#may contain haikus and spiritual power

[nicoismywaifu]

Junai Lens Part 1 feat. KotoUmi (properly formatted this time)

As promised, the first part of my overly long, questionable in quality and annoying to format series comes to my Tumblr account for people who don’t have large fics crash when they open!

Words: ~9500 (yeah, I know, I’m sorry) Pairings: NozoEli and KotoUmi AO3 link: here! Summary: Basically, Nozomi uses her spiritual powers and meddlesome nature to get everyone together in a romantic comedy with light magical realism vibes. Ofc, that means her girlfriend Eli gets dragged along for the ride, too.

Nozomi must have had a rough day.

That was how it seemed to Eli, seeing her slumped over Eli’s sofa with a glum, defeated expression on her face. It was striking – Nozomi had nevermade a look like that before, just as she had never called Eli so late at night. It just wasn’t in Nozomi’s character, always having a permanent, contented smile; always so cheerful about absolutely everything. Although she might’ve been a little too grab-happy with her friends chests, but that wasn’t Eli’s concern right now.

Eli hated seeing Nozomi look so depressed. So instead, she had hugged her gently in the doorway, before easing her onto the couch and laying a comforting arm around her shoulder for a few minutes, before deciding Nozomi could use some tea.

Eli returned from the kitchen with a tray of green tea, along with some assorted chocolates and shortbread. All of Nozomi's favourites. Although some of the chocolates Eli laid out might have been for herself, as she placed the tray upon the coffee table before sitting and carefully snuggling next to Nozomi on the couch.

‘Thank you, Elicchi,’ Nozomi said, her voice quiet.

‘It's fine,’ Eli replied, smiling as she reached out to squeeze Nozomi’s hand. ‘Anything for you, Nozomi.’

‘Elicchi…’

Sniffling, Nozomi squeezed Eli’s hand back before reaching her other hand across to the tray and grasping a cup, blowing the steam off the top before taking a large gulp. To Eli’s relief, Nozomi gave a contented sigh as she eased back into the sofa afterwards, resting her head against Eli’s shoulder.

Eli decided then to bite the bullet. Hopefully Nozomi was up for getting things off her more than ample chest. ‘Nozomi? Is something the matter?’

She had suspected the answer, but it was confirmed anyway when Nozomi’s response was to groan and recline further against Eli’s body. Eli quickly began to feel another rush of sympathy for the other girl. Had she been too pushy in asking?

‘Sorry, you don’t have to talk about it if-‘

Nozomi half-smiled as she placed a finger to Eli’s lips. ‘It’s fine, Elicchi. I’ll tell you.’

Eli gave a small nod and another inviting smile of her own – code for “take all the time you need, Nozomi”.

Nozomi took a deep breath and cast her eyes downwards before finally answering. ‘I just can't take it anymore, Elicchi,’ she admitted. ‘They're really starting to get to me.’

‘They?’ questioned Eli.

‘It's just too much,’ Nozomi continued, now clutching her hands to her face. ‘I just… I just…’

Anger coursed through Eli as she placed protective arms around her girlfriend. As far as she was concerned, there could be no justification for making her precious Nozomi feel so down on herself.

‘Alright,’ Eli decided, her ice-blue eyes becoming firm. ‘Tell me who did this to you and I'll take care of them.’

Nozomi shook her head and remained silent, despite Eli’s encouragement. Even after all that, it still seemed difficult for her to name the culprit, probably afraid of what Ayase-style retribution might look like for her wrongdoer. It was only after Eli softened and instead sent over a long, pleading look that Nozomi finally gave in and whispered.

‘It’s Nicocchi.’

Eli was stunned. ‘Nico?’

But Nozomi wasn’t finished. ‘And Maki-chan.’

‘Nico and Maki?’ Eli exclaimed. It was a shock, having her two good friends being named as Nozomi’s tormentors. But that shock was soon replaced by realisation. ‘Ah. I get it,’ said Eli, coming to a conclusion of her own. ‘Something happened again, didn't it?’

Nozomi nodded weakly. ‘You know that new cake store that opened up recently?’ Eli nodded, so Nozomi continued. ‘Well, I gave them a shared coupon there that I just happened to have. It was the perfect opportunity for them.’

Eli could see where this was going, but she asked anyway. ‘How did it end up?’

‘They ended up shoving cake into each other's faces. Literally. They got kicked out of the café for disturbing everyone. I just don’t understand it at all, Elicchi,’ Nozomi whined.

At the sound Nozomi made, Eli took even more notice - whining Nozomi didn't appear very often, and it wasn't a sound Eli liked to hear her girlfriend make outside of the bedroom.

‘I'm exhausted as well,’ said Nozomi, now letting her complaints flow freely. ‘I used up all my energy the past few weeks and it's done nothing. None of the others were like this.’ She turned her face desperately to meet Eli’s. ‘Are the spirits leaving me now? Just like my parents?’

Eli again wrapped her arm around Nozomi’s shoulders. ‘I’m sure the spirits would never leave you,’ she reassured her.

Nozomi had tried everything she could for those two – she had worshipped some shady gods, performed some rituals she really wasn’t proud of and sent her spiritual blessings to them every time their back was turned. But it hadn’t been enough, when it had been for everyone else she had turned her attention to.

