#japanese wave pattern

[thecutestgrotto]

The Great Wave — Hokusai

Another non-requested set 💗 I really like doing these sets based on famous art lately, I hope it’s not too repetitive if I make it a little collection.

Also in this collection: Starry Night and Irises

• More from the Famous Art Collection •

[borgspareparts]

(via "Mineral Sandy Waves retro vintage seamless pattern design" Chiffon Top for Sale by BorgSpareParts)

[tapeskingdom]

blue wave washi tape

[fashionsfromhistory]

Sashiko Jacket

1850-1899 (Meiji Era)

Japan

Sashiko is a quilting technique that uses a running stitch to reinforce and prolong the life of a textile or to join together recycled pieces of cloth into a new garment. Japanese farmers used the technique to create warmer and more durable fabrics, and decorative sashiko stitching developed from this practical function. This robe’s embroidered design is dominated by three variations on the pattern of interlocking circles, called shippō-tsunagi. The bottom band features a design of waves.

The MET (Accession Number: 67.172.1)

[clockwayswrites]

Like Betta Fish Do Part 25

WC: 3,537 Masterpost CW: Canon typical violence

“I can’t believe I’m in a custom suit,” Danny said as he admired himself in the mirror.

“It is really weird the first few times,” Jason agreed as he did up his own cufflinks.

Danny twisted so that the very faint blue on blue pattern sewn into the suit caught the light. It gave the impression of rolling waves. “So how many fish things did you manage to fit in?”

He watched the reflection to catch Jason’s lips tick up into a pleased smile.

“Well there’s the fabric itself, deep ocean blue.”

“And patterned like waves,” Danny finished. “I caught that.”

“Your shirt and tie are sea foam white.”

“Okay, that one might be a stretch,” Danny said, but he touched the fabric gently.

Jason rolled his eyes. “I’m counting it. The pocket square, very nontraditional, is a Japanese indigo linen in a pattern that is a historic representation of waves. The buttons are abalone, the cufflinks red coral, and the tie pin is mother of pearl.”

“Six, if I give you sea foam white.”

“You better, I worked hard on this. And it’s actually seven, one last thing,” Jason said. He picked up a blue velvet jewelry box off his side table and held it out.

Danny took it curiously. It was bigger than a ring box, but smaller than a necklace case. He brushed his thumb over the soft covering before he snapped the lid open. His breath caught.

Inside was a set of earrings. Simple silver studs for for his cartilage piercings, a pearl earring for his left ear, and then the show stopper: a crystal studded and delicate woven silver betta fish on a chain for his right ear. Its black pearl eyes were bright. They almost made it seem alive.

“Jason…”

“I tried to stay subtle with the rest, but this I couldn’t resist,” he said. “You’re my fish, and everyone at the gala should know that.”

Danny carefully closed the box before he flung his arms around Jason’s neck and pulled the other down for a kiss.

“Careful,” Jason murmured when the kiss broke, “if we show up late and mussed Tim will frown at us the whole night.”

“That would be a shame,” Danny whispered back before kissing Jason again.

“I can’t believe I’m being the voice of reason,” Jason said, “but you have to let me get dressed.”

“Fine,” Danny said, even if it made him want to pout. “Maybe… I can take it off after the gala then?”

The pink that Jason blushed was more than worth being bold and Danny took a moment to admire it before he turned to put in the earrings.

Behind him, Jason knotted a white (or sea foam, Danny supposed) tie and shrugged on a matching jacket. The suit looked bright, almost glowing, against the rich blue dress shirt that complimented Danny’s own suit. He couldn’t be sure what it was from this distance, but Danny thought he saw the glint of white on white embroidery on the cuffs and lapels of the suit. It was the silver fish bone tie pin that made him laugh.

“People are going to have questions.”

“Let them,” Jason said with a cheshire smile.

“I’m starting to get what going to a gala with you will be like,” Danny said.

“Oh, this is tame for me,” Jason said. “I’m behaving.”

“I know, it’s part of your charm.”

“If only the press thought that,” Jason said, grabbing his phone as it beeped. “That’s our car.”

“I wish we could just take your bike,” Danny said, watching Jason put his phone back down, “and our phones.”

“Suit lines. I’ve got a connection to the family,” Jason assured Danny.

“Still. But I guess those suit lines do really great things for your ass and it would be a shame to ruin that,” Danny agreed with a put upon sigh.

“You’re incorrigible tonight,”Jason said (not that he seemed to mind if his smirk was any hint).

“Maybe it’s just that new years mood,” Danny said with a little shrug, lacing their fingers together as they left. “This year turned out pretty great, and I bet next year is going to be even better.”

“Yeah? Any reason for that?”

“Well, I happened to move to a city that’s pretty weird but also pretty awesome,” Danny said.

“Good reason,” Jason agreed. “What else?”

“I’m finally in the degree for what I want to do, and I’m kicking ass at it.”

“Of course you are, you’re brilliant,” Jason said, holding the door open to the town car after he subtly checked the plates. “Nothing else?”

“Well,” Danny drew the word out as he slid into the car. “There’s this guy I met, maybe you know him? Tall, dark, and handsome?”

“I don’t know, he doesn’t sound real,” Jason teased and leaned into Danny’s space.

Danny leaned up and pressed Jason into a light kiss. “He is pretty magical.”

-

“The red carpet, less than magical,” Danny said once they were through the sea of reporters and photographers. “I’m going to be seeing camera flashes for weeks.”

“Only a few hours at most,” Jason said.

“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, your whole being is just one blinding white blur,” Danny said, motioning at Jason, who laughed and caught Danny’s hand.

Jason pressed a quick kiss to the fingertips. The cameras went off in another round of flashes, apparently not having enough of the lost Wayne and his boyfriend. “Come on, let’s head further in away from this circus.”

“Is your family here yet?” Danny asked as they headed into the gala proper. Jason was skilled at keeping them moving without getting caught up by any one group, even as he greeted some of them.

“Bruce, Damian, and Duke arrived pretty on time so Bruce could greet people. Tim is around here somewhere too, networking I’m sure unless Bernard has distracted him. He’ll have arrived with Cass and Steph, who you haven’t met. Steph isn’t family, but she’s family, you know?”

“I think so?” Danny at least assume that meant she was in the Bat life.

“And Dick should be around here or will soon, likely with Barbie.”

“Barbie?” Danny took one of the drink glasses that Jason had snagged. The tart tang of cranberry bloomed across his tongue followed by the burn of alcohol and lingering taste of sugar. It was good.

“Yeah, but don’t call her that. Her name is Barbara, but she goes by Babs.”

“But you can get away with Barbie?”

“He was a very cute kid,” a voice behind them said. “Somehow he convinced me to let him.”

Danny spun and then had to look down to meet the gaze of the red headed woman in a wheelchair. He couldn’t help but feel a pang for Jazz, but it was softened by the fact that he’d get to see her soon.

���Bull,” Danny said with a smile, offering his hand. “I refuse to believe that Jason was ever not a little shit.”

“Oh, no, he was still a little shit,” Babs said, returning the handshake firmly. “But he was a cute little shit.”

Danny sighed dramatically and looked over at Jason. “Where did you go so wrong?”

“Hey, I believe it was you who were extolling the virtues of my ass in this suit not that long ago,” Jason said with just the hint of a pout.

“I think most of the press will be doing that too, so I’m not sure how much weight that has,” Babs said, painted lips ticked up in clear amusement.

Jason just sighed while Danny laughed.

“I like you, Babs. Is Babs okay for me to call you?”

“Of course, you’re Jason’s man, so you can call me Babs. And I really do prefer it to Barbara. The name is just a little old fashion, you know?”

“And you’re a modern kind of woman?” Danny asked with a smile.

“In so many ways,” Babs said. “But I better go make the rounds, or at least find where Dick is. He got distracted.”

“Isn't he always?” Jason said and bid Babs farewell.

“Are they together? Dick and Babs?” Danny ask as he watched her wheel away.

“Not anymore, but they were,” Jason explained. “They’re still really close. And Babs has been close to the family for a lot of years, so she’s special to all of us, you know? She’s a real inspiration to Cass and Steph.”

Oh, that sort of friend. “Wait, was she?”

