#koshiro speaks

[alwayshappyhoursomewhere]

Colantotte 2023 figure skaters special [x]

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

☠️ Clipped Wings: Chapter Ten

Clipped Wings: After living a life in seclusion due to an over protective father, you sneak away to experience life as it really is. Slowly building up the woman you always wanted to be, your quiet life is interrupted when you meet a rather elastic boy and his crew. This is just the beginning of trouble and your carefully crafted life starts to crumble around you. The past never really stays in the past, and now it has come knocking. In more ways than one.  

Warnings: Methinks it’s a boring chapter, but kinda needed?

To Note: Dracule Mihawk x Reader, NAMED!FemReader, Some physical features have been given (hair & eye color).

Word Count: ~2.8k

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You step off the ship and onto the dock at Shimotsuki Village, a mixture of excitement and nervousness swirling in your chest. The village is quaint and picturesque, with traditional houses lining the cobblestone streets.

Clutching your bag tightly, you make your way through the village, your eyes scanning for any signs that might point you in the direction of Koshiro's dojo. People bustle around you, going about their daily routines. Children laugh and play in the streets while vendors call out their wares from colorful stalls.

You approach an elderly woman tending to a small vegetable stand. Her face is lined with years of wisdom, and her eyes sparkle with kindness.

"Excuse me," you say, “can you tell me how to get to Koshiro's dojo?"

The woman looks up from her work and studies you for a moment before nodding. "Ah, you're looking for Koshiro-sensei's dojo? It's not far from here. Just follow this road straight ahead until you reach the large cherry blossom tree. The dojo is just beyond it."

You thank her and continue on your way, your heart beating a little faster with each step. As you walk, you can't help but admire the beauty of Shimotsuki Village. The peaceful atmosphere contrasts sharply with the life you've led so far, filled with uncertainty and struggle.

The large cherry blossom tree soon comes into view, its branches heavy with delicate pink flowers. You pause for a moment to take in the sight before pressing on. Just as the elderly woman had said, the dojo stands just beyond the tree—a modest yet sturdy building with a wooden sign bearing Koshiro's name.

You push open the gate and step into the courtyard, feeling a sense of calm wash over you. The sound of wooden swords clashing echoes from within the dojo, mingling with the rhythmic thud of footsteps on tatami mats.

Taking a deep breath to steady yourself, you walk up to the entrance and slide open the door. Inside, students are practicing their forms under Koshiro's watchful eye. The master swordsman turns to face you as you enter, his expression unreadable but his presence commanding.

"Welcome," he says simply.

"I've come to train," you reply bluntly, meeting his gaze head-on. "I wish to be stronger so I don't have to rely on others."

Koshiro's gaze sweeps over you, taking in every detail. You stand tall, refusing to let any hint of nervousness show. You've faced far worse than this.

"You wish to train here?" His voice carries authority, each word precise.

"I do," you answer firmly. "I've traveled a long way to find this dojo."

He studies you for a moment longer, then nods. "Very well. Join the others and observe for now."

You nod in return and step aside, finding a spot against the wall where you can watch the students practice. They move with a fluid grace, their wooden swords clashing in a rhythm that speaks of years of discipline and training. Your fingers itch to join them, to feel the weight of a sword in your hand.

As you watch, a young boy stumbles and falls during his practice. The other students snicker, but Koshiro steps forward, his expression stern.

"Focus, Kenta," he says. "Balance is key."

The boy scrambles to his feet, determination written on his face. You can't help but admire his spirit; it reminds you of your own when you first set out on your journey.

The training session continues, and you observe every move, every technique. You mentally catalog each detail, planning how you'll integrate them into your own style. When the session finally ends, Koshiro approaches you.

"You're still here," he notes.

"I am," you reply.

He seems to consider something before speaking again. "Why do you seek strength?"

You hesitate for a moment before answering. "I was raised under the direction of hands that desired to mold me into what they wished, and without choice. That has left me weak and naive to the world I want to live in."

Koshiro's gaze sharpens as you speak. He nods slowly, understanding flickering in his eyes. "Strength for freedom, then."

You give a small nod in return. "Yes. To never be under someone's control again."

He gestures toward the training area. "You will join the others tomorrow at dawn. Training begins early. But for now, you may find your place among the other students."

You lie in your bed, staring at the ceiling of the dormitory. The first light of dawn filters through the small window, casting a soft glow across the room. The rhythmic breathing of your fellow students surrounds you, is a strange reminder that you're not alone anymore.

None of them had blinked an eye when you arrived last night. They had simply helped you settle in, showing you to an empty bed and offering quiet smiles. The acceptance without question feels strange, almost unsettling. You're used to suspicion and caution, not this easy assimilation.

You shift under the thin blanket, feeling the weight of the upcoming day pressing on your chest. Your muscles are tense with anticipation and a hint of anxiety. You can't afford to mess this up. This is your chance to prove yourself, to gain the strength you've long sought.

The room is sparsely furnished—a few beds lined against the walls, a couple of wooden chests for personal belongings. Your own chest sits at the foot of your bed, containing the few possessions you managed to bring along: a change of clothes, some basic supplies, your sewing kit.

A rustling sound catches your attention. You glance over to see one of the students—Kenta—stirring awake. He rubs his eyes and sits up, blinking sleepily at you.

"You're up early," he notes, his voice still groggy from sleep.

"Couldn't sleep," you admit quietly.

He nods in understanding. "First day jitters?"

"Something like that. I'm afraid that I'm too weak."

Kenta offers you a small, encouraging smile. "You'll get stronger. Everyone starts somewhere."

His words resonate with you more than he probably realizes. You give him a nod of thanks and sit up, stretching your arms above your head. The room is starting to stir now, the other students waking up and preparing for the day ahead.

You follow their lead, quickly changing into your training clothes—a simple gi that feels strange against your skin compared to the fine fabrics you're used to. Kenta gestures for you to follow the others filing out of the dorm bleary eyed and still half asleep.