Some people in this world might have called it pointless mumbo-jumbo. But Nozomi knew better – the power of the spirits was real, and there was living proof of this all around her. So rather than being a mere annoyance, the fact that Nico and Maki only seemed to be arguing even more now was closer to a full-blown identity crisis for Nozomi.

Eli’s attention was then suddenly drawn as Nozomi stood up, prompting Eli to let go of holding her.

‘Hey Elicchi, do you mind if I go through your pantry?’

‘Of course I don't mind,’ replied Eli. ‘But what are you planning to cook at three o'clock in the morning?’

Nozomi shook her head. ‘Not cook. Drink.’

‘I'm afraid I still don't understand,’ said Eli, now even more baffled.

‘Elicchi, I came over for the same reason why anyone visits their Russian girlfriend when they're feeling down,’ said Nozomi, as she simply kept strolling into Eli’s kitchen before opening up some cabinets. ‘To drown their sorrows with vodka.’

Eli groaned. So that’s what Nozomi was after. Thankfully for her, despite the sounds of cupboards being opened and closed coming from downstairs, Nozomi was still yet to find the liquor cabinet, and it was locked anyway.

Wait a moment.

It was locked, right? From when her parents last visited a few months ago?

Now unsure herself, Eli decided that the blankets could wait – she’d first check the drawer of her parent’s room for the cabinet’s key. She was stopped as she began making her way there, however, by a groggy looking Alisa who stood at the top of the staircase, wondering what the commotion was about. ‘Onee-chan?’ she asked, yawning at the end. ‘Is Nozomi-san alright?’

‘Don't worry, Alisa,’ said Eli, placing a hand onto her sister’s shoulder. ‘Nozomi is completely-‘

‘Aha!’ came Nozomi’s muffled shout from downstairs, as the sounds of rummaging now stopped completely. ‘I knew you'd have the good stuff, Elicchi!’

Eli grimaced. ‘-not fine at all.’

Breathing a Russian swear under her breath, Eli made a mental note to do a better job of hiding her parents’ liquor as she sprinted back down the stairs and into the kitchen to wrestle a bottle of Stolichnaya from Nozomi's hands, holding it above herself and out of Nozomi’s shorter reach.

‘Awww,’ Nozomi returned to whining, ‘no fair, Elicchi!’

It had started out with parfaits, as did most of the afternoons that Nozomi spent with Eli. But unlike most of those sugar filled afternoons, the two ended up stumbling upon an interesting sight after exiting the café and walking over to the local shopping district.

Arms linked together as they made their way downtown, a glimpse of deep blue and light ash in the corner of her eye caused Nozomi to stop and turn. There really was no mistaking the sight.

It was Kotori and Umi, of course, sat beside each other on a park bench with their backs turned to the other pair. Dragging Eli by the hand, Nozomi went in for a closer view of the action. From a convenient blind spot, they observed a normal looking Umi, contrasted by a decidedly nervous Kotori, who didn’t meet Umi’s eyes as she blushed and fidgeted in her seat.

‘So,’ Kotori began, hesitating, ‘was this a fun afternoon, Umi-chan?’

‘Of course,’ said Umi, grinning at Kotori. ‘I always enjoy spending time with you, Kotori.’

Kotori looked like she had just won the lottery. ‘Umi-chan!’

‘After all,’ Umi concluded happily, ‘you’re my closest, childhood friend.’

Kotori looked like her lottery winnings had just been burnt in a fire. ‘U-Umi-chan…’

Glancing down at her wristwatch, Umi stood up from her seat. ‘Sorry, I have dojo practice to attend now. See you next time, Kotori,’ she said, giving Kotori a fond wave goodbye as she exited.

‘Yeah.’ Kotori didn’t match Umi’s enthusiasm, not bothering to look up as she waved back. ‘See you, Umi-chan…’ To her credit, she was able to make it until Umi was completely out of sight before rolling her head back on the bench and groaning to herself. ‘Umi-chan… Why are you making this so difficult for me?’

‘What’s difficult?’

An undignified ‘eeep!’ was given as Kotori squealed and turned around, facing the unexpected conversation starter. ‘N-Nozomi-chan? And Eli-chan?’ she squeaked out, having noticed the other girl as well. ‘Did you hear all of that?’

‘Sorry,’ said Nozomi. 'I didn’t mean to.’

(That was a complete and utter lie.)

‘But if I had to guess,’ Nozomi continued, completely unabashed, ‘it looked almost like you were trying to be romantic with Umi-chan!’

‘Oh,’ said Kotori as her frown turned deep and gloomy. ‘So I guess that means you’ve discovered my secret, then. I’m in love with Umi-chan.’

‘That’s fine, isn't it?’ asked Eli, smiling at Kotori kindly. ‘Umi’s a wonderful person.’

Kotori’s expression was more dubious. ‘Well, it would be fine, but…’

Nozomi leaned in curiously. ‘But what, Kotori-chan?’

‘But everything is “shameless” to her, apparently!’  

Having shouted loud enough to surprise herself, Nozomi, Eli and even a few passers-by, Kotori brought a hand over her mouth in embarrassment, muffling herself as she said ‘Sorry.’

‘It’s fine,’ said Nozomi, waving her hand dismissively. ‘But what do you mean by everything, Kotori-chan? Something like a romantic kiss in the park?’

