi wo ninshiki suru Search recognizes the locations of the ones it's seen.

4 見えてるぞ幽霊！ みえてるぞゆうれい！ mieteru zo yuurei! I can see you, ghosts!

3+5 サーチが継承者たちにも適用される可能性に賭けた サーチがけいしょうしゃたちにもてきようされるかのうせいにかけた SAACHI ga keishousha-tachi ni mo tekiyou sareru kanousei ni kaketa I bet on the possibility that Search would also be applied to the successors.

6-7 譲渡の意思を込めることで血に"分割"された２代目が宿る じょうとのいしをこめることでDNAに"ぶんかつ"された２だいめがやどる jouto no ishi wo komeru koto de DNA (kanji: chi) ni "bunkatsu" sareta 2daime ga yadoru By putting in my intent to transfer, the Second was divided and [now] dwells within [my] DNA (read as: blood). (Note: What he's saying here is that the Second dwells within Izuku's blood/DNA now, and because Izuku put a drop of blood on the cape, a part of the Second dwells in that drop of blood on the cape separate from the part of him that dwells in the blood Izuku still has on hand.)

8 それを直線に放出死柄木からは僕が見えなくなり それをちょくせんにほうしゅつしがらきからはぼくがみえなくなり sore wo chokusen ni houshutsu Shigaraki kara wa boku ga mienaku nari By ejecting it in a straight line [towards him] so Shigaraki becomes unable to see me,

9 接近の隙をつくれる せつきんのすきをつくれる setsukin no suki wo tsukureru I can make an opening to approach him.

10 見えてる事を逆利用し みえてることをぎゃくりようし mieteru koto wo gyaku riyou shi I took advantage of what he can see

11 煙幕でつくった えんまくでつくった enmaku de tsukutta and made a smokescreen.

12 距離誤認の不意撃ち！ きょりごにんのふいうち！ kyori gonin no fui uchi! A surprise attack from his misconception of the distance!

1 え…めちゃくちゃ凄い"個性"だらけじゃない…⁉︎ え…めちゃくちゃすごい"こせい"だらけじゃない…⁉︎ e...mechakucha sugoi "kosei" darake ja nai...!? Eh...aren't they all amazing quirks...!?

2 こいつ自身が抱く"個性"への憧れこそが こいつじしんがいだく"こせい"へのあこがれこそが koitsu jishin ga idaku "kosei" e no akogare koso ga It's because of this guy's own admiration of quirks.

3 〜〜〜〜…‼︎ ９代目 〜〜〜〜…‼︎ ９だいめ ~~~~...!! 9daime "~~~~...!! Ninth!"

4 ーー身体が ーーからだが --karada ga --[My] body

5-6 拒絶している きょぜつしている kyozetsu shite iru is rejecting. (Note: I think he means his body is going into rejection mode with all the protecting hands around him.)

7-8 これをくらってはいけないと kore wo kuratte wa ikenai to [I] must not take this [blow].

1 気に病むな きにやむな ki ni yamuna Don't worry.

2 元々只の幽霊さ もともとただのゆうれいさ motomoto tada no yuurei sa By nature, I'm just a ghost.

3 意識が取り込まれる… いしきがとりこまれる… ishiki ga torikomareru... My consciousness will be absorbed...

4 死柄木のモノに…なる前に…！ しがらきのモノに…なるまえに…！ Shigaraki no MONO ni...naru mae ni...! before I become...one of Shigaraki's...!

1 生で見ると…気色悪ィなァ なまでみると…きしょくわりィなァ nama de miru to...kishoku wariI naA Seeing you in person...you give me the creeps.

2 うわあ手の人ステ様の仲間だよねえ⁉︎ うわあてのひとステさまのなかまだよねえ⁉︎ uwaa te no hito SUTE-sama no nakama da yo nee!? "Wow, the hand person! You're comrades with Stain-sama, right!?"

3 ねえ⁉︎ nee!? "Right!?"

4 私も入れてよ！敵連合！ わたしもいれてよ！ヴィランれんごう！ watashi mo irete yo! VIRAN rengou! "Let me in too! The League of Villains!"