You follow the other students into the dining hall, a simple room with low wooden tables and cushions scattered around. The aroma of steamed rice and miso soup fills the air, mingling with the sound of quiet chatter and clicking chopsticks. Your stomach growls. You hope that your palate tolerates the food.

You take a seat at one of the tables, mirroring the others as they kneel on the cushions. A young girl with bright eyes and a shy smile sets a bowl of rice and a small plate of pickled vegetables in front of you. You thank her softly, your eyes flicking to the pair of chopsticks beside the bowl.

You've seen them used before, but had always been too intimidated to try using them. Your nannies had drilled fork and knife etiquette into your brain until you murmured it in your sleep. Reaching for the odd utensils, your fingers hover uncertainly over the chopsticks. You pause and look at the others deftly picking up bits of food and eating without a wink of difficulty. They make it look so easy, their movements running automatic.

Pressing your lips together, you pick up the chopsticks and awkwardly position them between your fingers. The first attempt to grasp a piece of rice ends in failure—the grains slip through your grip, scattering back into the bowl. You glance around, hoping no one noticed your struggle.

Kenta sits across from you, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he watches your efforts. "First time using chopsticks?" he asks between bites of his own breakfast.

You nod, feeling heat rise to your cheeks. "Yes. I have been strictly taught the etiquette of a fork and knife."

He sets his own chopsticks down and reaches over to adjust your grip. You blink in surprise at how easily he offers his help. "Like this," he instructs gently, repositioning your fingers. "Hold one steady and move the other."

You mimic his movements, finding it slightly easier with his guidance. You are still clumsy however. Letting out a breath of relief, you give Kenta a smile. "Thank you."

"No problem," he replies with a grin before echoing his earlier statement, “everyone has to start somewhere."

With renewed determination to master another first, you manage to pick up a small piece of pickled vegetable. It wobbles precariously but stays between the chopsticks long enough for you to bring it to your mouth. Though the vegetable hits your chin on its way there. The taste is tangy and slightly sweet—unlike anything you’ve ever tried before but still palatable.

The rest of breakfast continues in this fashion—slow attempts at mastering the chopsticks while exchanging small talk with Kenta and some of the other students. They share stories about their training, offering advice and encouragement without judgment.

By the time you finish your meal, you've managed to eat most of it without too much difficulty. Your fingers ache slightly from the unfamiliar grip, but you are pleased with the progress you've made on your own. It is only chop sticks. Nonetheless you are pleased, very pleased.

Breakfast ends, and you rise with the other students, following them out of the dining hall and into the training area. The dojo's courtyard is spacious, with a well-worn path circling around it and patches of grass sprouting between the stones. The air is cool, and a gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the cherry blossom tree, scattering petals across the ground.

You feel a mix of excitement and nervousness as you join the group, trying to blend in. The students move around as if on autopilot, their expressions focused but calm. You glance around, taking in the sight of various training equipment—wooden swords, target dummies, and weighted bags—all neatly arranged along the edges of the courtyard.

A girl with short hair and a serious demeanor catches your eye. She offers you a nod and gestures for you to follow her. "Morning stretches," she explains in a hushed voice. "We start every day with them."

You nod, grateful for her guidance. How embarrassing it would be if you just stand there with a perplexed look upon your face. She leads you to an open spot in the courtyard where the other students are already forming lines. You mimic their movements as they spread out, giving each other enough space to stretch without bumping into one another.

The girl demonstrates the first stretch—a simple forward bend—and you follow suit. The stretch feels good, loosening muscles that are still stiff from sleep. You continue through a series of stretches: reaching for your toes, twisting your torso, rolling your shoulders.

"Hold each position for a count of ten," she advises quietly, glancing at you to make sure you're keeping up.

The morning sun rises higher in the sky, casting a warm glow over the courtyard as you move through the routine. Your muscles gradually relax under the gentle pressure of each stretch until you are moving smoother and with better rhythm.

By the time you finish, your body feels more awake but more clumsy than ever. Overworked almost. The girl gives you an approving nod before moving back to her place among the other students. With the stretches complete, Koshiro steps into view and he immediately commands the attention from everyone in the courtyard.

"Let's begin," he announces simply.

And so begins your first day of training at Koshiro's dojo.

As the sun begins to set, casting a golden glow over the courtyard, you find yourself standing in front of a mirror in the dormitory. One of the girl students, the same one who helped you with stretches earlier, is now assisting you in preparing for the evening ceremony.

"Hold still," she instructs gently, gathering your hair into a loose ponytail. It's been washed and treated to be smooth and sleek in preparation of the ceremony. Her fingers work deftly, securing the tie and smoothing any stray strands. "There, that should do it."

You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror—your reflection looks different than it did this morning. There's a sense of purpose in your eyes, a determination that wasn't there before. You want this, you want this so bad. The official gi you're wearing feels foreign yet fitting, its crisp lines and sturdy fabric a stark contrast to the delicate dresses of your past.

"Thank you," you say, meeting her gaze in the mirror.

She smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "You're welcome. You did well today despite it being new and challenging. It will be hard in the beginning because you are new to this and your body isn’t ready, but with persistence, it will be.”

You nod with a faint smile. "I appreciate your guidance."

She waves off your gratitude with a casual hand. "It's what we're here for—to help each other grow."

You turn to face her fully, taking in her features—short hair framing her face, a look of quiet strength in her eyes. "I'm Vee," you offer, feeling it's time to introduce yourself properly.

"Sakura," she replies with a nod. “My parents weren’t exactly creative when naming me… It's nice to meet you, Vee."

A comfortable silence settles between you as you both finish preparing. A few last tugs on your gi, Sakura fussing over nonexistent wrinkles… The dormitory is quiet now, most of the other students already gathered outside for the ceremony. You take a deep breath, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement bubbling within you.

