#kami mentioned!! rejoice

[cishetlou]

bro was caught cheating again 💀 (twitter trend)

[shroudkeeper]

09. prompt / fair

An evening such as this makes me ponder if the heavens could hear the very pounding of my heart as it rejoices that I am chanced with another meeting with you, m'lady. Under starlight, and the tapestry of the night that offers us shelter, I come to you as I have mentioned in my last missive, for I will take leave soon and wish to see you.. one last time.

I know, I said I didn't want to say goodbye anymore, but this will be the last time, a temporary departure in order to fulfill a promise I made to you.

❝ She is not here.❞

Any elation I felt was depleted by the voice that echoed across from underneath the sway of the trees we admire in our solitude. There, among the statues where we once stood, under the sway of whispering willows, I found no evidence of you.

Instead, moonlight graced the scowl upon your father's features, and at his side, the hound we saved, one that was said to deliver my messages to you. Words suddenly failed me, turning to ash as I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could gather courage to say a word, his voice pierced into the space between us. I could not help but let my eyes wander to where his hand was resting.

He was armed.

❝ You must think me a fool, Mister Fitzgerald, and here I believed you would respect my wishes. Kami forfend that I believed you would listen. ❞

I could hear each breath escape me, ragged and shallow, as my eyes fell to the blade he wore. I knew well what he was capable of, what he may do to me, yet he did not brandish steel, rather made sure with his posture that I knew well of my place.

And I did not mean to question it.

My approach is a careful one, taken with languid steps forward and arms extended in his direction so he may see that I was unarmed and bore no ill intent.

"I have not done anything to sully her good name, I just --"

I couldn't finish my sentence, this ongoing, quiet rage within him, had grown and spread not an inferno, and from him came the flames of his rancor as the thunderous sound of his voice cemented my feet to the gravel path leading to him.

❝ Silence!

I told you to proceed with caution. You chose to disregard these words, throw caution to the winds and continue to defy me. I am aware of what takes place under my roof, and trust me when I say this: I humored this long enough, your fantasy of being with her ends here. ❞

His hand finally left the weapon at his hip to motion towards the dog at his side, the small courier who carried my confessions, my haiku, all of my planning, to you. It had been a well-crafted secret, but secrets had ways of being discovered.

How much had her father known? How long had he been aware?

"For that deceit, I will forever apologize profusely if you ask this of me. But, I won't apologize for what I feel for her, what I would do for her. That is something I will refuse to do." I couldn't stop myself as the emotions were roused within me.

Something inside me became undone, the seams that held these emotions back were ripped free. I had never spoken these words to another soul, but you know what I hold in my heart for you is true, and now, everyone else will know of it.

I am tired of denying myself. Of lying. Of hiding.

❝ Then do so in silence and leave her be. This is no request I make like before, a betrothed woman should be respected. For once, be an honorable person. ❞

And then something else broke inside me.

My own heart was delivered a severe blow, he may as well assailed me with his katana.

"..What? What do you mean.. --"

I am not sure what possessed me, what drove my legs to move forward when all I desired was the gravel to give out underneath me, but I marched to him and fell to my knees. The flurry of emotions crashed around me within an instant; suddenly, the beautiful hydrangeas lost their radiance and perfume, and the stars that I loved to share with you were extinguished one by one.

I wanted to call him a liar, but this was no deceit, those smoky greys gave an intense glare that spoke volumes of this truth. He nearly defeated me with this look, and perhaps this was his purpose, to shock me with this revelation. And he almost did, but I couldn't, I wouldn't simply let you go.

I have come this far. I have loved you this long in the shadows. I told you I would bear this with you.

And I will. I will earn a chance to walk side by side with you, under the sun.

❝ Go. Leave and forget her, so she could begin to forget you.❞

He shook me out of my reverie, but I needed an answer out of him, and when I spoke it, I saw something within his gaze shift into something morose even if his jaw had tightened and formed a severe contour.

"Does she know?"

❝ The personal ongoings of our clan is no concern to a foreigner, we have a business relationship, you are just the contact we have with the East Aldenard Trading Company, nothing more. ❞

And the truth was there, sewn between his words.

"How is that even fair to her!" I couldn't contain my resentment and felt my body tremble; I was not exclusively angry at the position I am in, but for you.

You ..who were unaware of it all.

❝ You want to speak of fairness, Mister Fitzgerald? You, who has manipulated her already for personal gain, who considered putting profit before her feelings? You whom she would risk all for and has to protect? Yet you could not muster the courage to do the same. ❞

I assumed there would be backlash to my question, that I was to be met with more waves of his ire. Yet the tone he used carries something far more somber than what one would expect.

❝ Assuming you never had children, then you would not know the overwhelming pain of seeing one pass, it is devastating. No parent should bury their child, they should be kept safe. I have failed at this before. I shall not repeat the same mistake again.