“Yeah. So you know.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Danny said. The wheelchair meant something a little differently now. He took a breath and looked around the gala, which was already swarming with beautiful, laughing people. He felt out of place without Babs’ friendly face distracting him.

“Come on, I bet we can find some family to talk too,” Jason said, taking Danny’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “There are a few people who I’ll need to hit up tonight for the Foundation stuff, you know, try to get some donations from them or build up the start of that, but you don’t have to hang with me during any of that. There's plenty of siblings around for you to chat with and use as a distraction. Hell, could always introduce you to Lucius or some of the other inventors we have and you all could talk nerd shop.”

“Nerd shop,” Danny repeated with a sigh. “You say Lucius who I’m going to assume is the Lucius Fox and call it nerd shop like that man is not out there breaking barriers and changing the world with his inventions? And that’s just the stuff that’s been announced to the public! Who knows what else he’s been doing behind closed doors! It must be mind blowing.”

“Well, thank you, but I have a lot of very smart people working for me, so it’s hardly just my work that’s out there making waves,” a silky voice said from behind them.

Danny spun and couldn’t help the little squeak he gave.

Jason chuckled and reached out to shake the man’s hand. “Lucius, how are you doing? Did you manage to drag any of your family to tonight’s event?”

“Just my lovely wife. The rest found excuses, you know how it is.”

“I do. Sadly I’m in a position of note now,” Jason said, the words practically had air quotes around them, “so I’m afraid that my days of excuses are gone.”

“Oh, I’m sure that you can still find a few when you truly need them. You’ve always been mighty good at that.”

Jason just shrugged with an unrepentant grin. “Well, you know. But anyway, Lucius, this is my boyfriend Danny. Danny, this, as I guess you know from that sound you made, is Lucius Fox.”

“Of course I know. Really, sir, the work you and your teams have done… amazing.”

“Just Lucius, Danny,” the man said, reaching out to shake Danny’s hand. “If you’re dating Jason I expect that we’ll run into each other from time to time and I am too old for formalities like that.”

“Alright, just Lucius then. I can’t wait to tell my friend Tucker I met you.”

“Another one for, what was that you said Jason, ‘nerd shop talk’ like you are?”

“Totally. He’s in computer sciences, but he’s not bad at engineering some hardware when he needs to. Mostly to be able to get his software to run on, but I always make fun of his soldering.”

“So you must solder a lot then?”

“Yes s— er Lucius. Aerospace engineering, but I grew up always tinkering and things. I still do it some, but it’s harder here when I don’t have the space, you know? First dibs on tables and tools go to the other majors, which I get, since they need them more than us.”

“Still, hard not to be able to get your hands dirty when you want to. Are you going to be in Gotham for the summer? Not sure where you call home.”

“Well, at the moment, home is Gotham. I want to visit some friends and my sisters, but I’ll be here, yeah. I might take a summer course and get an advanced math knocked out or something.”

“A good plan. You should reach back out to me around early May then. I bet we can find a corner of one of the labs for you to at least use on the weekends when no one is around doing work much.”

“Really?” Danny said, hands twitching at just the idea of getting into a space where he could do some inventing. He had so many new ideas from his time at Gotham U on to improve some of his parent’s inventions or even make new things.

“Really. There will be the usual red tape and all, background checks and paper work and hours you’re allowed in, but those things can be worked out. Can’t keep a curious mind and skilled hands stagnant, now can we?”

“I know I can’t,” Danny said with a little laugh. “Thank you Lucius, really, I’ll definitely take advantage of that again. And start planning! I mean I have plans, of course I do, but a lot is just rough sketches, you know? I need to do some proper diagrams for a few things.”

He didn’t want to waste a moment once he had access to tools again— especially not the tools that were available to him at a place like Wayne Enterprises. Danny idly wondered if it would be out by summer that he knew about the Bats. Lucius had to be involved in that work and it would be so cool to take a look under the proverbial and the literal hood of those gadgets. Did they store the Batplane here?

Lucius chuckled and smiled. “Yes, I think you’ll fit right into that corner. You two boys behave now.”

“Never,” Jason said with a laugh and shook Lucius’ hand one more time as they parted ways.

The night turned into a slew of little meetings like that— people coming up to talk to Jason. Some of the conversations were enjoyable like with Babs and Lucius (Steph was overwhelming, but cool), some were with the many family members Jason had, and some were with the tpyical the socialite crowd. Those people seemed either to be there to get their claws in Jason or to observe Danny like he was some curiosity. Danny really could do without that type. Luckily, Jason seemed to know this, and Danny was passed off to Dick a few hours in and then freed to the food table after some teasing.

Really, even with the gawkers, the night was pretty fun.

-

“Hey Barbie, have you seen Danny recently?” Jason asked as he crossed her path at the party.

“No, but I’ve been talking tech. Have you tried over by the food?”

“That’s where I just came from,” Jason said with a little frown. These things were really too busy, one of the many reasons that he hated them. “I guess I’ll go try another sibling. Dick hadn’t seen him in a bit either, he got distracted by one of the people from the foundation that works with kids.”

“I keep waiting for him to join you there, you know. You could try Tim if he hasn’t been co-opted by Bernard yet,” she suggested. “How long has he been schmoozing?”

“Too long, Tim is worthless to me I’m sure. Cass would be—”

Jason dropped instinctively to cover Babs before he even registered the sound of shattering glass.

“Jason—”

The all to familiar muzzle of a gun pressed into the base of Jason’s head. “Turn around slowly. Try anything and I’ll shoot through you to get your lovely friend.”

Jason locked eyes with Babs, a thousand messages passed in that look as he slowly raised his hands and turned around.

It was one of the waiters.

Okay, it was a number of the waiters, Jason mentally corrected as he took in the room. Each of them with a gun pointed at some portion of the party. Jason spotted Bruce and Damian where they were being rounded up and Steph over on the edges of the room, but he couldn’t find Tim, Dick, or Cass on the quick glance at the space.

He snapped his focus back to the gunman at a popping sound. The man raised his left hand to his face and smeared the popped paint pellet across his face, coating half of it in a splotchy blue.

Guess they knew what Two Face was up to now. Speaking of the man of the hour, Two Face walked through the shadowed window, black and white suit spotless and fit for the event, and flanked by henchmen. He was clapping. Head tilted so that the bright lights caught his good side.

“Lovely event Bruice! Really, a shinning light in Gotham to ring in the new year. Don’t mind us, please, we’re just here to pick up the usual, jewels, watches, money clips, wire transfers. I’m afraid we need the extra funding…” He twitched, twisting so that the scarred side of his face was tilted forward. “Because the damn Bat made sure we lost it all! I’m hoping he shows tonight. I’d like to make sure he doesn’t make it to the new year!”

Dent cleared his throat; his right hand smoothed back his hair, tipping his head back the other way. “Sorry about that. Just some… linger resentment. You all know how it is. But let’s not get too serious yet! Brucie! And his adorable little spawn! Some of our guests of honor too! Behave if you don’t want to be shot in the head.”

Jason watched helplessly as Bruce, Damian, and several other social elite like the mayor were lashed together with rope. Two Face walked over after they were trussed and slapped a bomb to Bruce’s chest. While the the henchman secured it, Two Face turned to the crowd.

“Where is he? Our darling lost prince of Gotham?”

The gunman stuck the cold metal back to the base of Jason’s neck and pushed him forward.

The bomb started ticking down.

“There you are! When I heard you returned to us, my heart swelled, truly,” Dent said, looking up with his good eye as if praying to heaven. “And now! Now I hear you’ve found love!”

Dent bent over, cackling. The enlarged, yellow eye looked up at Jason from under the white bangs. “So let’s play a game while we count down to midnight.”

Two Face’s goons dramatically rolled out a podium. Two bright red buttons were mounted to it, right below a large television.

Danny was on the screen.

He was tied to a chair in some building’s basement. A bruise was already blooming to life around his right eye, deep blue as his suit. He had clearly caught a fist to the lip too. The fish earring was bright silver, catching light reflected from the pool of water that the chair was sat in.