"Ready?" Sakura asks, breaking the silence.

You nod at Sakura and wind your hands together to offset the nerves trying to claw their way front and center. Together, you walk out of the dormitory and into the courtyard, where the other students have already gathered in a semicircle. The soft murmur of their conversations quiets as you step into the center, all eyes now focused on you.

Master Koshiro stands at the forefront. He holds a small ceremonial knife, its blade gleaming in the fading light. As you approach, he extends it toward you with a solemn expression.

"Vee," he begins, his voice carrying across the courtyard, "this ceremony marks your commitment to this path and your dedication to growth."

You nod, accepting the knife with surprisingly steady hands. The weight of it feels significant—both literally and metaphorically. Are blades supposed to be this heavy? You turn to face the students, who watch with a mixture of curiosity and respect. It has been a while since a new student joined.

Taking a deep breath, you raise the knife to your hair. The tie holds your hair in place, creating a clear line just above it. With a determined grip, you bring the blade down and cut through the midnight locks in one swift motion.

You feel a lightness as most of your hair falls away, leaving you with a length you’ve never really felt before. It feels so freeing. You hold the bundle of hair in your hands for a moment, contemplating what it represents—the shedding of your old self and the embrace of your new journey for strength.

With a delicate touch, you place the hair bundle into a small vessel set on a stone pedestal nearby. Your cut hair curls in a small circle as you reach for the matchbox that sits aside the vessel. Without hesitation, you stake a match and strike it, dropping it into the vessel.

Fire consumes your hair quickly, turning it to ash and smoke that drifts up into the evening sky. The scent of burning hair mingles with the fresh breeze, creating an almost tangible sense of transformation.

As the flames consume the last remnants of your hair, the weight of your past seems to disappear from your shoulders. Sylvia will disappear from your mind and body. You step back from the pedestal and Master Koshiro nods in approval.

"Welcome, Vee," he says warmly. "From this moment forward, you are part of our family. We are bound by our commitment to growth and strength."

The other students bow in agreement, acknowledging your acceptance into their ranks. Sakura stands nearby with encouragement reflecting in her eyes. Kenta stands next to her and gives you a chin nod.

"Thank you," you say quietly, your voice steady despite the swirl of emotions inside you. Your fingers reach up and touch the cut strands hanging by your jaw. It has never been this short.

Master Koshiro gestures for everyone to gather around. "Tonight, we celebrate Vee's new beginning. Tomorrow, we train harder."

Date Published: 9/21/24

Last Edit: 9/21/24

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[skygemspeaks]

okay so after seeing all of the first three episodes again last night with friends and falling even more in love with the cast than before, i finally got around to episode 4 today. some thoughts:

i can't gush enough about the set design, it's all absolutely gorgeous. i was completely in love with the little clearing where young zoro and kuina have their match, just seeing the sunlight filtering through the trees...it really gives off that kind of nostalgic, romantic feeling that you get when you think back to a simpler time in your life. and of course, kaya's mansion is gorgeous! it doesn't look like yet another generic rich person mansion. it has character! i loved all the wall art in their dining room, i like the orderly yet cozy cluttered feeling of the kitchen, i love how it all feels lived in, like it has a history

talking more about the technical aspects, i love the costume design too! i like the slightly too clean look of the marine uniforms - it brings notice to the fact that these are new cadets who don't have much fighting history. i like that both nami and sham get to wear practical clothes! no stupid high heels for nami! no short shorts!

i didn't mention this last time, but i LOVE jacob's version of usopp. it's crazy that they managed to find a guy who can do usopp's over the top facial expressions in real life. they really lucked out with this entire main cast, i can't imagine literally anyone else playing our beloved straw hats. i hope we can see at least one more season, and i hope i adore robin and chopper just as much as i love these the east blue crew

as sad as it is, i'm glad that it seems like merry really is dead. i like this more brutal direction for the live action, because it feels like there are actual consequences for them, and i like that you can't take for granted that just because someone survived in the manga/anime, it means they'll survive in the live action too

the child actors are a little stiff, but i think they're really doing a good job given how young they are! young zoro's actor was definitely doing a better job that kojiro's. he sold his grief over kuina's death very well

speaking of koshiro, i still fuckin hate that dude. he did kuina so dirty with his sexism, convincing her she had no future as a swordswoman, making her believe that she could never stand up to men.

i think having koby and helmeppo show up at kaya's mansion and inevitably get duped by kuro was a good choice. it lets koby get a little more experience in a leadership position, and more than that, it helps establish usopp's distrust of the marines. from the beginning he was always interested in the romantic view he had of pirates because of his dad, but seeing that the marines failed him, even after they said they would help him, and that they didn't believe him no matter how much he begged them to, it helps establish a reason for him to go along with the pirates when they invite him to. the marines didn't do shit to protect kaya, but luffy and his friends did everything they could. they loved kaya, maybe not as much as usopp, but they wanted her to be safe.

side note, it's kind of hilarious to think about helmeppo trying to kill luffy, and then going back to the ship and finding out that he's garp's grandson 💀💀

when we are! started playing in the background as the going merry set sail for the first time with her crew...i cried, i'm not ashamed to admit it. gosh, i missed her, and i miss the first opening. it's so nice to see her get to go on more adventures with her crew in this new medium! i know some people were unhappy with her figurehead, but i just adore it, it suits her crew well

luffy's little shit-eating grin when kaya just gives them merry for free, and nami being just SO exasperated because he's gonna be so insufferable now, it made me laugh so hard! i love these idiots

when usopp and luffy were arguing about which one of them was captain, and nami just burst out laughing? and then zoro started chuckling too? that was so healing! they've already had good chemistry so far, and they've shown loyalty, but it's so nice to finally see zoro and nami kind of starting to admit that they do like these people they've become friends with, and it's nice to see that they're coming around to how much they care about luffy

i was a little iffy about them doing the garp reveal at the end. my first instinct was to be really annoyed by it, but after thinking on it for a moment, it honestly does make sense. in the first place there wasn't really a plot reason to put off the reveal until post enies lobby anyways. and then you also have to take into account that it would be a huge success if we ever even get a second season, let alone reaching post enies lobby. so it's not ideal, but i'm not too upset at them about it. ALSO, seeing zoro, nami, and usopp's reaction to the news was fucking hilarious. i hope we get some good dynamics in the next episode! i want to see garp call luffy his idiot grandson. i want that funny family dysfunction.