‘That’s “shameless”, according to Umi-chan,’ replied Kotori.

‘Holding hands as you walk?’ Eli asked.

‘Shameless,’ Kotori answered straight away.

Nozomi tilted her head, hand on her chin. ‘Looking at each other fondly?’

‘Also shameless.’

Eli raised an eyebrow. ‘Accidentally sharing a drink?

‘Shameless,’ said Kotori, getting rather used to the word.

‘But it was an accident,’ clarified Eli.

‘Doesn't matter to Umi-chan.’

‘How about just walking too close beside each other?’

Kotori buried her head in her hands. ‘Shameless.’

Nozomi let out a whistle. ‘Okay, I think I get the picture.’

‘That’s what makes things difficult with Umi-chan,’ continued Kotori. ‘I want to do all those things that Umi-chan calls “shameless!”. I want to ask her to be my girlfriend. But if all those things are shameless…’ Kotori’s voice dropped and her expression turned pensive, ‘then how would she react to having another girl confess their feelings to her? Umi-chan’s the traditional sort of girl, y’know? I'm not sure something like that would ever cross her mind. So if I ask her suddenly, she might just think I’m weird…’

Eli placed a supportive hand to Kotori’s shoulder. ‘Umi’s already received plenty of love letters from girls at our school, right?’

‘Well, yeah,’ Kotori replied, ‘but she doesn’t get what they mean at all! She misinterprets them and thinks they all just want to be her friend or something! And she didn’t get what this meant as well, either: me inviting her to a fun afternoon with just the two of us.’

‘So she’s dense as well,’ said Eli, sighing.

‘As oblivious as the male protagonist in your usual romantic comedy,’ Nozomi observed.

‘But Umi-chan is far more handsome than any guy!’ Kotori cried out.

‘Fine then,’ said Nozomi. ‘Just imagine Umi in a tuxedo or something, as if she were in the Love Wing Bell costumes you made back then.’

So Kotori imagined. That tall, graceful, upright posture which Umi had, that refined smile, that slender frame with just the right muscle tone across her arms and lower torso giving a low whisper of ‘Ojou-sama’ right beside Kotori’s ear...

Her nosebleed was inevitable and voluminous.

‘Kotori?!’ Eli yelped in surprise. ‘Are you okay?’

Kotori simply reached into her purse with a quick movement and retrieved a handkerchief. ‘Sorry,’ she said, her voice muffled now from pinching her nose shut. ‘So because Umi-chan is really dense, it’s really hard to tell her how I feel. Not to mention that she might just think it’s shameless in the first place.’

‘Aww.’ Eli and Nozomi cooed in unison, both exchanging a look of sympathy with Kotori. It was soon followed by Nozomi turning sideways to wink at Eli, who winked back in response. The exchange was beginning to feel very odd to Kotori. But she couldn't quite put a name to what she felt. If she had to guess, though, it gave her the kind of impression that an important plot point was about to be uncovered, or something.

‘Let me show you something, Kotori-chan,’ said Nozomi, conveniently on cue.

Kotori watched in confusion as Nozomi drew a step backwards and retrieved her tarot deck from her handbag. ‘Um, Nozomi-chan, what are you doing?’

‘Just an impromptu reading,’ Nozomi replied off-handedly. ‘Tell me something first though. Do you believe in the power of spirits?’

‘I do!’ Kotori chirped, an excited smile now gracing her. ‘That’s why I always pray at the shrine. Myojin-sama has always been good to me.’

‘That’s wonderful,’ Nozomi replied sincerely, as she drew the top card for herself to see. ‘Ooh, that's a fun card!’

Kotori’s interest was piqued. ‘What is it?’

Turning the card to face Kotori, Nozomi smirked. ‘The Lovers, of course. Though really, why would I be surprised? I guess there really is no helping this, then.’ Now drawing in a deep breath, Nozomi closed her eyes and placed both arms by her sides. She looked serene, like a buddha, before her mouth opened once again.

‘Nozomi power, tappuri chunyuu!’

Nozomi brought a hand up from her side, pointing at Kotori with her fingers in a gun shape. In a split-second, a heart-shape, coloured purple, formed around her fingers before shooting itself towards Kotori and impacting into her chest, left-of-centre.

Kotori looked down at where the strange energy had struck, then back up at Nozomi in a double-take, her eyebrows knitted together like stitching of a tapestry. But as soon as she opened her mouth to question it, Nozomi held up a finger to shush her.

‘Wait for it...’

On cue, a stream of particles, now kaleidoscopic in colour, languidly drifted outward from Kotori’s body, and began to put themselves together like bits of a puzzle. To Kotori, it looked as if a vivid watercolour painting had fizzled in from thin air, and now floated a few feet in front of Kotori’s face. The refreshing scent of flowers tinged the air.

Awestruck, Kotori gasped at the surreal scene. ‘Nozomi-chan, what is this?!’

‘Just some spiritual magic,’ Nozomi replied. ‘A spell to bring your heart and feelings into focus. Simply put, it’s your junai lens!’

Kotori’s awe turned into something more questioning. ‘That name’s a bit embarrassing, don’t you think?’

‘I think it’s cute!’ Nozomi retorted, crossing her arms in a huff.

‘Maybe you should actually explain to Kotori what a junai lens is first,’ said Eli, looking rather unimpressed with her girlfriend.