“As you see, we’re giving your boyfriend some hospitality,” Dent said, smooth side of his face to Jason as he walked around the podium like some perverse Vanna White. “So you have a simple choice: decided what type of love is more important to you. Do you press the left button and save your boyfriend, letting your family and these other lovely people die to the bomb…”

He rounded the screen, scarred open eye starting at Jason accusingly. “…or do you press the button on the right and save the people in this room, but fry your boyfriend to death with electricity?”

Two Face snapped his fingers.

Danny’s head jerked up, unfocused eyes staring just to the right of the screen.

“Hey, dead boy,” Danny rasped. Just talking made the split on his lip crack and bleed again, adding another line of blood to his chin. On the screen the red was bright, bright, bright—

Jason clenched his hands. He was going to kill Two Face. “Hey, fish.”

“You know, the irony of this whole thing is that it does make me realize I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you.”

“Yeah? That's convenient. I've been in love with you for weeks.”

Dent cackled and motioned grandly at the trussed up people. The bright, bright red of the bombs’ timer counted down another tick. “Looks like you're all out of luck! True love always wins.”

He twisted to Jason with the scarred side of his face and growled, “Forty-five seconds left.”

“You know what you have to do, don't you?” Danny asked.

He was smiling at Jason, a soft calm thing. But Jason didn't know if he could trust it. He didn’t know Danny's limits. He didn’t know if this would kill him the rest of the way.

But he did know what Danny would never forgive him for. He knew he didn't really have a choice. “I do. I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.”

Jason lunged and hit the right button. On the screen, the wires sparked bright with electricity, lighting up the pool of water. And Danny screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

The camera cut out.

---

AN: We're finally here! To the scene I wrote last year! Aaaaaah~

I would say I'm sorry, but this time I truly am not. (Please don't stab me.) ._.

It will be fiiiiiiiine... right?

[liabutterscotch]

“Let my flute be the last sound you hear”

My Kny Oc, Naila Hano, (or Naira for Japanese pronunciation) I drew her years ago and came back to tweak up her design a bit bc the idea of her controlling vines made me giggle silly me (but I did rename her last name to “Hano” which means leafy fields and also drew a leaf earring to compensate it✨) Her family also lived besides a farm and grassy fields so ig imma say

Lore (which no one asked for and in which I’m still working on):

She’s a demon slayer (not a Hashira cause I degrade my ocs originality lol) with Resonance Breathing as her ability. It was derived from Thunder Breathing!

The breathing style would be to harness the power of vibration, frequency, pressure, and sound in her combat techniques with the custom made flute katana! I wanna include her whistling high pitch vocals, but she’s still training her lungs to reach that level lol.

Her 4 breathing technique forms are Acoustic Waves, Resound through Declaration, Vibrations of Fate Reverberate, and Echoes of Rippled Vengeance.

I’m gonna flat out say her ability is almost similar to Uzui Tengen’s sound breathing style, and Zenitsu’s capability to hearing from a distance, the only difference would be that she can use her flute to detect wavelengths from almost a kilometre away.

The Sword/katana has holes patterned across it, so when she swings it horizontally the holes create Rythm and whistles.

Her personality is passionate yet quiet, she’s determined but chooses not to speak when not necessary if that makes sense (think of un-depressed giyuu ig). It would fit her reasoning to not speak so frequently and loudly too as her vocal/breathing training consists of her screaming (to the point you can’t hear it, like a dog whistle) 💀💀

Lastly (from what I conceptualised) I’m still thinking whether I should make her a Shinobi, or just a demon slayer who got inspired by theatre and opera singing? Hmmmmmm yes decision making we love 👵

IF YOU READ ALL OF THAT TY 😭💐✨💓

[limited-hero]

Can we see all the references you've made for the characters in your au??? I adore the ones I've seen but I'd like to see all of them. I'd also like to ask your process and ideas behind the designs!

I adore your art style sm. ✨️✨️

This is the whole gang! (except for some exceptions) I can't say much about their designs, since it contains heavy spoilers for some of them! But here's a quick run down! Minish: he's wearing the Roc's cape as a hoodie instead! His design is pretty simple tbh Past: I didn't want to make him a typical bunny like everyone else does. In Limited hero, he'll be a full grown man with rabbit features! Warrior: He was pretty simple as well. I wanted to keep his blue scarf, as well as the guard look. Ravio: I wanted him to have a merchant kind of look, mixed together with Japanese inspired clothing and some patterns resembling a bunny! Twilight: I wanted him to look like a goat-herder! Turning into a wolf so often had a side effect on his body, and he's slowly turning back to human, with some wolf-like features still remaining Wild: His clothing was inspired by a cosplayer named @/polarcadia He has burn marks from head to toe, from burning himself on the gloom. Time: He's wearing the fierce deity armor, equipped with several bottles with fairies in them, and a chain-ball looking tool to catch fairies with. Sky: He's wearing the clothing of the guardians from the silent realm Zelda: She's wearing an phantom inspired armor Wind: He's wearing a pirate inspired outfit, with tattoos all over his body resembling the waves and the red lions neck patterns. He's carrying Tetras sword and has a glass eye on his left eye Thank you so much for the question! I hope i could answer it! (The designs might change at any point!)

[rumade]

Making a quilt for my babby, who's due in early October, so I went with some Autumnal prints:

We got:

interacial bear couple with baby bear

dark hedgerow

Japanese stamps (I had my husband check these to make sure they weren't anything inappropriate

green arrows or possibly trees

squirrel

squirrel 2: now he has a mushroom

orange background white leaves

yellow Japanese traditional (waves?)

Piecing finished yesterday. The pattern/instructions are from the channel Just Get It Done Quilts, it's one of her quilt in a day stash busters

Bit bigger than I was expecting because I can't visual large numbers in inches and I was too lazy to convert to metric. Whoops!

[madelynhimegami]

Azure Soul Guide

Figured going more in depth about the nature of Sig's powers-- or at least what's been shown so far-- would be a good idea. But there was a lot to talk about, so I'm giving it a seperate post.

According to Feli's clairvoyance, Sig's magic is in a delicate state of balance between two forces that she calls "the Red" and "the Blue."

The Red refers to the red power within his left arm. It's extremely powerful, but extremely dangerous.

The Blue is what keeps the Red in check, and seems to be reflection of Sig himself.

Beyond the above, the exact nature of these forces isn't quite clear. Is one demonic and the other human? Or are they both demonic/human?

Feli also says the balance has been maintained for untold passages of time, but did not elaborate further.

When the balance is disrupted, Sig changes.

If the Red is strengthened or drawn out by an external source, Sig is overtaken by a harsh, cruel, and verbose personality that denies being Sig.

In this state, the Red threatens to overwhelm the Blue and snuff it out, resulting in personality death for Sig. The not!Sig personality actively wants this to happen.

Amitie has noted that in this state, both his eyes turn red and his hair becomes darker.

This form is not Dark Sig, however. We'll talk about that in a little bit.

Apparently not!Sig does know of a power residing within Amitie's hat, but not of its significance.

Amitie has the innate ability to actively suppress the Red, seeming to reinforce the Blue enough to restore balance. Not!Sig seems unaware of this as well.

For years, it was commonly interpreted that the Red-- and by extention, not!Sig-- was the other half of the soul that the Crimson Soul (within the Tome of Sealing) was once a part of.

This was in part because of the shared association with the color red, but additionally, not!Sig's speech patterns bear a strong resemblance to Possessed Klug's.

However, there is a slowly growing list of evidence that suggests, but does not (de)confirm, that it's not as simple as that. -> Not!Sig seems to not know (and/or not care) about the book and/or what lies within. -> Both times they have appeared, they've made no effort to seek out their supposed "missing half" or even mention such a thing might exist. -> Compare with how many times the Crimson Soul is on the record mentioning what they're after. -> While both of Sig's themes ("In the Middle of a Stroll" from 15th and "Rapid Carefree Advice" 20th) quote the primary melody/motif heard in Possessed Klug's themes ("Ancient Spirit Reawakens" and "Crimson Wave!"), not!Sig's battle theme in Puzzle Pop ("Azure Roar!") doesn't, even as it shares instrumentation and other compositional elements used in "Crimson Wave!" (as well as Sig's normal themes). -> Not!Sig's behavior (especially in Puzzle Pop) comes scross as aggressive and power-hungry, compared to how Possessed Klug often behaves.