[lesquatrechevrons]

45, 34, 50, 11 and 27 for the books and reading ask meme please :D

Thank you so much for the ask, and so many questions!! ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ woohoo!!!!!! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ It got a bit long... hope it's ok! ^.^"

(questions are from Books and Reading Ask Meme)

45. Do you use a bookmark?

I mostly read digital!! (I have... so many apps and tabs and!) *waves hands apologetically* (what moving too often does to a mf). but the few times I do read physical... if the book is mine... I dog hear the corners. :') If the book is not mine, I try to remember the page number!

34. Quick - what is the closest book to you right now?

I'm by my work desk, so I have a bunch of illustrated stuff: Natsu no Ichinichi (a summer's day) by Koshiro Hata; look how pretty the art inside is (image from the French amazon edition)!

50. What was the last book to make you cry?

It was a fanfic!! Little Sharp Toothed Privates by Moxibustion! The fit does a wonderful job to take crack seriously so that when the tension ramps up it hits you sideways with the reality that it's still very much Star Wars and yannow there are wars in these stars. (so good! I will comment as soon as I find words again!!)

11. What book(s) have you read more than once?

Oh, I love (l o v e) urban fantasy/paranormal and I love competent characters (like yes, please info dump on all the niche stuff you know), so I have reread Wild Fire by Ilona Andrews quite a lot. My favourite part is the heroine grappling with what it means to have power, yield it, and how you will terrify some and loved by others. IA does a good job in having queer characters in all their series (in relationships and not, both as allies and as part of the inner circle so to speak) I just hope one day we'll get them as protagonists!

Fanfic wise, I'll give you 2:

edge of providence by adiduck, whimsical images (jangobi, fix-it, clone centric & huge cast) a lot (Clones getting a CHILDHOOD! And many other things!!)

those who can by K_R_Closson (educorps f!Obi-wan x Alpha-17, fix-it, clone culture by the kazoo) ... and I can't count the amount of times I've reread it. Their dynamic is so good!!! not for the faint of heart though! (emotionally speaking I guess??)

27. Do you write in your books?

On physical books, not really! I used to spill and stain them (smuggling books to school lol) as a kid, but in digital I am a serial highlighter (I have 2 file copies of I Got My Head Checked by frostbitebakery because one is so highlighted/annotated it's unreadable... I want to devour it, it's that good).

Thank you again for your questions!!!! ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

[curedigiqueen]

Mimi notably never directly refers to Yamato over the course of both adventure and 02. However there IS an implication of interactions in the first half of the show.

Mimi is one of the youngest in the group. Though she and Koshiro are the same age, Koshiro's quiet serious nature and computer skills often lead him to be treated more seriously while Mimi's penchant for complaining (no matter how justified), makes her treated a little more like a junior. There's a hierarchy of protection, that Mimi sits only above Takeru for. Mimi, being on the younger side, is more free to complain about her situation. Sora clearly looks after Mimi as the senior girl, as does Joe as the oldest over all, but Yamato also seems to look after her, at least in the first half of the season, as an extension of looking after Takeru. For instance, very early in the series, Yamato advocated for taking a break, presumably on behalf of Takeru, but it was both Takeru and Mimi who were struggling. And in episodes 5, 7, and 19 Yamato seems to be tasked with looking after the younger kids, Takeru and Mimi, Koshiro sometimes, even if I don't think it was necessarily purposeful in 5.

As such while we don't see much of Yamato and Mimi directly interacting it does stand to reason that they get along and do work well together. Yamato is generally rather considerate of people's negative emotions, such as with how he treated Sora's breakdown in episode 26 and how he handled Mimi's graves early in the dark masters arc. I would imagine that Yamato is relatively tolerant of Mimi's complaining. Conversely I would imagine Yamato is someone who Mimi holds a lot of respect for.

As a side note, the fact Taichi leaves Hikari in Yamato's care I think also speaks to Yamato's unspoken role of "babysitter", the complimentary shield to the role of sword Taichi plays. Yamato's tendency to prioritize the group's well being, over Taichi's tendency to take initiative and confront enemies. It also of course makes sense in the context of their crests, Taichi is courage (to do things), and Yamato's is friendship (to look after people).

And of course on the other side we get Joe Taichi and Sora as a group, the initiative takers, the ones who are more likely to do a dangerous job. Joe who went out in episode 7, Taichi and Sora who went to find him. Those three were the ones dealing with Andromon while the others looked around the factory, and the ones who went in for Sora's crest. Koshiro goes either way depending on if his skills are necessary or not.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Revolutionary Ideas

Simple idea for today, more just me doing the work so y'all don't have to. And because I'll probably need it at some point in the near future. The idea here is we want to look at what we already know but may have forgotten about the Revolutionary Army. Primarily it's stars, Dragon, Iva, & Kuma:

So we know Ohara is a jumping off point. This was the big crossroads. Vegapunk has popped up around it too. That was 22 years before present day. Incidentally, just since it came up recently I believe that means Moria's time in Wano/Ringo would fall around the same period. There does not seem to be much time between Ohara and Sorbet's liberation, both 22 years ago.