‘Oh. Right. Good idea, Elicchi.’ Nozomi coughed twice into her fist before beginning her explanation.

‘When you fall in love with a person, it feels special, doesn’t it? It’s like that person is the centre of your world; they’re all that you can think about. When that happens, a junai lens crystallises in your heart, protecting the feelings you have for that person. The feeling of pure, heart-throbbing love. In this case, the love you have for Umi-chan. And because I’m spiritual, I can see your lens, just like I showed you!’

‘Wow…’ whispered Kotori, amazement shining in her eyes. ‘That’s incredible, Nozomi-chan!’

‘I know, right?’ said Nozomi, very chuffed with herself.

Eli just rolled her eyes. ‘Very modest, Nozomi.’  

‘Shush, Elicchi.’ Nozomi’s soft expression returned as she faced Kotori again. ‘I can only show it to the person with their own lens, though. Oh, and Elicchi, too, but she’s a special exception.’

‘So only the three of us can see this right now?’ asked Kotori.

‘Correct,’ said Eli. ‘Yours looks quite lovely, by the way.’

‘So basically,’ Nozomi concluded, as Kotori blushed from the weirdest compliment she’d ever been given, ‘everyone who’s fallen in love has a junai lens. And this one is yours, Kotori-chan. What do you make of it?’

‘It looks like… a garden of blue and white flowers? No, wait.’ Kotori squinted, scrutinizing the floating image more closely. ‘Anemones?’

Nozomi hummed to herself. ‘Interesting reaction…’

‘If I remember correctly,’ said Eli, placing a hand to her chin in thought, ‘white anemones symbolise sincerity. It's hanakotoba.’

‘Well then,’ Nozomi said, with an air as if that had settled everything. ‘To the sincere Kotori-chan struggling with her feelings, I’ll lend some of my spiritual power. Hai, pushuu!’

With her fingers again pointed back at Kotori, the suspended image dissolved into a concentrated white stream before rushing back into Kotori’s body. An invigorating glow radiated and pulsed around her, and she felt the flowery scent further in her nostrils now. Again, Kotori felt a strange sort of embarrassment to have to send another confused glance at Nozomi, who answered her unasked question with another wink.

‘It’s a spiritual blessing, Kotori-chan. You deserve it, and actually, you might need it.’

‘With the lens in mind, we know that you’re swept up in your pure love for Umi-chan and okay, that is actually embarrassing to say out loud,’ Eli continued, as if reciting a memorised speech (the first part of her sentence, at least).

Nozomi took over. ‘That is to say, although the spirits have recognised and blessed your feelings like you just saw, there is no guarantee that your feelings will be returned. This isn't something that will magically make Umi-chan fall in love with you. The spirits wouldn't approve of that sort of attraction.’

‘Oh.’ That was all Kotori could say.

Noting Kotori’s look had gone from highly confused to the absolutely perplexed look one makes when they encounter a question on a test that they should've studied harder for, Eli sighed and decided to simplify. ‘Basically, you still need to make Umi fall in love with you, because this isn't a love potion story.’

‘Ah!’ Kotori chirruped. ‘I get it now!’

‘Great,’ said Eli, thankful for her quick summarising skills learned from teaching μ’s three idiots. ‘So let’s go over things once more. You're in love with Umi, but you're worried about how Umi will react.’

‘And that's all because,’ Nozomi cheerfully added, ‘you’re worried that she thinks doing yuri stuff together is shameless!’

Eli rubbed at her forehead with second-hand embarrassment, feeling a headache coming on. Kotori also blushed once more before replying. ‘Essentially, yes.’

‘Okay, that’s settled then!’ Nozomi rubbed her hands together with glee. ‘This looks like just the job for me to meddle with, I mean, help your beautiful love blossom!

‘What Nozomi means to say,’ said an exasperated Eli, ‘is that we’re always here to help you, Kotori. That’s what friends are for. So, would you like us to help you out with confessing to Umi?’

‘Eli-chan, Nozomi-chan…’ Kotori looked between them both with glistening amber eyes, before bowing her head deeply. ‘I'll be in your care!’

‘Alright, then!’ said Nozomi. ‘I’ve got just the plan in mind!’

‘Basically,’ Nozomi had said, ‘we just need desensitise Umi to shameless things!’

To summarise, Nozomi’s grand theory was that if Umi thought everything was shameless, then they would simply wear her down by normalizing shameful displays in Umi’s life, so that they wouldn't be shameless anymore!

Eli was unconvinced of this plan for several reasons. And she was especially unconvinced of the method that Nozomi had chosen to execute that plan. But despite those misgivings, she just couldn't say no to her girlfriend – Nozomi had been beaming with happiness as she came up with her idea, and Eli was struck by a sudden onset of gay from how ethereal Nozomi's looked at that exact moment. So naturally, she found herself grinning and nodding along instead of saying, ‘Hey, wait, this is actually a bad idea and I don't think we should do this.’

So as Eli reached the hour of reckoning in the clubroom containing herself and seven other members of μ’s, she just sighed to herself, resigned to her girlfriend induced fate. She looked at the time on her phone.

3, 2, 1…

‘E~li~cchi!’