5 は… ha... "Hah..."

6 俺だって おれだって ore datte "Me, too."

1 ヒーローに…‼︎ HIIROO ni...!! "[I'll be] a hero...!!"

2 俺はステインに触発されてここにいる！ おれはステインにしょくはつされてここにいる！ ore wa SUTEIN ni shokuhatsu sarete koko ni iru! "I was inspired by Stain to be here!"

3 体育祭…⁉︎ たいいくさい…⁉︎ taiikusai...!? The sports festival...!?

4 轟くんとの2回戦… とどろきくんとの2かいせん… Todoroki-kun to no 2kaisen... The second bout with Todoroki-kun...

5 スピナー⁉︎ SUPINAA!? Spinner!?

6 何だ　これ なんだ　これ nanda kore What is this?

7 記憶が きおくが kioku ga Are the memories

8 交錯しているのか こうさくしているのか kousaku shite iru no ka intermingling?

1 ９代目 ９だいめ 9daime "Ninth,"

2 手を緩めるな‼︎ てをゆるめるな‼︎ te wo yurumeru na!! "don't let up!!"

3 ６代目…！ ６だいめ…！ 6daime...! "Sixth...!"

4 効いてるよ‼︎２代目がやった!!! きいてるよ‼︎２だいめがやった!!! kiiteru yo!! 2daime ga yatta!!! "It's working!! The Second did it!!!"

5-6 うぐ ugu "Ugh!"

7 けどまだ不充分だ！ けどまだふじゅうぶんだ！ kedo mada fujuubun da! "But it's still not enough!"

8 手を緩めるな‼︎ てをゆるめるな‼︎ te wo yurumeru na!! "Don't let up!!"

tagline 継承者を撃ち込め‼︎ けいしょうしゃをうちこめ‼︎ keishousha wo uchikome!! Fire away the successors!!

[hehosts]

❝ ji-hun, ❞ says the rabbit over his shoulder, locking the doors for the evening. ah, it's not evening anymore, is it? ❝ i suppose i should have been expecting you. waiting long? ❞

❝ long enough. ❞

❝ hm. ❞ click! he steps back, adjusting his tie before loosening it. no need for that now, i suppose. ❝ you always say that. don't you get tired of this? surely, you have to do something better with your time? ❞

❝ no. this is what i do with my time ... until i'm told otherwise. you know that, rabbit. ❞

❝ ren. although, shining! is closed now. am i yori to you here? ❞

❝ never. ❞

❝ ah. ❞ ren holds his briefcase today, carrying paperwork, receipts, and payrolls. ❝ i see. i'm going home now. are you going to follow me, ji-hun? ❞

a bristling pause. ❝ yes. ❞

this is where ji-hun typically transitions into the shadows to taunt ren until he shuts the apartment door to drown out that terrible hissing. instead, he does not. when ren steps forward, so does ji-hun, and from there, they mimic each other down the street and around the corner. hook a right here.

❝ you don't normally escort me home. am i trouble? ❞ ren is not so teasing as he is tense. ji-hun makes him uncomfortable.

good, thinks ji-hun. i want him to be.

❝ you're always in trouble, ren. ❞

❝ i suppose that's true. if i wasn't, you wouldn't have any reason to follow me, would you? ❞

❝ that's correct. in fact, out of all my charges, you are the most ... boring. ❞

❝ you've been following me long enough. it was bound to get boring eventually. not many of us live very exciting lives, ji-hun. not like you. ❞

❝ some would argue your life is too exciting. for me, though, it is what it is. your life is your problem. i'm just here to make sure you stay on the course. that you don't forget who you are or what you owe. ❞

❝ yes, you're very good with numbers, ji-hun. ❞ ren looks away. his attempts to joke with the serpentine man have never floated well, always sinking like stones. they keep even pace to each other, ren pulling out a cigarette that ji-hun eventually lights for him at busy crosswalk. ❝ thanks. ❞

he eyes the lighter ji-hun uses, a silverplated thing engraved with a kanji that looks almost familiar, though it's hard to tell in the dark, and it's terribly etched out, but still ... i know that name.

ji-hun lights his own cowboy killer, leaving it loose between his lips.

it's very rude, ren should remind him, to walk while smoking.

but the streets are dark, no one is really around, and ren figures no one will give him a hard time if ji-hun is with him.

who in their right mind would hassle him? i'm sure the police even know to stay away. i wonder if that's why i've always been so lucky to avoid them.