Important reminder for sure, however long Iva was in Impel Down it was before anything happened with experimenting on Kuma. He was unfamiliar with that, love the callback to him shouting about remembering his face in Marineford. Kuma at least starts the series with a reputation for being a more cooperative warlord and we've so far accounted for him up to 14 years ago. Oh..and don't forget about VP Shaka calling Dragon early Egghead.

We can move that up to 12 years ago because of Iva's ignorance. That's when they and Dragon popped up around Dawn Island. Remember they did stop by and see Zoro's master Koshiro as well, and he does have ties to Wano. We also know Iva was active 15 years ago because of the person who tried to kill him in his intro. The one with the bazooka, mad about turning daddy gay.

Incidentally, Bon seemed to know the story about Iva's arrest pretty well and mentioned trumped-up charges. Speaking of...what is Kamabakka's status as a nation?

Oh, and Koala's story for what it's worth tracks with this time period. Tiger's raid would be fifteen years ago and Koala was returned home after three years at sea.

Something you may have forgotten, but does matter with our pieces in play. Burgess did sneak off post-Dressrosa leading to Blackbeard sacking Baltigo. Why he'd have reason to quarrel with the RA at all is still a pretty big mystery.

[gofigureelectra]

Shoma isn’t here for it….

This has got to be about Koshiro 🥺😭

like I know Sota deserves it after the international season he’s had (especially after the GPF) and Kazuki met more selection criteria than Koshiro… but still, that’s his friend and training mate (and for I don’t even know how long, the only person he could speak Japanese with in Switzerland) who he FINALLY GOT TO SHARE A PODIUM WITH — AT NATIONALS where he would probably be so excited to get to go to the next two major competitions with him as a perfect Champery Quad of Shoma, Deniss, Koshiro and Stephanè at worlds — so of course he’d be upset for his friend and kohai 😭

[dragonandtiger]

Dreaming To Reality: Oneiromancy Chapter Thirty - 17

Keiko was silent as she took in Kigaru’s words and eventually nodded ever so slightly. “They’re selfish,” she eventually muttered.

Kigaru sighed again and reached out to lightly pat her head. “Yes. They are.”

“And how is an anime trailer supposed to fix any of that?”

Kigaru paused and glanced over to see Miyako staring at him, her hands on her hips. The other Chosen Children had arrived - all, save a noticeably absent Daisuke, Osamu, and Ken - at some point during the discussion with Keiko, and while it was hard to tell just how much was heard, it was clearly enough for them to follow.

“It’s quite simple,” Kigaru replied. “Before, when you entered ‘Digimon’ in a search engine, you would get results on various… incidents that couldn’t be fully erased. The egg Hikari formed over her school when summoning Tailmon, Omegamon and the fight against Diablomon, and even discussions about Vandemon’s invasion and what happened at Hikarigaoka. All of it speculative, admittedly, but still very valid information hidden among said speculation.”

“Wait, what!?” Yamato blurted out and glanced at Koshiro, who gave a small nod of confirmation with a grim expression.

“The security program the Digital World uses is effective, but it isn’t perfect,” Kigaru said. “It can leave lingering thoughts, disjointed memories, and other droplets of information inside people who may be resistant to its influence - like leaving streak marks after cleaning a window. And when those people then gather and exchange information, they can collectively piece things together into something more cohesive.” He gestured in the air, bringing his pinched fingers together as if he were putting together a puzzle piece by piece. “And deleting it off the internet doesn’t do any good, as they can simply upload the information again - and take the perceived persecution as proof, and feel emboldened by it. The program can wipe data off USBs and harddrives, but it can’t do anything against good old fashioned photos and video cassettes - older technology from before the era of computers.”

“Up until this point, they were considered nothing but conspiracy theorists,” Kigaru continued. “And it certainly didn’t help with the Ryuzakis muddying the waters, so to speak, by introducing random nonsense every now and then.” He cast Jin a glance, who smirked and looked rather proud of himself. “But now, the police seem to be taking them a lot more seriously, especially with the Wild Bunch getting involved. Which elevated these small-time conspiracy theorists from harmless superstition to something a little more legitimate, and much more dangerous as a result,” He then gave the Chosen Children a wry grin. “However, now? Well… why don’t you see for yourself?”

[chososhoeso2]

One Piece Theory: Wano Spoilers

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Zoro is a member of the Shimotsuki family. More specifically, he's the grandson of Ushimaru. I know this theory isn't that much of a gotcha, since Zoro literally looks exactly like Ushimaru and a young Ryuma, but there's more to it than just the facial features, spiky hair, swordsmanship, and injured left eye.

We don't know about Zoro's past before he challenged the dojo in Shimotsuki Village. The village was founded by the swordsmith Shimotsuki Kozaburo after he illegally left Wano 55 years ago. He was the smith who created the Wado Ichimonji and Enma. Both of which are now in the hands of Zoro. A few years after Shimotsuki Village was founded, Kozaburo settled down and had a child named Koshiro, who we know as the head of the dojo and Kuina's father.

Other members of the Shimotsuki clan include: Yasuie and Toko. Both of which quickly befriended Zoro in Wano. Speaking of Wano, Ushimaru had been the daimyo of Ringo for many years before dying during the reign of Orochi and Kaido. Ringo is also where Zoro, Toko, and Hiyori stayed when Zoro was trying to get back the Shusui from Onimaru.

Onimaru, who has been the companion of Ushimaru, is 69 years old (nice). It is likely that Ushimaru would be a similar age if he were still alive. Unfortunately we don't actually know Ushimaru's date of birth or age at death, so we can't know for sure. However, 70 is a pretty typical age for a grandparent of a 21 year old. Garp is 78, so Zoro's gramps would probably be around a similar age. And we know for sure that Ushimaru isn't Zoro's father, because Oda said so in the SBS for chapter 1024. In that SBS, Oda also said that he might show Ushimaru's bloodline again later or he might just keep it a secret.