Slamming the clubroom door to gain everyone’s attention, and especially grabbing Nico’s (‘the Idol Research Club doesn’t have the funds to replace doors all the time, you know?!), Nozomi waltzed towards a remarkably unsurprised looking Eli, placed both hands to Eli’s posterior and began the process of mining for gold with her tongue, on the assumption that such alluvial deposits were to be found somewhere in Eli’s mouth.

In response, Kotori gasped, Honoka fist-pumped, Hanayo squeaked before covering Rin’s pure, innocent eyes, Rin screamed about becoming blind, Maki blushed furiously because that's just what she always does and Nico made a noise of immense disgust but still watched them curiously. Everyone had some sort of reaction to the kiss.

Everyone except for Umi, that is.

Instead, she kept a strange, blank look on her face, devoid of any outward emotion. Being most interested in her reaction from the start, Eli and Nozomi eventually broke from their exceedingly long kiss to look at Umi with questioning, slightly flushed faces. It was then that Umi got to her feet with a brisk motion, said ‘Please excuse me,’ then walked through the clubroom door, with the others hearing her footsteps disappearing down the adjacent hallway.

Honoka was the first to react, hurriedly cramming her belongings from the table into her bag before bolting for the door.

‘Honoka-chan, where are you going?’ asked a confused Nozomi.

‘I really don’t like the vibe that Umi-chan is giving off,’ Honoka replied, face creased with worry as she turned around from the doorway. ‘I can tell, since I’ve gotten Umi-chan mad enough times before. This time her aura feels like… some kind of killing intent, maybe?’

Eli gulped.

‘I don’t feel anything like that from her,’ replied Nozomi, casually reclining her chair backwards. Of course, this was because she was supremely confident in her spiritual powers to spot such changes.

‘Okay then, your funeral!’ shouted Honoka, already having dashed out the door. Her footsteps sounded down the hallway, stopped, and headed back towards the clubroom as she poked her head in once more. ‘Oh, and Eli-chan’s too!’

‘Why me?!’ Eli yelled to Honoka, who had already sprinted off again and slammed the door shut behind her, much to Nico’s chagrin.

Feeling Eli’s newfound anxiety, Nozomi placed her hand over Eli’s with tender affection. ‘Don't worry,’ she said reassuringly. ‘Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together. Am I right?’

‘Nozomi…’ Eli’s eyes began to water up as she squeezed back. ‘You're right.’

The room fell silent as the door opened again. There stood Umi, with a grin on her face, a quiver of arrows strapped to her back and a traditional Japanese bow in her hands.

‘You’re more than welcome to try being shameless again,’ she said, still smiling as she addressed Eli and Nozomi. ‘I need some practice for my love arrow shoot.’

Eli and Nozomi decided against doing so, despite Umi’s encouragement. They were instead grasped by a sudden urge to get some exercise as they turned, jammed open the clubroom window and took a running vault through it.

Thank god all their idol practice paid off.

‘Okay,’ said Nozomi, slightly out of breath and hands still trembling from the earlier events that day. She, Eli and Kotori now sat together on a bench, shaded by the tree within the school’s sunlit courtyard. ‘We need a different plan, since I don’t think the desensitisation route is going to work out.’

‘It has to involve Kotori, then,’ replied Eli. Like Nozomi, she also a haunted, thousand-yard stare in her eyes. ‘At least Umi won’t threaten to shoot her with an arrow.’

‘I think Umi-chan was just joking with that,’ Kotori came to her crush’s defence, before having a second thought. ‘I mean, probably, anyway.’

Eli shook her head. ‘And when has Umi ever made a joke?’

‘Ummm…’ Kotori faltered and didn’t complete her sentence. ‘A-Anyway, what do you think I should do, then?’

‘I’ll leave it to Elicchi this time,’ said Nozomi, her default expression of coy smirk returning in an instant. ‘She’s the expert. Did you know that she’s always reading the love advice columns in those girly magazines?’

‘Really?!’ gasped Kotori, quickly placing both hands in front of her mouth to stifle herself from giggling.

‘Nozomi,’ Eli whined, ‘you're ruining the cool image everyone has of me.’

‘I think it's cute though!’ Nozomi protested with her arms folded in front of her.

‘Wait a second. If Eli’s the expert, then why did Nozomi come up with the first plan?’ asked Kotori, looking confused again.

‘I just really wanted to kiss Elicchi like that,’ replied Nozomi, shrugging.

‘So that’s it, huh?’ replied Kotori, downcast.

Eli chose to ignore Nozomi’s impure motives, as she instead came up with an idea to help Kotori. ‘Umi’s being dense to the subtle things you’re doing, right? So instead, try to convey your feelings in a way that she’ll understand.’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Kotori, tilting her head to one side like an owl.

‘Umi’s always writing our songs, and she likes poetry. So if you put all your feelings into writing, I'm sure she'll understand how you feel.’

‘Eli-chan!’ Kotori sparked again into a bright smile. ‘I’ll do my best!’

Hunched over the desk of the empty classroom, Kotori opened her notebook to a fresh page and tapped her pen against it a few times, thinking of where to start with her writing.

She was determined to repay Eli and Nozomi. They were busy helping Honoka out with her Student Council duties that afternoon, since Umi was leading extra archery practice for an upcoming tournament and practically strong-armed Kotori into having them act as her replacement as well, so she could focus on something they said was much more important.