It's possible (but has not been confirmed) that when Sig's power is unbalanced in favor of the Blue, he becomes Dark Sig.

(Another possibility is that Dark Sig is what happens when the Azure Soul and the Crimson Soul resonate with each other)

Either way, Dark Sig has never been depicted with two red eyes, so it's not the same as when he's taken over by not!Sig, despite sharing darker hair and a sinister aura.

Not!Sig doesn't have the mutated right arm, either.

In this state, Sig sounds more awake and energetic, his words coming more quickly and easily. He's not any more verbose for it, though.

Sig says he feels tremendous amounts of power overflowing him, but he doesn't understand what the form is or why it happens.

While in this form, he says that he feels like someone is calling out to him. He doesn't know who or what that "someone" is (it's the Crimson Soul), but the closer they are, the more restless and pressured he feels.

Since at least 20th Anniversary, if you listen closely to the Japanese audio of Sig chanting his spells, he sounds progressively more awake, to the point of almost sounding like Dark Sig when he gets to Hydrangea.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

Community and your Individual Power

I have been trying to figure out a way to put this into words that make sense. I don't believe in fate.

I don't believe in the idea that we all have a specific purpose given to us by a specific entity. What I do believe in is the collective unconscious. That there is something out there, that we don't understand that connects us. I believe that minute actions by individuals over millennia make waves they never saw the outcome for. Synchronicity is a real phenomenon. We perceive more similar things once we've been exposed to them because our brains recognize patterns they're more familiar with. I didn't find OFMD because some power that be pointed me to it. I found OFMD because I was missing something in my life, and I was lonely, and over time I exposed myself to more and more queer content, and that queer content shared space with OFMD. The reason I was able to expose myself to more queer content was because of years of artists and creators pushing the boundaries of what was "tolerated" in society-- so that content was available. I was able to access more of what I needed, because I went through hellish things in my life that put me on the path of therapy, and therefore the path of loving myself more, and accepting who I was, and my desires and leanings. I was able to figure out my leanings because others had the courage to share their own feelings and desires, and I found that mine aligned with some of them. I was able to do that because people I knew, people who had been through therapy, been through self discovery, told me it was okay, and accepted me.

I was able to meet those people because my parents, despite disagreeing with those leanings encouraged me to talk to people and get to know people and listen before I spoke. When I was younger, I was able to be exposed to queer media because I got a job at Suncoast, because my parents let me buy Dragon Ball tapes there, and the manager wanted someone who knew anime, and was willing to give 16 year old me a chance. I was able to get into anime and manga because my dad and mom met in Japan because my mom's first husband left her for reasons I won't explain,-- and so they encouraged me to learn Japanese because I found it fascinating and connected with it on a personal level. I was able to get into queer manga because an artist in another country (Matou Sanami) pushed a boundary of what was accepted in society, and they were able to do that because of people like Martha P. Johnson who fought for queer rights in the Stonewall Riots-- and so on and so forth. All the joy I am getting to experience right now is because of endless little and big things that others did and sacrificed, and how I navigated through the results of that. Nothing happened in a vacuum. I had biases I now don't. I changed. I evolved, I'm still evolving. I'm still learning, and I always will be. I met all of you before what's currently happening in the US today because my journey led me to you. Because of the sacrifices, and the courage of so many millions of people over the entirety of human history to just-- be themselves. I met you because I needed to meet you, and all the complicated strings of events that led me to that need. I know I'm not alone in this. We have each other now, to help us navigate this increasingly difficult and oppressive time for ourselves and the ones we love (and the people we don't even know). That's not even mentioning the already existing structural biases so many of our crew face (racism, gender inequality, etc). Community develops out of necessity, and that's what we are. We are community.

Community fosters education and acceptance, and supports resistance and topples oppression.

Community is what sustains us. It evolves as we do. Even if we aren't in the same physical place, solidarity and support reaches through time and space. Community is how we heal. Lean on your community, whether that is in person, or online. We came together because we needed to come together. We came together because human beings are complex and beautiful, and we carve out our little communities for ourselves in our various spaces. If you're low on spoons, or money, or hope. Reach out to your community. Community is how we rise.

But most of all. Remember that you are so very powerful. Your tiny actions, though you will never see the results of them change lives. So very many lives. You are a tiny powerful force and together, we can be a community of tiny powerful forces until one day, we make waves that not only help us, but the millions of lives ahead of us. Community is how we survive. Being ourselves is how we foster future generations to be themselves and take actions. I truly do love you crew , and I know so many people do, please remember that when all hope seems lost. Let us be your hope. Let us be your support. <3

[wherefancytakesme]

After 10 years of craving it, I now present to you... the triple pickle cream pie!

I haven't thought about it for a long time, but then I learned recently that a (terrible) recipe for a pickle cheesecake exists, and I was reminded of the pie in WOY that looked impossibly good to me, and thought if I could make an actually good pickle pie. Two weeks ago I finally got started, and now here we are.

I found a recipe for cucumber-lime pie and mixed it with cream pie instructions.

I made it "triple" by putting pickle in the filling (plain cucumber), pickle in the cream (sour-- not salty-- pickle juice and a TON more sugar mixed in), and pickles on the side (Japanese sour ones just as removable garnish).

Then I used a graham-cracker pie crust because looking at the pies in the show for some reason always made me nostalgic for those Hershey's sundae pies you could get in slices at certain restaurants-- and they both work better once frozen.

I also made the wave pattern with a rubber spatula.

I had two different people try it and they said it was honestly not bad! (I thought it tasted pretty alright.)

Anyway, it's not perfect, but I'm sure you can all try and experiment with it yourself if you're ambitious and hungry for it enough, haha.

Sorry for the varying lighting on the pictures, the kitchen lights bleached the irl colors on-camera and I had to retouch most of them, hence the mild saturation.

[wildbeautifuldamned]

Japanese Vintage Beaded Evening Bag Qinghai wave Pattern Light Green 8x5 inch ebay meg.kamakura

[the-final-high-noon-rings]

art for day 2 of dr.carmilla appreciation week!

cat/transformation !!! @drcarmillaappreciationweek

[Image ID: A digital drawing, bust upward, of Maki Yamazaki as Dr. Carmilla, a skinny Japanese woman, with her head turned towards her left shoulder, creating a side profile, while her body is still facing the camera. She has messy, chin-length dark red hair, and a little bit of the eye patch on her left eye is visible. She has pointy ears, defined cheekbones, and several visible piercings. Carmilla is wearing a grey-and-white striped shirt, with a dark red-purple vest over top of it. There is a purple-black cat perched on her right shoulder, which has eyes very similar to her own, except for sharper pupils. The cat has its head turned in the same direction as Carmilla, and its tail can be seen swishing near Carmilla's right arm. On her other shoulder, the top of a ukulele is visible. The entire drawing except for the background has a slight purple-pink undertone. The background is stock pattern, which is green and grey, with images of waves and butterflies on it. End ID]

[afi-writes]

The Greatest Treasure of the Dragon

Ship: Kenshin x female reader with curly hair Rating: Mature Summary: When Kenshin arrives home you are lost in literature and don't pay enough attention to your man. He isn't pleased with the fact and decides to mark you as his once more.

This fic has been written as a commission for @himezuru-ichimonji-no-saya.

My commissions aren't currently open but you can sign up on the waiting list by contacting my main blog @afi-mukami.

The garden is full of scents that waffle around you. You can’t help the smile that spreads on your lips as you enjoy the play that the bunnies have arranged for without asking. Such funny creatures. It’s almost like a blessing that Kenshin enjoys having those furry critters around.

Hopping and leaping, the bunnies make the most of the sunny moment of the afternoon. A burst of laughter erupts from you. Not wanting to scare the animals, you lean down, breathing in the last autumn flowers that are still blooming.

“My lady, please forgive me for the intrusion.”

When the maid’s voice reaches your ears, you spin around, swaying your curly locks behind your back. “Yes, what is it?”

You keep the smile on your face even though you can see how the bunnies scatter in the darker corners of the inner garden. Haa… it might take a while before they have gathered enough courage to come out again.

“I was asked to deliver this to you, my lady.” The maid roams closer and bows her head, lifting an item wrapped in a patterned cloth. An expensive one, you assume.