What is fair.. is giving someone I love dearly a chance to live. I am old now, and though I am proficient in swordsmanship, my body will eventually betray me. I need to have someone who will protect the one who protects others. But most importantly, to protect the other half of my heart from meeting an untimely demise.

How could I trust that task unto you, who has not shown me --❞

"I love her!" The words stumbled out of me that my head spun and my heart became naught but a deafening sound in my head. His lips gave part, and he may have spoken something, but I couldn't hear it. All I wanted was my bleeding heart to be seen, for once.

I love you. I love you.

I want to say these words to you without fear.

"I love her more than I could conceivably put into those letters you've read, more than I can proclaim to you right now! I know what she means to you, but understand that I would never wish to be a burden to her. What I feel is authentic, and for the months we have spent together, it has only made these feelings grow.

We both love her.."

His face softened then. He is your father after all, and despite how selfish we are as mortals, even I could understand what he must be feeling. He wants to protect you, to keep the flower of his clan from wilting, he wants to see you bloom in this cultivated garden.

❝ Mister Fitzgerald, I have made my choice.❞ I could hear the gravel shift underneath his footsteps, he meant to depart, but this was not to end this way, I will not allow it.

"..Give me a chance, just one I ask." He paused and I watched him take a deep breath before motioning for me to continue with a nod.

"I am willing to find a rare treasure, said to be in the Ruby Sea, that will grant her a voice, even if it is for a sun or a few bells. I want to give her an opportunity to tell you how much she loves you."

Perhaps me, too.

He did not disagree, and I took it as a positive sign that he would allow me this one chance to be a proper suitor.

And I do not mean to fail him, or you.

[sjhanny2000]

Hidden Within the Arrangement (7/?)

Chapter 7: The Warring Sons

A/N: Right out of the gates, I'm telling you, this chapter is heavy with ANGST. It's a bit messy but it's that way for a reason, as you will soon find out. Thank you for all of the support love you have been sending my way for this series!

Warning(s): mentioned/referenced to child death, mention/referenced minor character death, PTSD, self-deprecation, minor language, relationship issues, mentioned/referenced body dysmorphia, intersex Tobirama, emotionally stunted characters, abusive relationships, arranged marriage, mentioned/referenced child abuse and neglect