❝ ji-hun. ❞

❝ hm? ❞

❝ ... why are you walking me home? know something i don't? ❞

❝ you know very little compared to me, boy. you could live a hundred lives ... and you still would have lifetimes to go. ask yourself: why does anyone do anything? ❞

❝ i ... i don't know. i suppose the reasons are varied? ❞

❝ then any reason should be good enough for you. ❞

❝ that ... i don't think ... ❞ but there seems to be little room for arguing, and ren has learned better than to contend with the man who holds the taser. ❝ right. ❞

❝ we're here. go upstairs, ren. see your son. take care of your family. sleep on all those reasons why, if you must. it doesn't matter. ❞

ji-hun stares hard at him for a moment, as if seeing him for the first time, only to recognize nothing. no, not nothing; just almost something.

when i look at him, thinks ji-hun, i see someone who is not myself ... and is not her, either. so, why is it, then, when i am in that room with all those men that are and are not myself ... does it always end with you, ren?

❝ then, ❞ ren begins, snubbing out his cigarette before tossing it in the nearest trash, ❝ i guess i'll see you tomorrow. the same as always. hm. will you walk me home again, ji-hun? like this? ❞

❝ no. don't get used to it. ❞ but i will see you home, boy. the same as i do every night. how many nights you would have been smeared on the pavement if not for my interference ... and that interference is only acted upon as the will of that man, and nothing more. that being said, that man would argue that those events were some of the truest acts of free will ji-hun has committed since that woman. actions have consequences, ji-hun. ❝ until tomorrow. ❞

[sunbloomdew]

my olba mc timeline!

introducing my darling buttercup, Haru Nakamura :D

finally i can post this! i'm very happy to talk about a character i have been working on since may haha. does that mean they are fully cooked? let's talk about something else :) insert why do they call you babygirl meme

you don't wanna know how long was the process of making this one drawing,,,, 1/10, would do it again no question, but god did that take time. here's the sketch for comparison :]

(hopefully) short and concise description of each step below + a couple of songs that i assign to each step, from their playlist because i can and i will

ʰᵃʰᵃʰᵃʰʰᵃᵃᵃᵃᵃ ᵗᵘʳⁿˢ ᵒᵘᵗ ⁱ ʷʳᵒᵗᵉ ᵃ ᵇⁱᵗ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ʰᵃʰᵃʰʰᵃᵃʰ ⁱᶠ ʸᵒᵘ ʳᵉᵃᵈ ᵃˡˡ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰⁱˢ ʸᵒᵘ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵐʸ ʰᵃⁿᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵐᵃʳʳⁱᵃᵍᵉ ᵇᵗʷ

now before i move to each step, i want to take a moment to talk about Haru's name. they are japanese american (their biological parents were both japanese people who moved to california) so i wanted them to have a japanese name.

first their birth name, Kaito. i picked this [快仁] way of writing it. 快 means "pleasant, comfortable, agreeable" and 仁 means "humanity, benevolence and kindness". i chose it as their birth name because of a few reasons:

first, some other ways of writing this name include a kanji that means "ocean, sea". it's an obvious connection to the setting of olba, as well as the character's deep connection with sunset bird, especially in their childhood.

the meanings assigned to the version i chose, describe haru at their core and during step 1 when they use this name. they are a comfortable presence whose greatest desire is to make meaningful, genuine connections with other people (fucking extravert). while they are pleasant they are a people-pleaser as well - part of their journey is to unlearn that.

it sounds very cute and they are the sweetest kid

now the name people actually know them for, the one they feel describes them the best - Haru. the kanji that i picked [春] means "spring, season of growth and renewal" and it's precisely what Haru's 'arc' is about. the meaning and value of their personal growth, understanding themselves and working with oneself instead of against.