“I see.” You take the package from the maid’s hands, and she straightens in front of you. “What is it?”

“I did not dare to ask.” The maid glances around as if checking if there isn’t anyone lurking in the shadows even though that should be clear, for this garden is in Kenshin’s private quarters. “But it is from lord Kanetsugu. I believe he included a note.”

The maid bows once more, taking a few steps backward. No doubt in a hurry to leave the garden. You can’t believe that you truly are that intimidating. Kenshin, yes. But you? Has his aura stuck on you as well?

“I apologize for my leave.” The maid keeps proceeding without turning her back on you until she is at the door and slips into the castle.  You don’t ask her to stay. Probably this is for the best.

Since the woman has left you alone, your focus turns to the package in your hands. The cloth has a pattern of cranes in a misty autumn field. You can’t help but wonder how expensive such a fabric would be in your time… and here as well. It would alone make for a gift.

“I wonder…” You press the package against your chest, wandering out of the garden and into the room you share with Kenshin. Leaving your sandals out, you walk to the table in your socks and sit down on the pillow.

Bit by bit, you wrap the cloth open. It feels thick and well-made against your fingertips. Enveloped in it is a book you have not seen before. Curious!

As you open the cover, you face a handwritten note. Some time ago, you would not have been able to read it. Now, you can, thanks to your persistent efforts to master the ancient version of the Japanese language. You might be still slow, but the words no longer keep secrets from you.

Thank you, my lady. This is a collection of poems I have collected over the years. I copied them for you as a reward for your services. — Naoe Kanetsugu

“Ah, he shouldn’t have.” The words sway out of your mouth like waves. But you can’t stop smiling. Of course, you didn’t help the man out in hopes of getting a prize. Yet, you can’t stop the warmth coursing through you when you know he has acknowledged your input.

You put the note aside and dive into the book. Since the bunnies are hiding, you have time to lose yourself in the fragile beauty of the written word.

You can’t but admire the choices Kanetsugu has made as he has handpicked the poems. With each piece, it’s not only the meanings of the combined words but also the utmost beautiful manner in which each character is copied. It must have taken him forever to make this collection for you. Every single poem in the tome is a piece of art that is ready to steal your breath away.

Vaguely, you hear as the door slides open and steps roam in. “My love… I’m home.”

Without lifting your face from the page, you nod. “Welcome home, Kenshin.”

Ah, such an enchanting expression. How can someone even come up with something like that? The way of using words and playing with them is near perfection. Does the original poets have some natural talents or has someone been teaching them? You burn to know! The next time you see Kanetsugu, you have to ask him about this poem selection.

You barely notice how Kenshin moves across the room, his feet tapping on the tatami as he closes in. Sighing with bliss, you turn another page, letting yourself dive into the next waves of words while Kenshin sits down next to you and starts to toy with one of the curls you have let stay loose today.

Another sigh pusses past your lips, as the new poem takes you in a whirlpool of emotions. Kenshin brushes aside your hair, revealing your neck and covering it with kisses. You giggle and wiggle but turn a page once more. Ah, such delicate handwriting. You are in literature heaven. This isn’t just a book but a full experience of delight.

Suddenly, fingers snatch your source of happiness from you.

“What is this? Why aren’t you paying attention to me?” Kenshin’s voice distills sour bitterness as he starts to go through the book.

“Kanetsugu gave it to me,” you say, not wanting to keep secrets from your love. Meandering a bit, you turn to face him. “Those poems are simply stunning.”

“Why?” The word comes out harsh as Kenshin’s sapphire and emerald eyes capture your gaze. There is a furrow between his brows.

“Oh… well… they are written in such dedicated handwriting and the way how the words dance on paper…”

“Why did Kanetsugu give you this?” Kenshin asks again, tossing the book on the table. The slapping sound as the cover hits the wood strikes you directly in the heart.

“I ended up helping him another day with something and I guess he felt like he should return the favor…” You try to keep your voice steady but still mumble more than speak. You can tell that Kenshin is angry from the way his eyes flash.

“I will kill him!”

Kenshin shifts like he is going to get up. Hastily, you grab his shoulders, pushing him down even though you know he is much stronger than you and can easily even tie you up if he wishes. Still, you can’t let him go to Kanetsugu, not for this. Of course, he wouldn’t truly kill his vassal, you have learned that by now, but there just isn’t a reason to say anything to Kanetsugu at all.

“Please, Kenshin. Let it slide. It’s nothing,” you try to crack some sense into your man’s heat-clouded mind. “It was simply a gift, nothing more. There is no need to…”

“Do you like it more than the gifts I gave to you?” Kenshin’s voice grumbles into your ears. He takes your hands off his shoulders, wrapping his fingers around your wrists, and pulls you a bit closer.

“I can enjoy gifts in different ways.” At the instant the words leave your mouth, you know you have made a mistake. This was not the answer Kenshin yearned for, the answer that would have soothed his troubled mind and heart.

“Only I am allowed to give you the perfect gift.” Kenshin leans in, glaring at you. “I’ll go and find something better than that book!”

Kenshin rises, hauling you with him. You stagger in his grip and gasp for a moment from the sudden movement.

“Kenshin, please… You don’t need to do such a thing.” You sigh, tugging your wrist slightly in hopes that Kenshin would release you and you could brush his cheek. Yet, he doesn’t give you a chance.

Looking directly into the eyes of your love, you try to make your voice as calm and collected as possible. “Gifts aren’t that important to me. I don’t care about having pretty items or clothes because I already have the most valuable gift I can imagine.”

“The book?” Kenshin’s voice is like acid, and his fingers clench around your wrists even harsher, forcing a whimper out of you. Instantly, he loosens his grasp but still doesn’t let go of you.

“No, not the book.” You swallow a new sigh, not wanting to annoy Kenshin more. “You, you are the most precious gift I have ever received. Since I have you, I don’t need anything else.” Rising on your toes, you place a kiss on his chin. “Please, forgive me if I gave you a reason to think otherwise, but I swear there is nothing I cherish more than you.”

Silence spreads between you two, filling the air of the room with its stickiness. You can’t help the squeeze around your heart. You would never want to hurt the one you love, yet now it happened because of your insensitive actions.

“Fine. I won’t kill Kanetsugu…” Kenshin releases your wrists, only to envelope you with his arms. “...for now. But he better not piss me off again by courting you.”

“He isn’t courting me, I promise.” Finally, you can touch Kenshin’s face and draw your fingertip along with his chin line. “I’m all yours.”

Kenshin groans. “He should see it.”

“I’m sure he does.” You press one hand on Kenshin’s shoulder, rising on your toes once more to place a kiss on his lips.

Kenshin tightens his grip on you, squashing you on his chest as if he is afraid you could be spirited away right in this instant. His gaze is still painted with jealousy and possessiveness before he lets his thick lashes land on his cheeks and captures you in a proper smooch. A rough, all-consuming smooch that is about to wipe your feet under you, but Kenshin catches you, scooping you in bridal style and dashing you both across the room without freeing your mouth from the prison of his lips. Only when he lays you on the futon, he allows you to gasp for air.

“I will make Kanetsugu see to whom you belong…” Kenshin snatches your obi, starting to open it as you wriggle against the futon. “I will make everyone see. They won’t dare after that…”

“Kenshin…”

You entwine your fingers with Kenshin’s hair, but he doesn’t even peek at you. Not now, since he is busy getting your obi open. The silk belt surrenders him, and he tosses it to the other side of the room while the kimono on you slides down your sides, baring your belly to his burning gaze.

Without hesitation, Kenshin pushes aside the rest of the fabric, revealing your breast for his touch, uncovering everything you hide under your layers of robes. The air in the room isn’t exactly cold, yet it is cool enough to force your sensitive buds to peak. As if that was a cue, Kenshin abducts one of them in the heated cave of his mouth, dancing his tongue around it while toying the other with his fingers. A moan erupts you before you can restrain it, and you arch on the mattress.

As in a hurry, Kenshin’s hand leaves your breast and travels down toward your navel, bypassing it only to reach your throbbing heat. His actions have already started to soak your depths, and warmth flashes on your cheeks as you know for sure that he will notice the fact. You whimper, tugging his hair as he makes his thumb trace your pulsing pearl while sneaking two other fingers closer to your entrance. You are jerking your hips up before you even realize it. More, you need more of this.