Word Count: 2.3k+

~~~

How does one become something they are not? 

The world was off-kilter. Time no longer maintained its steady pace, no, it was crawling at a snail’s pace, so painstakingly slow. The albino felt as if he was underwater the moment he shunshinned away in desperation, the world around him blurry and unintelligible to his muted senses. Numbly raising a hand to steady himself on a blurred structure somewhere in his currently limited range of senses, Tobirama could only stand there and try to stave off the sea of emotions toiling within him, to not lose what little control he had over his life. His mind felt as if it was filled with cotton, muddled and brimming with thoughtless thoughts and utter nothingness, for if any coherent idea came to mind all he could envision was his deform-! 

Tobirama physically shuddered at the image, the taste of bile filling his mouth, heart aggressively slamming itself against the bars of his ribs. 

“-has to make a good impression before their wedding night when Madara-chan finds out about his deform-!” 

“-he peace we’ve created hinges on the success of their courting and marriage!” Hashirama’s piercing gaze never left Tobirama’s emotionless one, voice void of malicious intent but his words dripping in demeaning venom. “Madara-chan says you’ve been quite distant, Tobi! I know being emotional and touchy doesn’t come easy to you but you need to at least try to get along with him!”

“FREAK!” 

“An oni is what you are, boy, a blight on our family and a curse to our clan! I should have killed you the moment I laid my eyes on you!”

“Tobirama, you must promise me you will never speak of this with anyone aside from I or your grandmother! Do you understand me?!” 

“-You, however, are the undeniable proof that no one can escape the judgment of the Kami, not even the great Senju Butsuma.”

“You’ve ruined everything! I finally had someone that cared about me and you ruined it like you always do!” 

“I am so sorry, Tobirama. I failed you.”

Tobirama had not realized it was raining until he felt the vague feeling of moist droplets hitting his trembling form but when he did, the teen soberly noted it was pouring freezing rain. 

Touka-nee will be furious with me for being out in this weather. 

Why does that matter? Many would be thrilled to see him succumb to illness and die. All would rejoice that the White Demon of the Senju was dead, even those of his clan. The clan elders would be most pleased-.

The health of a monster does not matter.

“What on earth are you doing here, Senju?”

Vermillion irises refused to meet obsidian at the sound of Izuna’s vexed voice echoing from somewhere in front of him, senses flaring as he came to feel the man’s blurred figure of smoky flamed chakra standing just a few yards away. How did he arrive here? Why had he-?

 

“Whatever it is Senju, you had better have an acceptable reason to be trespassing within our compound or-!”

“Shut. Up.” 

The abrupt silence that followed the terse order was tense and the air was tainted with the scent of furious bloodlust.

“How dare you?! You trespass on our land and you have the nerve,” Izuna, in all his fury, stepped off the front engawa of his and Madara’s shared home with a growl, the sharp ‘shing’ of his katana being unsheathed echoing across the space between them. “-to tell me to shut up?! Just because you are my brother’s bastard of a future husband does not mean you have the right-!”

 

Chilling bitterness filled Tobirama’s veins as the Uchiha gave his rant, hands curling into fists and tongue sharpening with overwhelming anger. The sea of emotions was beginning to thrash dangerously within, the chilling winds clashing unforgivingly with the boiling waters, a threatening dance of overflowing feelings.

 

“Izuna, what in the Kami is-?! Senju?”

 

Tobirama’s head raised in recognition against his will, nerves fraying at the mere sound of Madara’s gravelly voice, a deep fissure under the raging sea’s surface breaking open. 

Madara’s inferno-like chakra came to settle beside Izuna’s bonfire, the Uchiha clan head’s body language conveying cautiousness. His own future spouse was afraid of him, afraid of the Senju Demon, of the monstrosity that was Senju Tobirama.

He could not blame him. 

The man spoke once more, voice leveled yet jagged at the same time, calming yet accusatory. “Why are you here, Senju? Has something-?”

A snarl ripped from the seventeen year old’s curled lips, his nails digging relentlessly into the flesh of his palms, unwilling to meet the man’s enticing charcoal irises. “Tobirama.”

“What?” 

“I said,” Anger and chakra flaring, Tobirama came face to face with the surprised one of Uchiha Madara. “My name is Tobirama, not Senju!”

“Fine, Tobirama. What are you doing here?” Madara was not backing down in the slightest, in fact, he was beginning to size Tobirama up as if he were an enemy. 

They were enemies, they had been enemies since Tobirama took his first cursed breath, since they stood opposite of one another on the battlefield from childhood leading into adulthood and in those damned peace negotiations that he had put his heart and soul into to ensure everything would succeed because it had been Hashirama’s greatest dream since they were children and yet again, here he was screwing everything up! He wanted to be the brother Hashirama wanted, to be the son his mother wished for, to be the weapon his father craved, to be the husband that Madara deserved-. 

Yet…

“I am a fool.”

Madara and Izuna watched on in confused silence as they watched the albino’s rage slip under the chilling waves of his chakra, a crazed smirk appearing on the Senju’s face. 