a little tidbit about their name: there is a kanji with which it can be written that means "cherry blossom". those flowers are considered as a symbol of spring in japan, usually blooming between the end of march and beginning of may. another fun fact, haru's birthday is on the 2nd of april :]

Nakamura is a surname i chose instead of Last in the game. i thought it would be fun to headcanon that the family's surname is actually from Noelani's side (some Hawaiian last names are Japanese in origin, hence Nakamura). The kanji i picked to write it are [中村] - 中 meaning "in, inside, middle, center" and 村 meaning "village, hamlet". I think of it as a reference to sunset bird itself.

so once we put all of the ingredients together it already forms an image of a character. i've been reading a book by david day "the hobbits of tolkien" in which the author describes j.r.r. tolkien's process of creating the hobbits. it's very fascinating, the way in which he used his philologist knowleadge - digging up the word first and then tracing it's origins and the word family to slowly create the hobbits we know today. my process of creating haru was somewhat similar in methods, though definitely not the process (god no, i am nowhere near tolkien's level). i wanted to mention that because the words we use to describe the world, or in this case characters are important.

i like to think that haru's whole name means "spring in a village", with them being the embodiment of said season, connected to an undeniably summer town. a little bit like baxter, our resident autumn boy stumbled into a seaside tourist town. only in haru's case the lines are more blurry. i think of them as the manifestation of the spring/summer period, when the sun shines brightly and trees bloom but the wind is still chilly and strong.

in any case, let's move further! fairies know i could talk just about their name forever

Step 1: welcome to childhood folks! in step 1 Haru uses their birth name, Kaito, and he/him pronouns. Kaito is a lonely child who wants only one thing - to have a friend. he is too fat, too shy, too different from other kids his age, which leads to him being isolated from them. this plants the first seeds of his insecurities that will follow him into the future. being ignored and laughed at really impacts Kaito, who only wants to make friends with anybody. it makes this thought slowly grow at the back of his mind: "there is something fundamentally wrong with me." thankfully, he has the support of lizzie and their moms and the soothing sound of the waves and the warm sand at the beach, which make his social isolation feel less hurtful.

when it comes to his personality, Kaito is an open-hearted, open-minded kid who is quite shy. he is naive, terribly impatient and impulsive which can be a fatal combination. curiosity is another defining trait of his - not really with any things of an academic nature, but definitely about other people, so much he can be very nosy. despire that he is pretty good at reading social cues and figuring out people's feelings. if only he had enough foresight to actually confirm his thoughts with others - he is prone to assume things solely based off his judgement. he is empathetic and a good listener. his tendencies in people-pleasing are only starting to grow, but it will be a huge problem down the line.

a sidenote about his design: colours chosen for each step hold a meaning. the colour palette for step 1 is a triadic colour scheme with purple, teal and yellow. i chose those colours because they remind me of summer, and in step 1 kaito is at the beginning of his growth as a person. at this point in their life, they are connected with summer as a season the most, because they have yet to begin the process of figuring themselves out and understanding themselves.

Cove moving in is a turning point for Kaito. he changes his life by befriending him. it doesn NOT alleviate the insecurities and doubt still nestled in Kaito's heart. rather he views Cove as someone special for befriending him. the setting for their relationship is Nervous Fond. Kaito likes Cove immediately (as they do with most people, they are very open) but is very nervous about this whole making friends process.

Alright this all probably sounds very angsty but this internal turmoil of Kaito's is (for now) very much in the background. think of it like a box covered with sheets, dusted over and hidden in the attic. step 1 is mostly cute kid shenanigans (and some crying).