Kenshin keeps torturing your nub while slipping his fingers in, two at once, pushing a whine out of you as the swirling fingers stretch you wide, finding just the right spot. He truly knows how and where to touch you. Today, his fingers move fast, thrusting in and out, curling over your special spot and then reaching deep. Not even for a moment, his thumb stops tormenting you.

At the same time, Kenshin’s mouth travels up, nibbling its way forward. He sucks the sensitive skin of the column of your neck so harshly that you wail. Not minding your lamentations, he keeps nibbling and sucking while his fingers make their magic between your thighs. You are melting and squirming, turning into his personal swamp to drown in. Slip, wet sounds mix with your moans as you arch against him yanking his hair with every shove of his digits.

A groan escapes Kenshin’s mouth against your neck. “I need to claim you as mine…”

“I… am… yours…” Your words mingle with your whines.

But apparently, reassurances aren’t enough for Kenshin. With a swift movement, he unplugs his fingers from you, leaving you throbbing and yearning for release. Licking the digits clean, he gazes at you.

“I hope you mean that you want me this very instant…” Kenshin’s yanks open the traps of his fur-collared cloak and slings it on the tatami. “...because…” He finds the front belts of his hakama, unknotting them. “...I have…” With impatient motions, his hakama along with his kimono end up in the same pile with the cloak until he is in all his naked glory before you. “...reached the limit of my restraint.”

Steadying your breath, you enjoy the view to the fullest. Every battle-hardened muscle, flattering collarbones, and the tiny trail of hair that marks the path from his navel toward the shaft which looks like it’s more than ready to make you wail.

“I'll make you mine.” Lowering himself over you and leaning in, Kenshin secures one of your ankles with his grip. “You will only think of me.” He folds your leg up, placing your calf on his shoulder. Right after that, he wraps his fingers around his hardened member, guiding it on your pearly gates.

Biting your lip, you ready yourself. Yet, a tiny whimper escapes you as Kenshin hits in, roughly and deeply.

"Don't stifle your moans.” Kenshin pulls almost completely out only to ram into your damp depths once again. Growling, he presses his body against you and stretches your thigh along the movement. “Let me hear you."

You throw your head back on the futon, lips parting and letting out a cry of pleasure. Kenshin takes your wrists, shoving them against the mattress as he sinks himself into you again and again, at an unrelenting pace, your leg swinging with every push.

Toes curling, clenching around Kenshin's merciless member, you turn into a moaning mess. He conquers you, claims even the most secret parts of yours, the realms that belong to him and to him only. Without a doubt, you are his and willing to surrender your everything in his hands, letting him take your body in the way he enjoys. And more than that. With every plunge, your hearts are tied closer like you are becoming one single being.

Suddenly your moans are drowned by Kenshin’s lips that imprison yours. His tongue slithers into your mouth, tangling with yours. He lets go of your wrists and presses even closer, your leg gliding down his upper arm until he allows it to meet the futon. But you’re not willing to stop there. You need him closer, deeper. Embracing his waist with your legs, you thrust his butt and cry into his mouth as he hits just in the right spot. Wrapping your arms around him, you haul his chest against your breast as he continues his merciless bouncing.

“You…” Kenshin groans onto your lips. “...are…” He sucks your tongue before pulling your lip. “...mine.”

Your skin rubs against Kenshin’s as you lose yourself in the tango of two bodies, hearts and souls. Hips meeting hips, you take Kenshin in with relish over and over. As he pounds in, massaging your perfect spot each time, your tongues entangle together, almost becoming one. There is nothing separating you two. Everything is revealed, nothing remains hidden.

Kenshin leaves your lips but only to attack your neck again. Harsh sucks equal his rough shoves, making you whimper even more under him.

The sparks lit under your skin, tingling through you from your core to your head and toes. Whirls of bliss wipe you as Kenshin makes your garden bloom. Petals of pleasure scatter around you and you become a storm of gratified flowers, exploding to the sky. You whine and whimper into Kenshin’s mouth, in his arms, arching against him and squeezing him again. Again. Again! There is no end to it as you sob at the pleasure that ties you to him.

“My love!” One last rough shove. Kenshin’s hips bounce, his member piercing you. He tenses over you, groaning your name onto your lips and shooting his load of love and lust deep within you, filling you up until you are soaked both from your combined salacious sap of feverish joys.

You breathe in, breathe out, your heart still hopping like a scared bunny. Kenshin brushes your sweaty curls off your face, gazing down at you with his mismatched eyes. “Now, you are all claimed, all marked as mine.”

Nodding, you still can’t muster out a word.

“Was I too rough?” There is a hint of worry in Kenshin’s voice as he caresses your cheek.

You shook your head.

“I can't stand the idea of someone else courting you. You should be only mine forever.” Worriedness is turning husky.

“Don’t worry… I'll always be yours.” Your fingers tremble as you cup Kenshin's face, stroking his sweat-covered cheek with your thumbs. “You are the greatest gift I have ever received. There is no way I would let go of you.”

Finally, a weary smile wavers onto Kenshin's lips. “And you're my greatest treasure of all time. I love you.” The words meander into your heart, making it beat faster again. You beam as you pull Kenshin into a new smooch. “I love you as well, my love. With all my being.”

[800milesisadrive]

Meet Cute

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at playing around with AI co-authoring, with maybe 75% either being my own work or a heavy rewrite of the suggestions. It's a very crude and ugly little bit smut, but felt good enough to share it. Any stories I do share in the future that use AI for more than editing and brainstorming will be noted as such!

Sarah was so deeply focused on her homework, she didn't notice the man sitting across from her until he started talking.

"You know, girls as cute as you shouldn't need to study so hard," his voice cracked as he wheezed out the words.

Sarah could feel her whole body tense up. This guy had been bugging her all week, pestering her with inane chatter about anime and hentai. She just wanted to be left alone. She looked up at him, glaring at the overweight and unbathed lump sitting at seat on the other side of the table. Her almond eyes narrowing into slits, barely able to keep herself from screaming at him.

"I suggest you focus on your own life, buddy," she snapped back, her tone sharper than a knife.

The weeb recoiled slightly, but only for a pause. After a moment of stuttering, he seemed to regain his undeserved confidence. With a slightly unhinged smile, he launched into another speech about some obscure anime series.

"Like in Duko-Duko Magica?" he continued, completely ignoring Sarah's protest. "The One-Chan; doesn't have to worry about school, her master just puts a replica of her in class so no one suspects she's off having adventures!"

His tone was that of a father trying to explain a storybook to a toddler. This man wasn't talking to Sarah, but down to her. Even without his hunched posture, Sarah suspected she'd still be taller than this dork.

Was he wearing the same, sweat-stained anime t-shirt from yesterday, when he first tried to corner her in the library? Sarah was nearly sure of it, but wouldn't put it past this loser to have multiple outfits that were plastered with girls making faces with their tongues out...

"It's an 'Ahegao' pattern," the man said leaning forward. Sarah had unexpectedly zoned out, staring at him. " Though you know that already, being Japanese! It's actually the 'Mind-Break Ahegao' edition," he continued pointing at his chest. "Limited drop!"

Sarah felt lightheaded and frustrated. She couldn't believe how persistent and presumptive this guy was. While her family was from Japan, she'd never been herself and had never watched anime.

"Listen, I don't want to talk about this anymore," Sarah finally said, her voice trembling with impatience. "Can you just leave me alone?"

The man's face contorted into a mask of disbelief. "But we're having such a fun conversation!" he whined.

Sarah was done with this loser and his racist shit. She started to collect her things, packing them up to escape this annoying prick.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed the man shifting in his chair, looking around nervously. His nerves coming back.

"It's not supposed to take this long..." he muttered to himself. "'Instant changes' is what the site said..."

Sarah paused, confused and oddly concerned by his change in demeanor. She hated this guy from the moment she set eyes on him, yet now she felt some irrational empathy.

He seemed like a pathetic loner, desperate for human connection that he would cling onto anything within reach. That desperation reminded her of her own loneliness, amplified by being a minority in an overwhelmingly white campus.