“What a fool I am for actually believing this arranged marriage would work, that I could ever convince you to love a cursed, deformed monster of a creature like me for the sake of peace! At first, I believed your indifference to me to be unintentional, for how conflicting it must be to be forced to marry the very boy that fuels the nightmares of your people, the very one who slaughtered countless of your kin for a pathetic war that had no rhyme nor reason! But now, oh now I see that could be anything farther from the truth because there was never any hope for whatever we call this sorry excuse for an arranged marriage because there never was any to begin with! Because you are incapable of love-!”

Izuna glared at the ranting seventeen year old with growing ire, teeth clenched and fingers itching in anticipation. “Enough Senju-!”

“Tobirama! My name is TOBIRAMA!” The albino shouted in avid desperation, effectively silencing Izuna before he could speak another word. “I am no Senju, nor have I ever been, for what people attempts to murder a child sixty-three times before the age of nine if they are seen as kin?! What clan allows their leader to beat his child an inch from death and then praise him for his deeds, of ridding them of the curse wrought by past transgressions?! WHO?!”

“ENOUGH!” 

Tobirama froze at Madara’s bellow, chest heaving from exertion, both emotional and physical. 

“You come to my clan’s compound, to my home,” The Uchiha clan head wore a mask of displeased stoicism, the man’s bulky form beginning to trek toward Tobirama’s soaked one with murderous intent. “For what purpose? To shout at my brother and I about your faults, your transgressions?”

He continued his trek without pause, each step becoming more enraged. “Oh what nerve you have, Senju, to accuse me of being incapable of loving when it is you who is not able! I have done everything in my power to ensure this arranged marriage is at least bearable for the both of us and all you have done is meet me with indifference or insulting slaps across the face! You are the one that has depleted any hope from this blasted arranged marriage, you are the one causing conflict between us, it is all YOU!” 

“We have finally managed to achieve what was believed to be unattainable, peace between our peoples, and here you are,” Madara now stood before Tobirama, mangekyou sharingan swirling and their noses almost touching from how close the older man was standing next to him. “-attempting to absolve the very thing this entire village has been built upon, and for what?! Does your hatred for my people truly run so deep that you crave to destroy the dream your brother and I have dreamt since childhood?! To put children back into the crossfire in the name of what?! To fulfill your bloodlust?!” 

“ANIJA!”

The scent of wet, rusted iron and death flooded Tobirama’s nostrils, tongue coated in a sticky, metallic substance. Once vibrant chakra of freshly toiled earth and aloe runs stale-.

 Deafening thunks of dirt meeting the top of the far-too-small coffin filled the teen’s ears. 

“ANIJA! HELP ME!”

Chakra of tangy citrus, fresh spring breeze vanishes from his senses, the taste of blood saturating his tongue. 

Thunk. 

Thunk.

Thunk.

“You are no better, Uchiha.”

Before Madara could even combat what was happening, Tobirama staring into the raven-haired man’s eyes without a hint of hesitation, vermillion irises swarming with barenaked emotion. 

“You have rejected my courting gifts, you have insulted and assumed every step, you have not come to me with your discontent regarding our courting but to my brother when it is truly none of his business,” With the calm before a storm, Tobirama refused to break eye contact with Madara’s crimson-obsidian eyes, voice steady as the earth beneath their feet. “I have accepted your terms, your rules, your culture, your barbed words, your hatred for me. So, what have you done but do the opposite?” 

“Peace has been attained due to my concession to your demands of marriage. The children no longer fight one another on the battlefield but play together in the village streets, the clans live amongst one another peacefully and fight alongside each other as if they are of the same kin. Your dream is secured regardless of whether this arranged marriage is successful and do you know why?” 

No words left Madara’s snarled lips, the chilling rain falling harder and jaw locked in shocked silence. “It is because I am willing to do the impossible if that is what is needed. I would readily offer myself to the Shinigami if it means I will not have to see Hashirama or any child join my mother, sister and brothers in the Pure Lands before I.”

“I conceded to being wedded to you, the very man of the clan that thoughtlessly slaughtered both of my younger brothers without a second thought. Itama begged your clansmen to spare him, did you know that? A seven year old child begged for his life, only to have his throat slit in return.” A sobering smile bloomed on the albino’s pale facial features, red-slitted tattoos creasing with the movement. “You are no better than I in the end, Uchiha. The only difference between us is that I am willing to accept the monster that I am.” 

The silence between them was tumultuous, sharp as kunai and heavy as the weight of the world. Both of them were naked as the day they were born, their emotions out for all to see, opposing perspectives revealed, vulnerable and open. One might think their argument to be the magnum opus all had been waiting for.

Such thoughts were all in vain. 

Quietly, Madara took a stride backwards and turned away, face dark as the stormy sky hung menacingly above them. “Get out.” 

“What?” 

Anguish flooded Tobirama’s features, suddenly feeling as if he was free falling through the air. 

“You heard me, Senju,” Bitter rage swirled in the Uchiha’s gravelly voice. “Get out, before I escort you to Hashirama for breaching the peace treaty myself.” 

The air was thrust out of his lungs as his cracking form crashed into the grounding earth of reality below. He could not, he could not, he could not-. 

In a blur of movement, patterned irises mercilessly slammed into Tobirama’s sanguine, a roar ripping from Madara’s throat whilst his gloved hands shoved the teen away. 