Songs:

hawaiian roller coaster ride - mark keali'i ho'omalu, kamehameha schools children's chorus; lilo and stitch original soundtrack

the right amount of dumb - kan gao; finding paradise (original game soundtrack)

i have a hole in my tooth (and my dentist is shut) - dodie

take me anywhere - kan gao; to the moon (original game soundtrack)

second child, restless child - the oh hellos

(the right amount of dumb is like their theme in step 1 because they are a bit of a dumbass <33 silly little kid)

Step 2: ahhh early teenage years. i think 12yo and older is the time when you start to realize how profoundly fucked up reality is and react appropriately! which is exactly what Haru is going through, on top of being obsessed with becoming popular. sigh.

step 2 is very rough for Haru. for one, their insecurities from childhood only grow. they see their inabilty to create a large circle of friends as a reflection of their worth. their self-esteem is at all time low, which is why they do everything they can to cover it up. kids are cruel so they cannot show any weaknesses. in order to cover up their low self-confidence they become very arrogant,they arrive at this conclusion: if they are so unlikable (false) then they only need to pretend to be someone else entirely to make people like them (bruh. teenage brain is a mystery).

and so begins their fabrication of themselves, altering parts of their appearance, personality even giving up and picking up hobbies just to appeal to the 'popular kids'. deep inside they know that this is futile. you cannot make people like you, you cannot make them respect you if they don't no matter how hard you try. but they are so starved for social interactions, that it doesn't matter at the moment. if they get to hang out with the cool kids, if people wave to them in the corridors then what does it matter that the person they are greeting is fake?

those purposeful but forced changes consume them. they are constatly playing a role around people they know but don't trust - they can only relax with their family, Cove and Derek. but even then, they aren't fun to hang out with that much. seeing as they can reveal their true thoughts only then, it makes them constantly angry (at everything, but at themselves the most probably) which affects their relationships with their friends and family.

to them it feels like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. they can't bear their soul to the cool kids group, because that would mean admitting that they are not a person they pretended to be - this loud, out-going, larger than life, perfect person. and in their head they think they can't reveal anything to their loved ones either - it would mean admitting defeat in making friends.

so yeah, the struggle is there y'all. despite all the harm that comes from their behaviour and their environment, they learn a couple of things too. they realize they aren't a mind reader and perhaps asking people about their problems is better than assuming you know what is wrong, even if you are like 99% sure you know. doesn't mean they won't ask in the most blunt, tactless way possible tho. their shyness as if evaporates completely - you're not gonna make it far in middle school being shy. funnily enough, they are a massive people-pleaser. you'd think that this bold, boisterous teen star would be far from it, but every action Haru performs in their school circle is for the approval of others. if there are any mild upsides to their state is that they can fulfill their innate need of connecting with other people. it's not deep or meaningful in most cases but what can you do.

as you probably noticed, the main colour of this step is green. but why? green is such a nice colour, with so many positive meanings... sike! i mean yeah it is, but you know what else green symbolises? greed and envy. i used green for this step to highlight haru's desire of becoming popular not as a genuine dream, not even as a way to connect with others but because of the immense jealousy they felt. of other people who got to have friends that liked them for who they are. of elizabeth especially, who never seemed to struggle with making people like her. in this stage of their life, green is definitely a negative colour for them.

the comfort level in step 2 is Direct Fond for both Cove and Derek. no matter which route i'm deciding on romantically, haru does not have a crush on anyone in step 2, or at least doesn't allow themselves to have.

Songs:

freaks - surf curse

kawaki wo ameku [カワキヲアメク] - minami [美波]

carnivore - starset

stand out fit in - one ok rock

remember my name - mitski

(i especially like carnivore for this step because haru starts avoiding eating meat, cause they don't like the taste that much. the choice of this song is a bit of an inside joke for me, also the lyrics fit very well)

Step 3: we enter era of healing! i'd say in step 3 haru is at a solid 3/4 way to doing better internally. step 2 was their lowest, but now they are beginning to bloom. but growing older doesn't only bring knowleadge and growth, it also brings a new lot of issues to deal with.