As he mumbled under his breath, she found herself glancing at his shirt again. The lewd drawings were unsettling, especially since they appeared to be moving - pulsing faintly with each heartbeat. Suddenly, a wave of vertigo washed over her. She struggled to sit upright, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Was it the late hour? Or perhaps something in the air?

Maybe it was too close to the radiator and there was something wrong with the heating system, because she suddenly felt incredibly warm and light-headed. Her hands, which moments ago held tightly onto her books, loosened their grip. She stared blankly at the book covers sprawled before her on the table. In that hazy state, she realized that they depicted scenes from Japanese folklore, images that once alien to her were now strangely familiar. It was like she remembered childhood memories of hearing these stories told by her grandmother during bedtime.

Sarah closed her eyes with surprise at the vivid imagery she saw in her mind.

"Hey, are you ok?" The man leaned toward her, concern etched into his previously obnoxious expression. "Maybe you should get some rest."

"No, I'm fine," Sarah assured him, opening her eyes wide. "Just tired, I guess."

The man nodded sympathetically. "You've been working too hard. Exchange students have it the toughest."

"I'm not..." Sarah began to protest and stopped herself. She wasn't an exchange student, was she?

Sarah thought to herself, her grip tightening around her textbooks. But then why do I feel this strange sense of familiarity? She wondered if she had simply forgotten her heritage due to spending her entire life in America. Maybe her mother spoke tales of Japanese myths during her childhood, stories that somehow lodged themselves deep enough inside her brain to surface now.

"Are you sure you're doing alright?" He asked, peering at her intently. Sarah was taken aback by her sudden attraction to his soft brown eyes. They were full of genuine concern, a stark contrast to his previous arrogant attitude.

For a brief moment, Sarah considered sharing her confusion with him. Yet, she hesitated, fearing that he might exploit her vulnerability. Instead, she simply replied, "Yeah, I'm good. Just need to take a break." She stood up abruptly, hoping to end the conversation. However, as she did, a sharp pain coursed through her legs, causing her to stumble. Mark caught her quickly, his firm grip steadying her. Sarah blinked, surprised by his unexpected gentleness.

"Maybe you should sit down. You look exhausted," he suggested softly.

Sarah looked up at him. Just a few moments ago she'd assumed he was about her height but now he towered over her, looking almost manly in spite of his flabby shape.

Something was happening to her. Sarah didn't fully understand it, but if felt like gravity itself had shifted. The whole world seemed a bit taller, and this man's touch felt like a life preserver she needed to cling to.

"This is... This is all wrong." Sarah breathed out, trying to keep from fainting.

A hungry smirk crawled over the man's face, once that filled Sarah with strong revulsion. She yanked herself back.

"What... what are you doing to me?" she stumbled, catching herself on the table. Sarah felt a strange sensation in her head, this was beyond exhaustion. Sarah managed to ask, her voice trembling.

Mark maintained a deceptively calm composure, though beneath his outwardly collected exterior, he felt ecstatic. He had finally found someone who understood his passion for anime and accepted him.

"Nothing much," Mark responded nonchalantly. "Just trying to help you relax, that's all." "Relax?" Sarah scoffed incredulously.

" Relax? What kind of sick game are you playing with me?"

His face fell, his eyes widening innocently. "Sick game? No way, Sarah. You know me, I'm Mark. We bonded over our love for anime..."

"Oh yeah?" Sarah retorted sarcastically. "And what makes you think I'd enjoy something so... so ridiculous?"

Mark faltered for a moment, looking hurt. "Well, you seem pretty stressed out..." Mark trailed off quietly, swallowing the last of his words.

Anger boiled up inside Sarah, threatening to overwhelm her resolve. "Stressed?" she spat, unable to contain her fury. "How dare you insinuate that you can read my mind? That you can even begin to comprehend my feelings?"

Her voice shook with anger, and she took a step backward, away from him. Mark's gaze followed her every movement, his eyes flickering between sadness and determination.

"I-I'm serious..." she couldn't focus on his face. As much as she wanted to scream, looking at him seemed to diffuse the anger. She didn't want to hurt him, she wanted him to be happy. It was her place to make him happy... "You're just becoming more _you_" he comforted her, and Sarah couldn't help but nod in agreement. This tall, sweet man was just trying to help a confused exchange student. How could she ever have been so rude to him?

Sarah felt ashamed and guilty, wishing she could turn back time and apologize. Instead, she stood frozen on the spot, her heart pounding against her chest. "Mark, please forgive me," she whispered, her voice cracking in despair. "I didn't mean to lash out at you. I'm just scared and confused right now..."

Mark gazed at her with tender compassion, silently acknowledging her apology. "Don't worry about it, Sarah," he reassured her gently. "I understand that you're going through a lot right now..." Mark spoke in a soothing voice, reaching out to lightly touch

Sarah's arm. Sarah felt a shockwave of pleasure ripple through her body. "But I promise you, everything will be okay. We'll find a way to make things better."

Sarah swallowed hard, her throat parched and dry. "I just don't... I don't feel like myself anymore," she confessed, her voice breaking. "I feel like I'm losing control. My thoughts are jumbled, and I can't remember..." Sarah said weakly, feeling increasingly vulnerable.

"You're just remembering who you truly are, deep down," Mark murmured, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on her arm. "You're not just a diligent student, Sari-chan."

Sarah tried to resist, but his gentle touch felt too inviting. "What are you talking about?" she whispered hoarsely. "I'm Sarah. I-I don't know you at all. You're doing something to me. You drugged me or something..."

Sarah winced thinking of what he said. "Sari-chan", the nickname feeling alien and foreign on her tongue. Still, she couldn't deny the strange sense of comfort it brought her. It made her want to lean closer to Mark, basking in his warmth and safety.

"Let's just sit here for a moment, shall we?" Mark coaxed, leading Sarah to sit with him on the cold stone floor. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, offering her a comforting embrace.

"Mark-san." Sarah said, her voice seeming oddly light and girly. "What did you do to me?"

Mark's arm wrapped around her, slyly cupping her breast as he comforted her.

"You're just remembering who you truly are, deep down," he murmured, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on her arm.

Sarah gasped, her body jolting involuntarily. "What are you doing?" she cried out, instinctively attempting to push his hand away.

"Shh, Sari-chan," Mark hushed her, tightening his grasp around her waist. "There's nothing to be afraid of." Mark whispered into Sarah's ear, his hot breath sending goosebumps down her spine. "I'm only trying to help you. To bring back your true self."

"My true self?" Sarah repeated, feeling a strange mixture of apprehension and excitement welling up inside her. "Who am I really, Mark?"

With a soft chuckle, Mark pulled Sarah closer, pressing her body against his. "You're Sari-Chan. You're the beautiful Japanese girl who's too in love with me to ever say anything." Mark said, his voice sounding confident and dominant.

Sarah felt a surge of arousal course through her veins. The idea of being a submissive Asian woman enthralled her. She'd spent years suppressing her true desires—the longing for a powerful, protective man to guide her every move. Now, it was like the floodgates had opened, uncovering buried fantasies she'd never allowed herself to explore.

"Why...? Why you want girl like Sari-chan?" Sarah asked, her voice quivering uncontrollably. "Mark-san is big and handsome American..."

Sarah's own brain betrayed her, her memories of home being replaced with fuzzy memories of cherry blossoms and Japanese villages. Images that weren't hers but now seemed to be part of her deepest self swam in her mind.

"Sari-chan, you're ready to show yourself to everyone, aren't you?" Mark whispered seductively, his hot breath tickling Sarah's neck.

"Oh yes, Mark-san," Sarah whimpered, feeling an odd sense of liberation. "I'm ready to be yours forever."

Mark smiled triumphantly, stroking Sarah's silky hair. "That's my girl," he murmured approvingly.

"I knew you could do it. I could see it in your eyes."

[jinnaizaemon]

Happy movie trailer day! In the meantime I'm making myself busy translating the second movie, and because I have a stupid amount of notes about that scene introducing the special Kisanta rescue team (the kids who didn't complete their homework), I thought I'd share them here. It's a bit long, so it's under the cut!

"1st year ha-class, Settsu no Kirimaru. Assigned with a book report. Planned to copy someone else’s homework. I was too busy working part time jobs!"