“OUT!”

Having not expected the shove, Tobirama was sprawling backwards, ass hitting the soaked grass and an unforgiving, stern surface striking the back of his head. The world spun widely upon impact, a surging wave of nausea flooding his senses, and it took all of Tobirama’s little willpower to not heave what little food remained in his digestive system. Muffled voices spoke not too far from him, or perhaps they were close, he could not tell anymore– everything was simply wrong.

“-did you do?!” 

Senses fluctuated with irregularity, everything either so close or too far, he felt as if he was floating, field of vision slowly but steadily growing dark. Hands touch him on the arm, a blurry face is suddenly in front of his own. 

“-nju, are you alright?” 

Izuna but not Izuna- his voice was not that deep. Pain, there was pain in his head. He needed to get away-. 

Calling on his chakra with the simple movement of his hand, Tobirama was shunshinning and abruptly, much to what was probably his concussed confusion, crashing against a hard surface, a sharp, stabbing pain flaring from his side upon contact. Groaning, the teen forced himself off the surface, only to promptly collapse onto what he assumed to be the brick flooring of the lab. His vision was fading, the dark abyss of unconscious lurking ever closer, and all Tobirama could do in that moment as he laid there on the cold ground, concussed and in pain, was wonder what consequences the future would have in store for his injudicious actions.

[opbackgrounds]

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

—Isaiah 25: 6-9

I mentioned the last time Enel brought up feasting that he was hijacking biblical language (and I’m sure other religions that I’m less familiar with), but it’s worth noting how much he’s perverting the meaning of the original text, because he’s, you know, a villain. I don’t know how much of this specific use of language is present in the original Japanese and how much is liberties taken by the translation, but going through this arc it’s been interesting trying to figure out what exactly is Oda’s purposeful criticism of organized religion and what’s him just adding flair trying to make an interesting story.

Because remember, this is Enel’s idea of salvation. As we established earlier, Enel’s no con man, he’s his own true believer who holds himself up as Capital G God. So for Oda to take the language that for so many is a great source of comfort, to create a villain that attacks the idea of an ultimate justice and peace that will be brought about by a benevolent God (provided you are a faithful servant of that God)…yeah, I could understand how the moral guardians might get upset and insist on translating his title as kami.

But at the same time, it’s a conversation worth having, and if your religion feels so threatened by a children’s comic that makes dick jokes with giant balls of gold that it takes action to interfere with the fidelity of it’s translation, maybe it’s time to take some self reflection and ask why that is

[justxaxstrayxkid]

Ranking every outfit Nora has worn

I've rated her human names and I've ranked her vessel names. Now it is time to rank all of her outfits 10 to 1. Why am I doing this? Because I'm a sucker for pretty clothes and babygirl is a fashion icon. These are just my opinions obviously so don't take them seriously. Though I am being dead serious when I say Mizuchi invented the fashion industry. What I want people to take away from this post is that we, as a society, need to respect Mizuchi's drip. No pun intended hehe

10. Childhood Kimono

No sense calling it the childhood kimono when she's always gonna be a child but idk what else to call this. I put this fit last because it's quite basic. There's not much to talk about here. I don't have any particular feelings towards it either. I do think the pink obi is cute. Mainly cuz pink is my favorite color. Also is it just me or does the kimono look way too big on her?

9. Childhood Kimono Enhanced ver.

This is the same exact fit as the last one and it only appeared in the one-shot manga bout Rabo and Yato but I want to rank it separately because of her accessory. She's just too cute with that little bow in her hair! Don't mind me fangirling over that bow like it's a national treasure. The sandals are nice new touch too.

8. Pink Kimono

This one is only shown in anime during the flashback scene where Yato massacred the ma clan. I love this kimono because it's in my favorite shade of pink. There isn't much to say about it though. It's pretty basic so I put in this spot

7. Volume 8 Kimono

This fit appeared on the cover of volume 8 of the manga. I have to admit, this fit is kinda crazy. Like the grape (??) socks, the random checkerboard pattern, the green hiyoku, the flower pattern, the flower in her hair. It all seems very random. But I actually think it goes together well! A hot mess can sometimes turn out beautiful. I like the way she looks with a flower in her hair. Mizuchi with hair accessories equals world domination. And why tf does that ayakashi doggie have a paper crane in its mouth? That's more random than the outfit lmao.

6. Fruit bowl Kimono

This one only appeared in a colored page of the manga. Can't remember what chapter or volume it was in exactly but I think it was in beginning. This kimono is very beautiful. The pattern on it reminds me of fruit bowls lol. Babygirl rlly has the best fashion sense ever. You can't change my mind on that. And she's wearing a hair accessory here! Rejoice!

5. Boysenberry Kimono

I think the color is boysenberry but I’m not sure. My eyesight isn’t that good. So this fit is from a Kami To Enishi card. The game is discontinued but I just couldn’t not add this fit in. It’s so pretty! The color of the kimono matches her eyes which is my favorite aspect of the outfit. I think the pattern on it is supposed to be temari balls. Or maybe it's supposed to be beach balls. Of course we can’t forget to mention the bow! Tbh I don’t think it matches with the rest of the fit. But hey, it matches better than the whole volume 8 ensemble. I still like the bow and I’m glad she’s wearing it!