Haru has been confronted about their behaviour. the impact it had on others and on themselves (there was a lot of crying and broken confessions, not a good time). as they reached their limit, they finally decided to speak their feelings and accept help from their loved ones.

now, it's hard to simply get rid of one's insecurities, especially those that seemed to be reinforced by the outside world for a long time. they use a strategy as old as time to deal with (not cover up anymore) their low self-esteem - fake it till you make it. some of their arrogance stays with them, as a blanket of security in a way, but they are determined to be confident in themselves.

their growth starts with a somewhat superficial thing but one that they always cared about: their clothes. they were always interested in clothing and fashion but only in step 3 they move a bit further with that interest and begin to make clothes on their own. it's an important passion to them, not only being very therapeutic but also allowing them to express their true self, both in terms of their personality as well as gender.

a major shift in their perception of their relationships with others was caused by realizing, that gaining popularity was not going to make them feel fulfilled. they had always desired deep, meaningful relationships, and while being recognized at school was nice, it wasn't really what they were looking for. this in turn make them rethink their whole "pretending to be someone you're not" business and with their loved ones assistance they figured out that... it simply wasn't worth it.

and because haru is the most impulsive person on this side of the globe, they did not ease themselves into this realization but again forced themselves to abandon their old ways in favor of being painfully true to themselves. and then everybody smacked their foreheads.

haru is a lot kinder to themselves now, courtesy of cove and others, but they still tend to ignore themselves in favor of somebody else. their shyness returned, and they no longer try to force themselves into acting more out there than they are. since the let down their walls, they speak their mind without thinking and are prone into agreeing to things immediately, often finding themselves in uncomfortable or annoying situations.

right now their most pressing struggle is dealing with becoming an adult. they feel as if they had just got peace and stability in their life and yet their friends are leaving or staying, getting jobs, time is slipping through their fingers like sand and everything is different. haru themselves feels very lost and overwhelmed by the future, so for now they latch onto people, their friends, sister and moms and try to spend as much time with them as possible, drowning the sound of their own fear in their laughter. on top of that there is a new guy in sunset bird, who seems to have a bit similar internal struggles to them, and haru feels like they could make a connection for life. i wonder how that will go :]

step 3 colours! they wear a lot of different colours because their style is mostly inspired by the 80s, plus they like to go crazy with the clothes they make. but colours that appear the most are definitely pink and yellow, plus a little bit of green. green appears in smaller amounts and in shades closer to yellow to express it's different nature than the green in step 2. this time it represents growth, freshness and hope.

now yellow is a very important colour that i consider haru's main colour. they are simply inseparable in my head. it was completely gone from their colour palette in step 2, and in step 1 it had more of a golden shade, one reminiscent of summer, but in step 3 it brings forth thoughts of spring more. it is purposeful, as Haru is finally growing into the person they want to be. yellow's positive meanings are among others optimism, happiness, creativity and enthusiasm. but it can also be associated with fear and cowardice and that is definitely something that fits haru in this step as well.

pink is prevalent in this specific outfit, but like i said, the clothes they wear in this step are pretty colourful. still, it holds meaning, seeing as it's also visible in their step 4 clothes. pink is invincibly linked with romance and romantic feelings - something haru allows themselves to open up to in step 3. like most things about them, if they have a crush on somebody their infatuation comes fast and strong, seemingly out of nowhere. but other than romance, pink is a colour of youth and playfulness.

after dealing with all that teen angst, they are very playful. combined with the dread of the future and genuine excitement they finally feel, they are a sweet, sociable person. the comfort level is Relaxed Fond, unless they have a crush on either Cove or Baxter, then it's Nervous Crush.

Songs:

permanence - bears in trees

wishing well - the oh hellos

infinite - lyn lapid

summer depression - girl in red

what if it doesn't end well - chloe moriondo

(i didn't put this song here despite it being the first one on haru's playlist, but teenage dream by katy perry is such a step 3 haru song)

Step 4: sweet woes of adulthood! Haru has grown and grown up but of course, life is a continuous string of things happening and us having to deal with them. some things stayed the same, for example their big ego. from aiming to cover up their low confidence, to actually gaining a healthy amount of it, like in most things they do, they went overboard. and while some of it is still a little bit of a defense mechanism, they are also completely insufferable and a beast of self-esteem. you win some you lose some.