In the background there's a seigaiha wave pattern, which has been used since the Heian period, and so is well established already during Muromachi where Nintama takes place. Because of the unending motion of waves, it's an auspicious pattern that evokes resilience.

Then, there's of course the little coins Kirimaru loves so much ("kozeni!"). They are called eiraku-tsuho after the japanese reading of the characters 永樂通寳 on it, but back then they were commonly called eiraku-sen. They are copper coins worth 1 mon (the currency of the time) each, and they have a square hole in the middle so they can be tied to a string.

The text scrolling across the screen goes like this: 人も歩けば銭を拾う. "Even people can pick up coins if they keep walking." Looks like Kirimaru's own take on the japanese proverb "Even a dog can pick up a stick if it keeps walking.", meaning that good things are bound to happen if you keep going. 成るも成らぬも銭次第. "When there's money, there's a way." Literally "Success depends on money.", but is a spin on "when there's a will, there's a way". 銭は天下の落とし物 "Coins are what heavens dropped and left behind", literally. So something like "Coins fell from heavens' pocket." If it's a spin on a proverb, I don't know about it, sorry!

"1st year ha-class, Fukutomi Shinbei. Assigned with kanji exercises. Planned to copy someone else’s homework. Instead I ate a lot of yummy food!"

In the background are konpeitou, a type of candy introduced in Japan by Portuguese traders by the end of Muromachi.

At the time, it was an exotic and expensive product, but surely it's something Shinbei would be able to enjoy back at his family home in Sakai, whose port became a hub for foreign trade at the time due to Oda Nobunaga forming friendly relationships with the Portuguese (a missionary even gifted him konpeitou to earn his favors). So if there's one character who could afford konpeitou, it would probably be Shinbei! (I'm sure Tasogare Jinbei would love it too.)

The scrolling text reads: 地上の子の最大の幸福は満腹なれ "In a full belly lies a child of earth's chief happiness." Shinbei's own take on these verses part of Goethe's West-Eastern Divan: In sense of personal being lies A child of earth's chief happiness. 衣食足りて宿題忘るる "The poor can't afford homewowork." It comes from the japanese proverb "once fed and clothed, one learns manners", which I think in English would be "the poor can't afford manners". Literally translates to "Once fed and clothed, you forgeget about homework". Yes, Shinbei added an extra character, so the last word gets an extra vowel lol.

"3rd year ro-class, Kanzaki Samon. Assigned with farm work practice. Somehow never found the way to the assigned farm. That was homework for a 2nd year? So stupid!"

Behind him are mah-jong tiles with the characters for the fourth cardinal points on them: 北 (north), 南 (south), 東 (east), 西 (west). Obviously relating to his sense of direction.

The text reads: 進退は疑うなかれ "Don't doubt your actions." 敵を見て謀るなかれ "Do not scheme just by watching the enemy." Sadly I don't know where these lines come from. 迷わず行けよ行けば判る "Just go without hesitation; if you go, you will understand." This is taken from a quote by pro-wrestler Antonio Inoki.

"4th year i-class, Tairano Takiyashamaru. I tore the social science work I was given since it was for 1st years! I boast the best grades in my year, don’t make a fool of me!"

The rose frame evokes early shoujo manga, most notably The Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda, where roses are a recurring symbol in the story of the main characters' enduring beauty and dignity even in the hardest times. That idea of beauty, utsukushisa, is something Takiyashamaru mentions a lot, insisting on doing things beautifully always.

The scrolling text reads: 選ばれし者の恍惚と不満ふたつ我有り "I have both the ecstasy and displeasure of being the chosen one." Taken from Dazai Osamu's short story Leaves. 天才を天才たらしめるのは私の本能 My instinct makes me a genius among geniuses. His own take on a quote by Bob Dylan:  "I believe that instinct is what makes a genius a genius.". He made it about himself... classic Taki...

"5th year ro-class, Fuwa Raizou. Got overwhelmed with apprehension over the science exercises aimed at 3rd years that I received. How come that homework is so easy?"

In the background are lined up onigawara. Oni is often translated as "ogre" or "demon", but originally the figure of the oni symbolizes everything that is out of human's power and influence, making them not necessarily malicious ; all events that amount to luck, fate, force of natures like earthquakes, storms, etc, Which is why you find onigawara, roof tiles made in the shape of oni, placed there in order to ward off evil and misfortune. Fuwa Raizou's name sounds similar to the yojijukugo (four kanji compound expression) 付和雷同 "fu wa rai dou" meaning "to follow others blindly". That's not very sympathetic towards ever hesitant Raizou, but the characters used to spell his name are different : 不(un-) 破(breakable) 雷(thunder) 蔵(warehouse, ownership) The unbreakable mind who puts thunder in a box, who made thunder his own. Under his indecisiveness there's a reliable senpai and protector, just like the onigawara!

Raizou has only one sentence scrolling across the screen:

お前の実力はこの程度ということなのだろうか "Could this be the extent of your ability?" I don't know if this refers to something else, the sentence being very... anime fight-speech like it makes it difficult to research haha.

"You never change, Raizou. Gave up on homework to follow Raizou. 5th year ro-class, Hachiya Saburou."

I love this transition! His introduction mirrors Raizou: He comments first, gives his reason for not doing his homework second, and shares his name last. Excuse my sloppy edit in the picture above, I wanted to include all the mask in one picture. The striped background evokes a theater curtains, and all of Raizou's onigawara are swapped with masks from Noh theater - they all represent different characters, of different archetypes, gender, etc. Some are humans, some are spirits, some are good or evil... conveying of course Saburou's mastery of disguise! I tried to name all the masks on the picture above, but I'm really no expert so I might have made mistakes. Incidentally, Ayakashimaru from 1st year ro-class is named after the "Ayakashi" Noh mask. Although they aren't pictured here, there exist masks named Fushikizou, Heita, and Magojirou.

As for the scrolling text... take a deep breath everyone because it's a lot:

比翼の鳥 連理の枝一膳の箸 把手共行 碎啄同時 "Lovebirds flying together, intertwined branches of a tree, A pair of chopsticks, walking hand in hand, a chance opportunity."

There's.. a LOT going on here, yojijukugo and poetic imagery, so let's break it down:

比翼の鳥 連理の枝 hiyoko no tori, literally birds in flight, is an expression meaning "a happily married couple". renri no eda means intertwined branches, the "renri" part refering to trees growing to become cojointed. In Japanese, such trees are seen as an auspicious symbol of marriage, and "renri" is an expression to refer to an intimate relationship.

This specific imagery is found in the Chinese poem, the Song of Everlasting Regret, telling the story of star-crossed lovers:

“In the heavens, we vow to be as two birds flying wingtip to wingtip, On earth, we vow to be as two intertwined branches of a tree.”

一膳の箸 ichizen no hashi is literally "a pair of chopsticks".

把手共行 hashukyouko means "to go together, hand in hand".

碎啄同時 sottaku douji means an once in a life time chance, a golden opportunity. It evokes two people learning and working in sync, and in Buddhism, it refers to a teacher helping a disciple attain enlightenment.

Oh...Saburou...❤️

"6th year ha-class, Zenpouji Isaku. Got an assignment for 4th years, “Steal the flag of the Tasogaredoki army”. But it didn’t count since I ripped the flag I got to make bandages out of it. It was in pieces, but I did bring back a whole flag…"

I'm not sure of what is in the background haha. The designs and the brown side remind me a lot of the matchboxes sold in the Taisho era and until mid Showa. They're known by the word for "matchbox label", 燐票, rinpyou. These matchboxes were used for advertising, notably by drugstores for selling medicine. This is at least what the designs of the boxes on the screenshot reminds me of, especially the blue Junko (the snake being associated with traditional medicine too).

The text reads: ちちんぷいぷい いたいのいたいのむこうのおやまへとんでゆけ "There, there, ouchies fly away, to the mountain over there." The whole sentence is written in the easy to read, phonetic hiragana alphabet, to match the "baby speech" tone of the sentence. The first part, chichin puipui, is used as a "spell" by parents, nurses, etc to comfort small children in pain. Then, the ouchies are sent flying away with a motion of the hand to make them feel better.

That's it for today! I hope it wasn't too long to read! Thank you for reading this far! If you have extra info, please let me know!