4. Capybara Fit

First of all, how the heck do you spell capybara? I’ve seen it spelled in 5 different ways. Second of all, I LOVE THIS FIT MORE THAN MY FUTURE CHILDREN! Seriously it’s so cute! She rocked the whole world when she put this on. I screeched when I first read the chapter this was in. That's the sheer power of this outfit.

3. Yurei Fit

Next is babygirl's classic outfit, the yurei outfit! This fit is so iconic I had to put it in the top three. I have a lot to say about it. In a way, this fit is part of the reason why I got into Noragami. Like I'm an avid horror fan and I especially love any media that has to do with yurei. Yurei are Japanese ghosts for those of you who don't know. I saw a gif of Mizuchi here on tumblr and her character design caught my eye. I thought Noragami was going to be in the horror genre because of this fit. If she wasn't wearing this fit, I probably wouldn't have become interested in Noragami at all. Thank you to the yurei fit for getting me into this amazing series. I love her personal touches to it. Like the way she wears her hitaikakushi slanted, her big obi, her gauntlets, and her hiyoku. Her hiyoku had this lil flower pattern on it in the first few chapters. That was super adorable. It's a shame she never wears it again. Yurei are usually depicted just wearing a simple white kimono and with long hair. But babygirl has her own personal touches and she has a bob cut. She is rlly out here being a trendsetter for dead people in Japan. A round of applause for this fit.

2. Flower print Kimono

Excuse the poor quality pic. You've probably figured out by now that I have a thing for flower patterns lol. That's exactly the reason why this is my second favorite outfit of hers. It's one of her more simple fits. But I think it's to die for! Pun fully intended ;) If I remember correctly, in the past, she and baby Yato stole this from someone they killed. Sorry but I find that hilarious. R.i.p to whoever this kimono belonged to. You may have been killed but you didn't die in vain because a rlly cute girl has your kimono now. I wonder if babygirl would ever pull this out of her closet and wear it again. She may not even have it anymore since the flashbacks where she wore this were like centuries before Noragami takes place. This kimono might've already become tasty grub for moths :(

1. School uniform Fit

Of course, the school uniform is first. This fit literally invented the fashion industry! No one can tell me otherwise. Words can't fathom how cute babygirl looks in this. As a school girl who's been to multiple schools with uniforms, I think I'm qualified to say that Mizuchi looks better than anyone else in a school uniform. It's not just how she looks either but also the fact that Hiyori gave it to her. That really warms my heart. This fit did so much for the world. Like I've said before, it will go down in history as one of the best things to happen in fiction.

[halfthebattle]

Life Update

(Before you read this blog post, I just want to share that I’m currently listening to Sleeping with Siren’s playlist of Scene 1 to Scene 5 while writing this, hihi)

WARNING: Mahaba itong post na ‘to. Pagtiyagaan niyo nalang. Minsan lang naman ako magkuwento eh. Haha.

Hello! How are you? As always, I wish that you are all doing fine. As for me, well, I know I haven’t been active lately, and I have no better excuse than “My life has been a series of complicated mess and I didn’t know how to put those in words, I’m sorry��. Deep inside, there’s always been the urge and the need to write. Writing always calms me. It’s like an aromatic coffee that, once inhaled and sipped, gives me peace even just for a moment. But then again, I always want to find the right blend of coffee – the right words to write, that is. Maybe some of you can relate, but sometimes, it’s hard to put your emotions into words so oftentimes, you are left with suppressing them. But here I am now, about to mix in the best ingredients that I could find.

I’m about to share with all of you a glimpse of what happened over the past weeks – only those that I think are important but not too personal enough to mention.

1. Remember that post I had last August 16 when I said that I was having the worst weeks of my 2018 yet? Well, one of the reasons is my unfortunate chance of receiving ‘singko’. While taking our midterm exam, I was caught using my phone. No need to deny it now that I was checking if my answers were right, so yes, you can call that cheating, folks. I didn’t want to share it as much as possible because I felt ashamed, but then I realized, “To hell with it, I started out a blog, I should share even the bad sides that I have. I should be transparent to my readers.” My professor, who was already a senior citizen, had a hard time deciding whether he would fail me or not. He talked to the president of our class in private and asked for a second opinion. The president of our block didn’t know what to say but he did mention the oath that we signed when we shifted to Finance from Accountancy. It was written there that we are supposed to not receive a grade of 5.00 again, or else it will lead to expulsion. I was a coward, I didn’t have the guts to talk to my professor face-to-face about the matter, so I sent him a long message, explaining but mostly apologizing. He told me that I should just wait for my grades on the CRS. What really pained me were his other words. He told me that being a graduating student, being the eldest among the siblings in my family, and that my father is expecting me to graduate are not enough reasons to pass me. I swear I was tearing up when I read that. I was not worried about me, I was worried about my parents. I didn’t want them to know about this considering that it will only add to their burden. Left with no choice, I had nothing better to do than to swallow my pride and still attend classes in that subject and excruciatingly wait for my grades. As someone with depression, you could just imagine how that caused me to panic and pity myself. I kept on thinking, “Pwede bang sabihin nalang niya kung isisingko niya ako para alam ko na next move ko, kasi hindi ko na kaya na maghintay pa ng two months, hindi ako makahinga nang maluwag araw-araw?” You’ll know more about what happened after with this subject later.