they grew into the person they were always meant to be: free spirited, open, empathetic and creative. even so, they still retain their oh so recognizable traits. their curious, almost nosy demeanor, impatient nature and people-pleasing ways. they are still reckless though not quite as impatient, they learned to be a bit more chill.

haru learned to manage their intense nature. especially when it comes to meeting new people, they realize and respect the fact that not everybody will be eager to form a deeper bond, as much as it confuses them sometimes. they have always been ride or die type of person, but growing up has mellowed them out a bit.

the most growth happened with their way of managing their relationships as well as their perception of themselves. they are a lot more mature and as such manage to maintain their relationships. even if they still sometimes assume other people's thoughts or take up too much upon themselves, they see what they have accomplished and are very proud of themselves.

their struggles now involve the usual perils of adulthood, but mostly keeping up with their friends and making sure everything is alright. other than that though, they eagerly travel and go out of their way to meet even more new people - they do need someone to anchor them, or they will get carried away and eventually step on somebody's toes (or fail to return from another state on a scheduled date).

speaking of their adult relations, baxter leaving was a huge blow to them. like traumatic event rank S type of thing. when they meet again it's a storm lol

when it comes to Haru's other dreams and goals, i picture them with a business that makes custom clothes, like handmade ones. their side job would be helping out cove with surfing lessons and his business. they like to work with other people and are a fairly good leader, but they dislike doing the simple tasks because they are so boring.

last design notes! so there is yellow and pink, a bit of blue and white, at least in this outfit. yellow, pink and white are their characteristic colours, but green finds it's place here too sometimes (to drive home the spring theme more).

like i mentioned, haru's colour is yellow. it's the colour of sunshine, buttercups, the sand and some birds and fish, and most importantly it's the colour i associate with spring (along with green). haru is a character that represents the late spring, teeming with life and joy, intense in growth and weather, downpours or clear skies alike.

i don't think there is much more to say about the colours in this step, as in my opinion yellow is most significant. pink also connects with haru's acceptance of femininity and figuring out exactly how much they associate with it. and blue is the colour of the sky :)

in step 3 they are at Direct Fond or Crush. I like their energy in relationships with other people :]

Songs:

hey blondie - dominic fike; barbie the album

everybody loves me - onerepublic

never gonna not dance again - p!nk

sick of losing soulmates - dodie

rebel rebel - david bowie

dancing with myself - billy idol

(hey blondie is such a bop holy shit you guys- also very much a haru song <3)

wow i can't believe i actually wrote this. i am very particular about my characters so now that i have this sort of "introduction" for haru posted, i can post other things about them! don't ask me how that works, it has to be chronological

if you've read this thank you very, very much <3 and if you didn't, fair i feel you lol. feel free to ask about them if your heart desires :]

toodles~

[demoiselettes]

Inked under your sleeve

Valentine’s Day event, day 5.

Reblogs are much appreciated!

Pairing: Zenitsu x reader

Category: fluff

Warning(s)/note(s): reader’s gender is not mentioned but Zenitsu uses the honorific ‘chan’ when referring to reader

+ Zenitsu’s got a secret, can you keep it?

@brokeniced , @crimsonkenjii-writes , @lauvissa , @potofstewie , @holywaterforevery3ne

Even from across the hallway, you could hear the distinct echo of children’s laughter, joined by an older, more masculine high pitched voice. The shoji door was not completely slid shut.

Peering inside from behind the door, you spotted Zenitsu seated cross-legged on the floor. His hands were extended upwards where Sumi, Kiyo and Naho were busy painting God-knows-what on them, perched on a twin-sized bed. Before you made your presence known, his head snapped towards yours and his eyes widened. As usual, his cheeks took on a red tinge. “[Name]-channn!” He chanted, instinctively snatching his hand away from Sumi, who uttered an indignant hey! and waving it at you. You could see that the little flower she’d been painting on it had been smudged.

“What’s going on?” You mused, joining Zenitsu on the floor. He fumbled with his words so much Naho had to pipe in.

“We’re painting Zenitsu-san! He makes a good canvas. Would you like to join him?”