It had all worked out well when she wrote Wonder Zone, didn’t it? Okay, maybe it took her a few goes and a minor crisis of confidence back then – and Kotori only had one song to deal with. Just another thing about Umi which amazed Kotori. Naturally, her thoughts wandered across to Umi herself.

Umi - A girl raised on tradition, just like Eli had said. A girl who could list kendo, calligraphy, archery and traditional dance as her hobbies.

So surely haikus would resonate with her soul – assuming Kotori could write something half-decent. But Kotori had pure love as her inspiration, and love always wins in the end! Well, except in those angsty stories.

And there’s a lot of angsty stories…

A-Anyway, with Umi as her muse, Kotori got to work, humming Printemps’ songs to herself as she placed pen to paper and worked herself into the (wonder) zone. Her pen glided effortlessly for the next twenty minutes, punctuated occasionally by her counting the number of syllables she had used on her fingers. After writing around 10 haikus straight in a concentrated flurry, Kotori decided to review her handiwork, flicking the notebook back to the first page she had written.

She wasn’t expecting anything as good as what Umi could produce. Umi really was amazing. But surely, with all the feelings she had within herself, she could turn them into at least one decent haiku, right?

Her eyes scanned over her first neatly written haiku:

Umi-chan smells nice

She’s just like the ocean breeze

I really like it.

‘Why am I talking about her smell?!’ shouted Kotori to the empty classroom. The classroom remained silent in response.

Tearing the paper from her notebook, she quickly turned it into a scrunched mess, before flinging it at the bin placed in the corner of the room. She missed by a good metre, but was too annoyed to go and pick it up as she instead went on to read the next haiku.

Umi-chan is cute

So I sometimes get nosebleeds

She’s ikemen, too.

Another piece of paper met its crumpled doom. ‘Even Honoka-chan could write better than this!’

It was then Kotori realised that, just maybe, going with her pure-love-for-Umi to try creating poetry wasn’t the best idea. And she definitely should have paid more attention to her writing in class. Hands shaking, she turned the page to look at what she predicted would not be a literary masterpiece.

Tonight, Umi-chan

Let’s visit a love hotel

I want to “Wild Stars”.

'Why?!' wailed Kotori, slamming her head onto the desk with a bang. ‘Why did I write this?! This is actually shameless!’

She knew all along that she wouldn’t come close to what Umi could do. But this was just mortifying – words came out, but they never expressed what she had wanted them to do; she had gotten lost somewhere along the way, or maybe she had never been on the right track from the start.

Kotori tore all the remaining pages with writing on them out of her notebook, walked over to pick up the one she had tossed earlier, and slammed them all into the bin.

‘I see,’ was all Eli could say after Kotori related how badly her poetry writing had went in the Student Council room after.

‘Surely it can’t be that bad?’ Nozomi asked, a puzzled look on her face. ‘Just tell us some of what-‘

‘No!’ shouted Kotori, a profuse blush on her cheeks, ‘it really was that bad! It was spicaterrible!’

‘Well, maybe we could help fix it?’ Eli suggested.

Kotori shook her head so fast that it seemed to blur. ‘It needs fire to fix it!’

Nozomi looked torn. ‘Now I really want to see what you wrote…’

‘Well then, maybe we should just stick to what you’re good at,’ said Eli, trying to placate Kotori and deflect Nozomi at the same time. ‘How about keeping it simple and making some special treats, just for Umi? Dense as she is, she should be able to understand that much, and you’re good at cooking as well. It’s perfect.’

Nozomi clapped her hands together. ‘Ooh, nice idea, Elicchi!’

‘Eli-chan!’ Kotori sparked, receiving a second wind. ‘I’ll do my best! Again!’

Tying on her favourite blue apron in her kitchen, Kotori set about grabbing ingredients out of cupboards and utensils from their hiding places, all whilst singing happily to herself.

‘I know happy holiday, happy holiday…’

To Kotori, cooking was a simple process – just take it one step at a time, follow the instructions and keep Honoka from eating them before they’re done. So while macarons aren’t the easiest treat to prepare, Kotori had made them enough times before to be confident in her ability as she set to work. And especially since Honoka wasn’t there to eat everything.

‘First, you preheat the oven… then triple sift the almond meal and icing sugar, whisk the egg whites in the blender… add some more sugar, beat it until shiny, transfer it to the almond meal and fold it all until smooth… Done!’

Kotori took the bowl into her hands to admire her handiwork. They looked great! Umi would surely be impressed with her domestic skills, and would say something like, ‘Kotori, I want to eat your cooking for the rest of my life. Please marry me.’

Or that’s what Kotori thought, as she spaced out with happy thoughts of Umi munching on her delicious treats. Her loosened grip on reality was unfortunately met with a loosened grip on her bowl, which slipped from her hands and headed towards the ground.

‘Ah!’

She caught it when it was halfway to the floor, and breathed a sigh of relief. She placed the bowl back onto the counter.

‘Now,’ she said with undaunted confidence, ‘add the food colouring to each batch… then transfer them to the pastry bag… squeeze them onto the tray… done!’

Wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, Kotori looked upon her creation with a smile of satisfaction. ‘Now, time to add some decorations!’

Bustling away to grab some cream and jam for filling, Kotori left the tray for a moment. However, she had placed the tray with a corner protruding from the benchtop, and accidentally knocked it with her hip as she returned, leading to the entire tray falling towards the ground again. She needed all her reflexes to avert disaster, diving to catch the tray an inch from the ground.