The other known member of the Shimotsuki family who I haven't talked about much so far is Ryuma. Ryuma is the sword god whose corpse and sword were stolen from Wano by Gecko Moria following Moria's defeat at the hands of Kaido. In his youth, Ryuma was just like Zoro, both in looks and in personality: he was also way too eager to fight and was kind of oblivious. We know that Ryuma's blade, Shusui, was the treasure of Wano and that it was given to Zoro after he defeated zombie Ryuma in Thriller Bark. But some time before he acquired Shusui, Ryuma used a sword that resembled the Yubashiri, another legendary sword that made its way into Zoro's possession.

We've seen that Zoro has had direct ties (and has gotten along well) with all of the known members of the Shimotsuki family, except for Ushimaru. We do know that Ushimaru is a direct descendant of Ryuma. This makes sense since they look and act so similar. With that same line of thinking, it would also make sense for Zoro to be in that bloodline. He clearly doesn't look anything like Kozaburo, Koshiro, or Kuina.

There are also some pieces of the puzzle that are missing on Ushimaru's end. For example, Zoro and Ryuma both wear their swords on their right side, suggesting that they're lefty's. We don't know if the same goes for Ushimaru; we just know that in the past there were times when he wielded two swords. Another missing piece is his birthday. Shimotsuki is an old Japanese word for November. Both Ryuma and Zoro have birthdays in November (the 6th and 11th, respectively), but we don't know when Ushimaru was born. We also don't know the birthday of Kozaburo, but none of the other known Shimotsuki's have birthdays in November (aside from Onimaru, oddly enough). The third missing piece is blood type. Kuina and Koshiro both have type S, Toko and Yasuie have type F, Ryuma and Zoro have type XF, and Kozaburo and Ushimaru's are unknown.

So now we've gone over all the facts and circumstantial evidence, but it leaves us with a problem. If Ushimaru is in fact Zoro's grandfather, then how tf did Zoro end up in Shimotsuki Village? We know Kozaburo went there 55 years ago, but Ushi never left Wano (that we know of). I mean, it was illegal to leave the country and Ushi ended up being the daimyo of Ringo, so he probably didn't commit any major crimes. But maybe he did, who knows. Could Ushi's child have ended up leaving Wano with Kozaburo? We don't know if there were any other Shimotsuki's who ended up in the East Blue. Another possibility lies with Ryuma himself. Well, Ryuma's corpse. The fall of the Kozuki clan was 20 years ago. Zoro was born 21 years ago. Ryuma's corpse was stolen by Moria 23 years ago. Perhaps, Ushimaru's son or daughter was also taken (or escaped) at this time? If they did leave Wano at this time, then they would've had 2 years to find a partner, knock up or get knocked up, and then a few years to find the other known Shimotsuki's that left Wano, drop their kid off with them, and then leave or die.

Tbh considering the family ties of each of the other Strawhats (that we know of - *cough cough* Nami *cough cough* Franky), none of this would be super wild if it were true for Zoro.

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

Anyways, that's the end of this theory. Sorry I didn't feel like proofreading. I'm always open to thoughts, ideas, and comments, so feel free to give your two cents. My next theory post will either be a mini theory about Franky or a big one about the influence of gods in One Piece.

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

I don't think Shoma was upset just because of Koshiro. I think he called inconsistent intervention by jsf. In the past, Keiji used to go to the world championships by the national results. But this time, Koshiro not only couldn't make it to the worlds, but also jsf even put him in second on the list of candidates. Did you watch mol show? Sota, who finished fifth, encore, not Koshiro. Last season, Kawabe went to the Olympics and the world championships by the national result, but this season, Rinka will go to the worlds and 4cc thank to her achievement in the international competition. She finished 12th in japan nationals. Jsf's standards for the two are quite the opposite. Jsf had always been serious about 4cc. Except for last season and hanyu, whether their skaters had won gold medals in the competition before or not, they would always send the national gold and silver medalists there. However, this year's national top rankers have been completely excluded from 4cc. Who can be sure that's what they wanted? Who knows what was behind the decision? In fact, Mai has said since the beginning of this season that she wants to go to 4cc as well as the worlds. You know that Shoma didn't used to like having a long time until world championships. You know which competition should Kaori and Mai go to instead of 4cc? They are supposed to compete in Universiade. Not even ranking points are given in the competition. These are just very fragmentary examples. you may say, this time, the decisions of jsf are reasonable as a result. But if their inconsistent and subjective opinions get involved every year, they don't give any explanation to their skaters and coaches, and consider their top skaters as just for securing more tickets at the world championships, where can they find the purpose, meaning, and authority of the national competition? And who among the japan skaters could speak out about these things? Kaori? Mai? Koshiro? I think Shoma did the right thing.

I am not sure you read all what I said but I said the same thing as you that JSF is inconsistent in their decisions in the past. I literally used some of the same examples for their inconsistencies aka Mana and Olympics and Rinka's 12th place. So not sure where you're heading with this...it's not like I said something opposite...just that I think their choices are reasonable this time and I stand by that. These are good teams which give their numerous good skaters a chance to compete. Maybe I have worded myself unclear in the reblog I explained stuff. So I will still reply to the points you mentioned. It was 3am at my place when I replied 😅

(Keiji is a completely different matter, back then Japan had only few skater options for the 3rd spot - Keiji, Kazuki and Takahito Mura. They went by National results but other skaters also didn't fulfill any other criteria. No one except Shoma and Yuzu posted top scores or qualified for GPF. It's not comparable to the situation now. It's not to defend JSF but a lot has changed in the men field and JSF also changed their selection criteria)

I don't mind Shoma speaking up, indeed I don't find fault for that at all. Who is in a better position than Shoma who indisputable deserves his place at Worlds and who in 8 years straight has always been selected through JNats by meeting all criteria? Imo Shoma did nothing wrong, we can however discuss if this was the moment to adress it publicly.