Another reason for “worst weeks of 2018 yet” is our thesis. Even before we were able to do our business research, we were assigned to pass 5 thesis topic proposals. Among the 5 that my groupmates and I passed, nothing was approved. We were in dire need to start our business research already because time was against us – we only had one month left. To top it all off, sabi pa sa amin ng prof namin, “Ang babaw ng topics niyo.” Sinabi niya yun sa buong klase. Sobrang gusto na namin ng groupmates ko na kainin kami ng lupa. But I didn’t see it as mababaw. About Gender Finance yung isa naming topic, yung isa naman is about Neoliberalism. Ano mababaw run?

2. Last September 23, 2018, I wasn’t able to blog about it, but I took the Philippine Law School Admission Test (PHILSAT). I was able to muster all my strength and courage to take it and have our Thesis Oral Defense after two days! Yes, in less than a week, I faced the PHILSAT and our defense! Honestly speaking, hindi ko rin alam paano ko nakaya pero kahapon, October 15, 2018, the results were out. Lo and behold:

Hindi ko na ipapakita pangalan ko, pero NAKAPASA AKO SA PHILSAT! For less than an hour, I was happy about it, but things happen, and I feel like life (or some people) was selfish enough to let me rejoice for a day.

3. Last October 06, 2018, it was my first ever time to watch a movie in the cinema all by myself. The experience was fun and freeing at the same time. Though this was an impulsive decision I made after class, I think I should do it more often. It was a healthy way to reconnect with myself. Anyway, Exes Baggage is a 9/10 for me! Umiiyak akong lumabas ng theatre. Haha.

4. I had a day of pampering with my younger cousin at Laguna two days ago. We had a facial session, a whole-body Swedish massage, then we capped off the night with Seattle’s Best Double Chocolate Mint and Sip & Dip’s budget-friendly create-your-own snack! Gustung gusto ko kapag pumupunta ako sa kanila sa Laguna ‘cause parang pampering day ko talaga yun. Haha.

(Nagswitch na ako sa playlist ng LANY. Now Playing: Malibu Nights. Ang sakit, mga sis.)

5. Last night, as mentioned in my previous post, biglaan akong inatake ng Major Depressive Disorder ko. Masyado na marami nangyayari sa buhay ko minsan na minsan tinatry ko mawalan ng paki, tinatry ko huwag panghawakan yung mga bagay na yun, but sometimes, hindi pa rin ako matahimik. Kagabi, on my way home, di muna ako pumasok ng bahay kasi umiiyak na ako mag-isa sa labas ng bahay namin, mukha akong tanga though wala naman nakakakita sa akin. Chinat ko bestfriends ko. Ayun, minessage nung bestfriend ko since kindergarten yung nanay ko. Nung una, di ako pinayagan pero pumayag din naman. So, nagbook na ako ng Grab papunta sa kanila. Nag-usap kami sa kwarto niya about things that are going in our lives. Nagpa-McDelivery kami pero nakatulog na ako so siya nalang kumain kagabi. Sa umaga ko nalang kinain yung share ko. HAHA.

6. As of today, kumpleto na rin naman grades ko. Pasado ako sa lahat. Although hindi ako kontento sa grades ko, alam ko naman na deserve ko yung mga mabababa. Ang importante nalang sa akin ngayon is nakapasa ako. About dun sa prof ko na pinag-iisipan kung ibabagsak ako, well, nung Final Examination week namin, hindi na niya pinag-exam yung mga perfect attendance. Isa na ako run. Pero he talked to me separately. Nag-aral daw ba ako, sabi ko, “Opo, Sir.” Sabi niya, “Nevermind, don’t take the exam. You won’t fail. I assure you. In a 1/8 sheet of paper, just write the grade you think you deserve.” Oh, diba, mala-Fault in our Stars?! Haha. Nilagay ko 2.75. Binago ko. Nilagay ko 3.00. In the end, he gave me 2.50. I messaged him na super thankful ako kasi ang considerate niya. Di ko yata deserve. ☹ As for my other professor, gusto ko isampal sa kaniya yung sinabi niya na ang babaw ng topic namin. Pero thankful na rin ako kasi nabago topic namin. We got 1.25. KAMI PINAKA MATAAS, BESHY. We couldn’t get happier!

7. Oo nga pala, “sembreak” na namin ngayon. Pero limang araw lang. First time ko ‘to maexperience in my college life. Haha. Sa limang araw na yun, dalawang araw inilaan pa sa enrollment. Bawas pa ng isang araw kasi bukas, pinapapunta kami para i-file yung overload form namin for next sem. So, lumalabas na dalawang araw lang pahinga ko. At yung isa pa run ay kinuha sa akin ng depression ko. Haha.

That’s all, folks! If you’ve reached this far, please comment a heart for me! Kailangan ko ngayon ng love and attention. Asar, ang needy ko. Huehue. Anyway... Thank you so much!!

[ipurpleyou1993]

My thoughts on:

100 Days My Prince

Starring: Do Kyung Soo/Nam Ji Hyun/Han So Hee/Kim Seon-ho

- Some people will do the most extreme means to get what they want - even if it means sacrificing personal relationships. Remorse comes later. Although for some, no feelings of guilt at all. (These people belong to one of the worst types of people - IMO)

- Love at first sight is a thingggg. 💕 Hahaha! Of course, in the beginning, the attraction is due to the physical attributes of a person. Then, it will slowly progress into a deeper level of affection once you get to know that person.

- The series is set on the Joseon Era. But until today, there are still a lot of people who kiss-ass for the sake of 'protection' and 'power' - usually in the government and corporate setting which is really sad. 🤦🏻‍♀️😔