Cooking is the process of combining ingredients, but that requires the ingredients to survive until the end.

Hands trembling, the now decorated rainbow macarons managed to remain on the tray as she placed them into the oven, closed the door, and then hurried out of the kitchen before anything else could even think about going wrong.

She settled into the living room couch, tired but satisfied. And not for the first time that day, she drifted back into happy Umi thoughts as she thought about who she was doing all this work for in the first place.

‘You’re always working so hard, Umi-chan…’

She placed a hand over her mouth and stifled a yawn. The macarons still needed a good half-an-hour of baking. It was the ideal time for her to rest her eyes, as she reached for the blanket, placed a pillow beneath her head and relaxed, still musing to herself about her favourite blue-haired girl.

Loud beeping woke Kotori from her rest on the couch.

‘I must’ve dozed off…’ she said, yawning as she picked up her phone and flicked the screen. ‘But I didn’t set an alarm?’

Kotori glanced around in confusion as her senses began to return bit by bit. Something just didn’t smell right – as in, literally didn’t smell right.

‘What is that…?’ Kotori sniffed the air a few times before her voice jumped an octave in panic. ‘Is that burning?!’

Now well and truly awake, Kotori jumped off the sofa and sprinted into the kitchen, greeted by a cloud of smoke which began to pool around oven’s general vicinity. Frantic, she opened the oven door, and coughed as more black smoke emerged from the source of Kotori’s troubles. She made a despairing wail.

‘No, I forgot to set the timer!’

Defeated, she shut off the oven before slumping down onto the kitchen floor, clutching her cute oven mitts to her face.

‘Why is all this happening to me?’

‘Well,’ Nozomi said, turning the charred confection between her fingers with sympathy, ‘it’s certainly been cooked, at least.’

Eli placed a gentle hand to Kotori’s shoulder. ‘They look kind of like Oreos.’

‘But they were meant to be rainbow,’ Kotori replied, wearing a glum frown and black circles beneath her eyes. Having made her way to the temple where Nozomi was finishing up her evening duties, Kotori stared at her feet, unwilling to make eye contact with the other two. ‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered.

‘What for?’ asked Nozomi, puzzled.

‘I keep messing up, even when you’re helping me so much.’ Kotori bowed her head deeply, arms at her side. ‘I’m really sorry.’

Eli eased Kotori back upright. ‘Don’t worry, Kotori. We know that you’re doing your best.’

‘But then why isn’t it good enough?!’

Taking a stunned step backwards from the outburst, Eli could feel something begin to change within Kotori. Nozomi, for the first time in a long while, was at a complete loss for words as she also watched Kotori, mouth agape.

Her hands curled into tight fists and trembled by her side.

For the first time either of them had seen, Kotori’s patience had run out.

A gale blew. Nozomi and Eli braced themselves against the sudden wind, squinting at Kotori as their eyes stung and the sky became overcast. At the centre of it all, Kotori’s long ash-coloured hair flapped upwards. Her eyes became dull, and her figure looked like it was shrouded by a black outline coursing around her body.

Nozomi gasped in horror. ‘Don’t tell me…!’ Frantically pointing her fingers at Kotori, she shouted the requisite charm.

‘Nozomi power, tappuri chunyuu!’

Like before, a stream of particles slowly floated out of Kotori’s heart. But instead of dancing through the air, it was as if they were forcing their way upstream a river of treacle. The second, more noticeable thing was that they were all coloured ebony black. And instead of assembling into the garden of white and blue, they now formed a murky tempest too hazy to see through.

‘I knew it,’ Nozomi shouted out in panic as she saw the outcome. ‘Kotori-chan, your lens is getting corrupted! The spirits are going haywire!’ Worried about being drowned out by the wind, Nozomi cupped her hands around her mouth to project her voice into the tornado. ‘Kotori-chan, listen to me! you need to calm down and remember your original feelings!’

But Kotori was either unwilling or unable to listen to the other girl. Darkness now shadowed the top half of her face, as a flurry of leaves and small rubbish kicked up and hurtled through the shrine.

‘No other choice.’ Nozomi grit her teeth. ‘Hai… pushuu!’

The aura circulating around Kotori made for Nozomi like a spear of tar, and she cried out in pain as they pierced into her upper chest. The dark substance began to drain into her body. All Eli could do was watch, hand placed in front of her open mouth as Nozomi bore the strain of Kotori’s negative energy, her knees buckling as she struggled to remain upright.

Instead, it was Kotori’s knees which gave out and slumped to meet the ground, as the opaque substance that had surrounded her now vanished, completely disappearing within Nozomi’s body.

‘What just happened…?’

Rubbing at her eyes and blinking, as if she had just woken up from a dream, the first thing Kotori noticed was a worried Eli tending to Nozomi, who was lying on the ground. ‘Nozomi-chan!’

Nozomi gingerly took Eli’s hand as she picked herself up off the ground. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said, giving Kotori a tired smile. ‘I’m fine. But there’s something more important that I need to check on.’

Nozomi gave her spell with no more than a whisper, and the same beautiful garden from before appeared. Kotori looked to Nozomi for an explanation.

‘Depression clouds everything it touches, even the dearest thoughts in your heart. So I used my energy to channel them out of your corrupted lens.’