I think though Shoma being upset for Koshiro is the "tip of the iceberg" what made Shoma confront JSF. Who knows what happened behind closed doors before the press con. Shoma's words were directed at JSF and he didn't name anyone in particular. I think he was rather diplomatic while being obviously mad. Still as he didn't specify what he meant at this point we can only speculate about what lead him to say something. Of course it's their inconsistencies that confuse the skaters, that's however not exactly what Shoma said. I think there was much more to the story and I am pretty sure it's the culmination of it all that lead to the confrontation with JSF. Shoma has a huge sense of justice and strong feelings for those around him.

AND LOOKS LIKE SHOMA'S WORDS HAD AN IMPACT! JSF said down with all coaches and skaters? to talk about the selection criterias. I don't think it's changing anything for this time, but let's hope next time their selection is made clearer. It's also said in that same article that they didn't explain their selection to the skaters before the press con, so they went there rather unprepared and with unanswered questions. JSF listening is a big step forward.

I do think JSFs choices are reasonable and they played along their own criteria this time. There are multiple skaters who met their criteria and some of it has also changed from this and last season as far as I know. I was just as surprised 4CC was entirely different teams than Worlds, can't say if that's merely due to the results of Nationals or their plan before, but I do think with the depth of the field, it's justified. (I guess Rinka goes to both because she needs the world ranking points for Worlds) In men and women there were unlike situations as before. Those who had better GP series and qualified for the GPF didn't make it to the podium except for Shoma, Mai and Kaori. The GPF is a qualifier criteria for Worlds but usually not 4 in men and 3 in women would meet the criteria like this year. In 2019 it was only Yuzu and Rika who qualified for the GPF. I think it wasn't an easy decision but overall the decision makes sense, much more than for example last season with the selection of Mana instead of Mai. As much as I like Koshiro I also understand why he wasn't considered for Worlds due his consistency issues and lower world ranking and lower season best scores. (I am happy Koshiro had a good competition but if we're being honest he also profited from skaters who did much better during the season to have supbar performances)

Still the problem remains that they set up JNats as such important competitions but then take 12th place finish Rinka and 6th place finish Sota. So it's not clear at all how the JNats results were weighed for the decision. (that's also what I said before - maybe I didn't say it here but on Twitter - I dunno where but I wrote a lot)

As for 4CC usually in a non-Olympic year they would send entirely the same teams for 4CC and Worlds with just some exceptions like Kaori being chosen for 4CC and Wakaba for Worlds 2020 (but ofc Worlds didn't happen) Still the selection criteria are only for Worlds as I know, so I think JSF can send whoever they want to 4CC (even though they always do what they want anyway). I think in a year were results are so different from JNats and the rest of the season it makes sense and will benefit more skaters for World Ranking points etc. Neither Shoma, Mai nor Kaori need the ranking points from 4CC for Worlds or the next GP series but Mone, Hana, Koshiro etc they do.

Shoma did a lot competitions between JNats and Worlds, but it's been 3 years since Shoma had a tight schedule until then. (The Olympic season is different and as we could see lots of skaters don't do Worlds afterwards due to the schedule) And Shoma is not that young anymore and knows how to handle competitions and in Shoma's case he also will change his boots now and it will take time to adjust to them. He has Nagoya Festival scheduled, he also did PIW in January in recent years. If he wants to spend time in Champery and work with his team, 4CC wouldn't fit his plan. Just like a Challenger didn't fit his plan. It's not unusual for skaters to do less competitions in their later career. I don't think Shoma would have wanted to do 4CC, but ofc that's also speculation. Shoma is far from old but I don't think you can compare the things Shoma did 3-4 years ago with the things he does now.

Btw Universiade entries were decided even before the GP series took place I guess because first you need to be an university student and not all Team Japan skaters would fit the criteria and 2nd because it gives no world ranking points or much prestige. So I think the assignments for Universiade didn't play a part for any other team.

This turned out rather long, sorry. 😅

(also not my place to say some facts that I have been told, just that things told to me make me quite sure Shoma was upset bc of Koshiro so that may have influenced my wording a bit)

[x0401x]

hi! i'm learning japanese and i'm not sure if you can relate because you know japanese, but i find it kind of difficult to understand what koshiro fuwa is saying sometimes! is his speech pattern slightly different? not sure if it's due to a different dialect or something?

for example, that scene where he visits nikaido's work. nikaido asks him why he's there and he says something like: あれだよ。来ちゃったってさ。

the way he speaks sounds slightly non standard to me but i have only been studying formal japanese so far and not for very long, so i'd be interested in hearing if there is anything that makes him different!

also, did you understand that scene differently? because i'm not sure if i found hidive's subs to be accurate. would you mind telling me exactly what they're saying, if you know?

Hello!

So, like, it’s not really that Koushirou’s speech pattern is different. And he doesn’t speak any dialect or has any sort of accent. He just talks like a teenager. It’s standard but it’s colloquialism.

I watch anime without subs so I have no idea how this dialogue was translated. If you can tell me what the translation was, I can give my take on it!

[problems-of-immortality]

New Muse!!

Merlin, Magus of Flowers.

Original Universe, not Nasuverse!

V:Trapped in Avalon

Height: 5'10

Weight: 149lbs

Eyes & Hair: Purple. Hair is very long, soft, and white with purple undertones.

Race: Half fey, and half cambion.

Age: Indeterminate.

Full name: Merlin Wyltt Ambrosius

Sexuality: Pansexual

Merlin grew up among a royal family in Dyfed, in truth as an adopted changeling, with no idea of either his fey, or incubus heritage. His biological mother was full-blooded dryad, and part of a noble family within the Summer Court in the Otherworld. She had a scandalous meeting with his father, a cambion born of a human and an incubus, and Merlin was the result. If she had accepted Merlin, she would have been ostracized, so instead, she kept him a secret, and to give him a better life, gave him up to the royal, human family of Dyfed as a changeling child.