- Friends help friends. A friend who supports you in times of need and crisis, and rejoices with you in times of happiness and success is a keeper. 👫👭👬

- No man is a GFN (Good For Nothing). There will always be at least one thing you are good at! 😉

The heart will always remember. You can lose your memories, but your heart will never forget. ❤️

The Gist:

This series tells the story of 2 individuals who try to overcome their bitter past thru their love for each other.

Yi Yul, is the King's nephew. During his younger years, he was told by his father (the king's brother) that he should not be studying too hard and instead, just play all the time to win the king's favor.

In one of his play time with his friends, he comes across Yi Suh, a girl from a noble family, who lectures him about how he should treat his playmates though his social class is way above theirs.

Yi Yul instantly develops a crush on Yi Suh for being brave and really smart. So, to impress the young lady, he studies really hard as well.

When he was about to show off his learnings, he witnesses an event too cruel for a child to see. The unfortunate event happened to be the reason he parted ways with Yi Suh that night.

SPOILER ALERT!

A historical event happens during the this period and Yi Yul becomes the Crown Prince.

10 years have passed but he still continues to search for her hoping she's still alive and well to reconnect.

During Yul's time as the crown prince, he becomes very suspicious about everything happening inside the palace and investigates. He finds out a big secret thus making him the target of the enemy.

The enemy immediately made its move to eliminate Yi Yul. Although, they weren't able to succeed as he lives after the tragic incident without their knowledge. He was saved by Hong Shim's (*) stepdad. The only catch is, he lost his memories.

*As Yi Suh's family was regarded as traitors, Yi Suh had to live by another name to survive - which was Hong Shim*

Prior Yi Yul's memory loss, he ordered all single men and women to marry to stop the drought the kingdom is experiencing.

But, Hong Shim was determined not to marry as she believes that marriage is not supposed to be imposed. But the punishment for this was 100 floggings.

Halfway thru the flogging, Hong Shim's dad brings in Yi Yul as proof that he was to marry Hong Shim. He was given a new identity since he lost all his memories.

They married without any knowledge of who the other person is and their history.

The story slowly unravels from here...and the rest was history. 😊

What I liked about the series:

- First of all, Do Kyung Soo has entered my heart! Hahahaha! 💕💕💕 I liked his character's innocence, intelligence, cold-heartedness and whatever component there is to him both as Yi Yul and Won Deuk! 💕💕💕 I wasn't expecting a lot because I really didn't find him very appealing at first (And may I clarify, AT FIRST). But as the story progresses, I have developed an attachment to his character that I cannot explain. He is so easy to love! Huhu! My heartttt! 💕😍❤️

- The story's first episode is catchy. I like how there is so much action in the beginning. I mean, there were a lot of things going on but they're not hard to process at all because the sequencing is very organized. 👏🏻👍🏻😊

PO: First episodes matter to me. If I find the first episode boring, I easily become uninterested. Anybody who share the same sentiment? Hehehehe!

- Hong Shim's Brother is an eyecandy! Hahahaha! He's so manly and independent and really handsome! 😍😍😍

- The kissing scenes are sooooo worth it! Yup, SCENES!!! Juskolord! 😍😍😍 It's like they are really in love! You would want to believe it!!! Especially when Won Deuk closes his eyes! Juskopanginoonko! 😂😍❤️💕😱

- A supporting role appreciation post: The villagers paved the way for the the comical component of the series. I mean, since most of the events happen at Songjoo Village, both Won Deuk and Hong Shim, spent most of their time and interactions with their village friends. Super funny!

Also, I love how they all have a sense of camarederie towards each other. It's always touching to see that they are willing to go out of their way to help each other. Especially Kkeut Nyeo and Goo Dol.

- Speaking of comedic scenes, this pair - Hong Shim and Won Deuk - has a few scenes of their own that are very funny as well. Especially during the period after their marriage. Won Deuk's cluelessness really got me. I cannot unhear the OHO's, AM I THE ONLY ONE UNCOMFORTABLE and KAMI's I heard during this period. Hahahaha! Soooo, cute and funny! ❤️😍💕🤣

- I love when Won Deuk said this: "I don't want to regain my memories... because I want to stay with you forever..."

You want to seriously hope your partner can say this to your face. Because I do! 😜😊💕

- I love how the story does not revolve on its romantic and comical content. It became more interesting because of the underlying problems they had to resolve through out the series. #Drama #Action #FeelingDetective

- The musical scoring is niceeeee. 👍🏻 Especially during the last few episodes when a lot of revelations are happening. Goosebumps! 😊

Cons:

- It was hard for me to find the chemistry at first. ��

- The songs from the OST are saaaad - or sounded, saaaaad. Hahahaha! Tho, I have a personal favorite (an instrumental). 😜

- I think it's trend in historical dramas for the King's adviser to be the villain. Hahaha! It kinda makes it seem very predictable. 😂

Soundtrack:

So, here's the full OST album for you 😊

100 Day My Prince OST

As previously mentioned, here's my favorite instrumental (very intense if you ask me 😉)

The Person I Cannot Forget

Because I really loved Do Kyung Soo here, I am now planning to watch series and movies he has participated in. Hihi! 💎💕😊

So there, my thoughts for you! Happy reading --- and watching, hopefully! 😉

CTTO Photos/Music/GIFs