“Oh, sure, why not?” You couldn’t really say not their imploring faces. There was a rustle of cloth coming from next to you and looking to your left, you saw Zenitsu hastily pull down the long sleeve of the patient chemise which had been bunched up. You glimpsed a couple of Kanji characters before they were no longer visible.

“Why did you do that?” Sumi whined. “The writing will be ruined!” All along you saw Zenitsu frantically waving his arms at her and shaking his head vigorously.

“What writing?” You inclined your head, looking at Zenitsu who had beads of sweat shining on his forehead. At the same time, Shinobu’s sing-song voice was heard from down the hallway, calling the three girls and they made a quick show of excusing themselves and scurrying out of the room.

“What writing?” You repeated. Zenitsu fiddled with his fingers for a bit.

“I-i’m not a creep.” He murmured.

“No, you aren’t.” You agreed, bewildered. He extended his arm towards you and rolled up his sleeves. The words were indeed smudged and blurry, but you made out the clumsy spelling of your name.

[ranmaruswife]

Force Live & Pablo Picasso -

A Lyrical Analysis

In honor of Shining Live's 6th Anniversary, I thought I would post a write-up on one of the game's first theme songs, Force Live.

You may not know this but the opening line to the song, “I do not seek. I find.” is a quote famously attributed to Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential artists in history. It can be found in a 1936 article titled ‘A Trend in English Draughtsmanship’ by Graham Sutherland, another famous abstract artist who took great inspiration from the works of Piccaso.

Now this is particularly interesting because Picasso also often spoke on how an artist must “steal” from other artists, lest their work become stale. He was also famously quoted as saying “Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility.” Which to me speaks volumes about Quartet Night’s rivalrous relationship with each other. They do not allow themselves to be satisfied as they are. They always seek to achieve greater heights. And to do that they find that which they lack in each other.

Going back to Force Live, there is a phrase in the final chorus that ties into this idea - 一つに束ねよう（一つになろう） 足りないエレメント（重ね合って） translating to Let’s tie each other into one (Let’s become one) Our lacking elements (Overlapping)

Speaking on the subject of elements, I actually find it very interesting the specific elements each of them were assigned in this song. Particularly Reiji. It is easy enough to see why Ranmaru would get lines about fire, while Camus gets lines about ice. And Ai even has the kanji for wind in his name. But Reiji was given light as his element. Whereas one would more typically assume earth. This can also lead us back to Picasso, though!

Not only does Piccaso have another famous quote about how an artist can transform a simple yellow spot into the sun, but he also pioneered the concept of painting with light, where one takes a light source in a darkened space and moves it around to draw a picture while taking a long exposure photograph.

Now there are more lines in Force Live that can bring us back to art and to this innovative artist. The most obvious being 歴史（ヒストリー）のキャンバスに描け or “paint on the canvas of history.” To quote Picasso once again, “I don't believe in accidents. There are only encounters in history. There are no accidents.” And Quartet Night often sing about their fated meeting and the importance of the bond they have built with one another. Despite the times they have fought and quarreled and nearly lost their way, they still always come back to each other. Rising from the ashes only stronger and hungrier for success.

AND ON THAT NOTE- the main lyrical motif in Force Live is them speaking of all their elements as being destructive, but coming together to form something new and better than what they can achieve alone. And to finish out my rant, once again in the words of Picasso,

“Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.”

And now my own little personal thing (yume warning)- As you can see I find Picasso to be very inspirational and as a yume I have always used another one of his quotes to explain my relationship to others.

Picasso said, "Everything you can imagine is real." Which is a statement I take to heart. Ranmaru might not exist in the way you or I do, but even as a fictional character, he is so influential and impactful. He is real in the sense that he has an image, a voice, music, story, and in my opinion, a soul. Many know him and love him. He has changed lives. Including mine. And in that sense, he is very, very real. No matter how much I may have to "imagine" him.

And since I always used this quote to put things into perspective for other people before Force Live came out, it meant a lot to me to have him quote the same artist. To feel that Ranmaru was inspired by Picasso as I have been. It feels really nice to have yet another connection to the love of my life through song ♡