Later known to druids as Emrys, prince of Dyfed, the Magus of Flowers, and a powerful druid that specializes in botanical and dream-related magic. Known also as Merlin Wyltt, the long-seeing madman.

One day, in his youth, he found a doorway to a metaphysical library that contained all possible knowledge of his universe, bound within the Otherworld of the fey. Time went strangely there, and he learned more than any mortal of his time. It was there that he had a vision of King Arthur and his fate. Immensely curious, Merlin sought the mortal Arthur out, and became a mentor to him, a friend, and eventually fell in love with him.

He tried many times over the course of King Arthur’s life to derail his fate and that of Camelot, and all of these attempts fell on deaf ears, so Merlin never told Arthur that he loved him.

One day, Morgana disguised herself as a fey woman named Nimue and attempted to seduce Merlin, and distract him from his heartbreak. Eventually, she told Merlin of a place that existed between the world of the fey, and the world of mortal men- The Isle and Garden of Avalon. It is there that there is a manifestation of the roots of Yggdrassil, the tree of the universe. She told him that Arthur’s fate was recorded in Yggdrassil’s rings, and if he was willing to sacrifice anything, he could carve into that tree and alter fate itself.

But it was a trap. Morgana revealed her true self. She bound Merlin’s soul to Yggdrassil, and his physical body to Avalon itself, for all of eternity. So that Merlin couldn’t interfere in the death of Camelot.

It was there that he came across a magical distance mirror, bound to Yggdrassil as he was. The mirror could be used to scry upon any current event, regardless of distance, or place. He could find anything he wished with a thought. It also can act as a portal to any location reflected upon it’s surface, even to other universes. The caveat of this was that he could open the doorway for others, but never pass through himself. It was through this mirror that he watched Arthur die in the battle of Camlann.

Merlin’s vocabulary is vast, and all over the place. He’s the kind of person that would use a mishmash of slang from multiple time periods in the same sentence with no remorse. He loves to play pranks, and enjoys conversations of all sorts of visitors. He can also manifest an illusion of himself through his mirror to other people if he wishes, but if that illusion is damaged enough, it disappears, and his consciousness drops back to Avalon like a painful bungee cord. (He’s even better than Shiro for crossovers!)

[koshiro-nakamura-blog]

Hey, finally got back into this account holy shit.

[kindcstguardian]

   “     and today as well, I am pondering about how should I convey my feelings to... ”.

[catboygirljoker]

the albums i listened to today: All Hell, Flood, Beat the Champ, Humanz, Etrian Mystery Dungeon OST

@officialqueer:

Los Campesinos! - All Hell instrumentally they sound EXACTLY like every christian rock band i heard on the radio growing up which is wild lol. the vocals and lyrics are too interesting to make them mistakeable for christian rock though. even without the "detox to retox" reference it's amazing how much the fall out boy influence comes through in the lyricism. [edit: i have been informed that this was not intentional and they were not influenced by fall out boy lmao. oopsie doodle!] my favorite track was probably "Feast of Tongues" ("to the tune of the national anthem / of a country that didn't survive / in a language i've learned and forgotten / i'll stay home, keep the garden alive" is a standout lyric to me, that and "a molehill to die upon")

They Might Be Giants - Flood considering i grew up with homestar runner it's a surprise i never went out of my way to listen to a TMBG album. i liked it! wasnt as silly as i thought it would be, which i mean as a compliment here—i dont know that i wouldve liked it as much if it had been. i laughed out loud at "Particle Man", thats a great song. i also liked on "Lucky Ball and Chain" where the "confidentially" bits didn't have the reverb that the rest of the song has, making it feel more private than the other parts. idk, its a neat touch i felt worth remarking on

The Mountain Goats - Beat the Champ YAYYY MOUNTAINGOATS!! i've not listened to this album before but its immediately one of my favorites of theirs. Bleed Out is another favorite and this is similar, just wrestling tropes instead of action movie ones. highlight moments for me were "and i need justice in my life; here it comes" from "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero" (just feels like an amazing one-line encapsulation of what wrestling is about) and, just, all of "Werewolf Gimmick". nameless bodies in unremembered rooms...im also amazed by how on "Hair Match" Darnielle sings about someone getting their head shaved like he's singing about them getting killed. pure conviction on this whole album

@fooligandan:

Gorillaz - Humanz very funny experience listening to this and going "wait this one rapper sounds familiar. is this Kendrick Lamar? no its obviously not, but who is it" and going back to look and it was Pusha T. lol. my brain just knew it was someone who hated Drake. anyway i liked this record quite a bit! id only listened to a couple of Gorillaz songs before and none of them were as firmly in the hip-hop genre as this album was. i liked the production a lot. my favorite songs were i think "Ascension", "Momentz" and "Hallelujah Money". im aware that the band is like...semi-fictional? and the characters/members have Lore and such. my partner is infodumping to me about the band as we speak, i'll have to ask her more about it lol (though feel free to also infodump to me about it if you'd like :D !)

[i added the albums to my playlist in the order they were commented, i've yet to get to the Tally Hall one, that's next however]

@thisisfoobar:

Yuzo Koshiro - Etrian Mystery Dungeon i'd never heard of this game before in my life (though listening does remind me i wanna replay pokemon mystery dungeon explorers of time). i have no emotional or aesthetic context for the songs, but STILL, wowie this is a good soundtrack :D i got to this part of my playlist as we hit some mountains with lovely fall colors and the clarinet felt very seasonally appropriate. growing up my parents listened to a lot of classical music and so the specific like. orchestral/instrumental palette used in a lot of this soundtrack is very familiar and nostalgic to me. i might go back and relisten to it even though i've never played the game !

QUICK ANYBODY SOMEBODY give me an album to listen to on the 6 hour drive home today

[moguel]

The Lounge Where We Speak of Tomorrow | Yuzo Koshiro 

 Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl Original Soundtrack