‘Nozomi-chan…’ Kotori sniffled, then placed her hands to her eyes to try and plug the tears she now found leaking out. ‘This is my fault, isn’t it? I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!’

‘Silly Kotori-chan,’ Nozomi replied, gently scolding like a mother as she placed her arms around Kotori. ‘Having depressive thoughts isn’t your fault. Your reaction just happened to be so overwhelming because of how strong your feelings for Umi-chan are in the first place. But sadly, my cure is only temporary. Negative energy is more likely to build up again if you keep getting down on yourself. Something has to change soon, Kotori-chan.’

‘I know. In fact, I think I knew that all along.’ Kotori looked up with a soft, bittersweet grin. ‘I just have to tell her, don’t I? Because I’m just thinking of Umi-chan, Umi-chan, Umi-chan all the time, I can’t concentrate or do anything right. And nothing will change if I only wish for things. But still, I… I don’t know if I’m…’

‘You don’t have to be ready right away,’ said Nozomi, rubbing a gentle circle into Kotori’s back. ‘Just tell us when you are.’

Hugging her close for support, Kotori found that Nozomi was warm and soft against the descending evening cold. ‘Okay.’

A few quiet minutes later, Kotori waved her goodbye, her eyes still a little puffy around the edges.

Nozomi waved back, felt herself become faint, and began to fall towards the ground. Eli caught her before she could meet the pavement.

‘Nozomi,’ she asked, concerned, ‘are you really okay?’

‘Yeah,’ she replied, voice faint. ‘Just a little tired is all. I might’ve used a bit too much energy this time.’

Propping an arm beneath Nozomi’s armpit to steady her, Eli hoisted the other girl to her feet and began walking. ‘Come on, I’ll take you home.’

Nozomi gave a weak smile as she leaned against Eli’s shoulder for support, still finding enough strength to teasingly whisper. ‘How forward of you, Elicchi…’

Eli couldn’t help but groan.

A certain Skype chat seen via Eli’s phone, D-Day minus one:

(・８・): eli-chan, nozomi-chan

(・８・): i did a lot of thinking

(・８・): and i think… i’m finally ready now

(・８・): i know that no matter what happens, Umi-chan and i will always be best friends

(・８・): although I would prefer to be her girlfriend, y’know?

Ayase Eli: That’s very mature of you, Kotori.

Ayase Eli: I’m impressed.

(・８・): eli-chan!

I’mspiritual69: soooo, tomorrow’s the big day, right?

(・８・): yes, ive got the whole afternoon planned with umi-chan

(・８・): im still really nervous though ((ﾟ□ﾟ;))

I'mspiritual69: that’s fine

I’mspiritual69: elicchi and i were thinking that we could meet up with you beforehand and make sure that you’re nice and settled before your date

(・８・): you’d do that for me?!

(・８・): thank you! (＾ω＾)

Ayase Eli: It’s no problem at all.

(・８・): it’s just…

(・８・): this’ll work out better than the other times right? ( ´△｀)

I’mspiritual69: of course!

Ayase Eli: Hopefully.

(・８・): well, i’ll be in your care, again

(・８・): i should rest up for tomorrow

(・８・): oyasumi! (︶｡︶✽)

Ayase Eli: Goodnight, Kotori.

Ayase Eli: Oh, one last thing before I go to sleep as well.

Ayase Eli: Nozomi, can you please remove the 69 from the end of your username?

Ayase Eli: It’s incredibly juvenile.

I’mspiritual69: but it’s my birthdate, elicchi

Ayase Eli sighs deeply.

I’mspiritual69: This message has been deleted.

Ayase Eli: Nozomi?

I’mspiritual69: wrong window, sorry

Ayase Eli: Oh, okay then.

Ayase Eli: Good night, Nozomi.

I’mspiritual69: night, elicchi!

Meanwhile, a certain Skype chat seen via Nozomi’s phone:

I’mspiritual69: elicchi still doesn't realise you can set nicknames for people on skype lol

Cutie washboard: loolllllll

In front of the bustling train station and its fountain, Nozomi stood in the middle of Eli and Kotori, placing her arms over their shoulders as she leaned them in for a three-person huddle.

Nozomi’s expression was deathly grim. ‘This is it, men.’

‘Men?’ Kotori asked, blinking in confusion.

‘She’s been watching too many war movies,’ said Eli.

‘My bad on the gendered language,’ apologised Nozomi, before moving to correct her error. ‘This is it. Hey, that actually works better!’

Eli’s palm met her face. ‘Nozomi.’

‘Right.’ Nozomi gave a cough to either clear her throat or to add to the dramatic tension of the scene. ‘Let’s start off by making sure we have everything we need. First off, do we have a Kotori?’

‘Present!’ Kotori replied cheerfully.

Eli brought a pen and clipboard from her handbag and ticked off a box on a piece of paper.

Nozomi moved onto the next item. ‘Cute outfit?’

Kotori looked down out of reflex. A modest and stylish grey dress (the former probably being more important to Umi).

Eli ticked once more. ‘Check.’

‘Cool sunglasses?’ Nozomi asked.

Eli reached into her handbag again, retrieving three sets of the pink, square-rimmed variety. ‘Check.’

‘Ummm,’ Kotori found herself interrupting, ‘why is that a necessity?’

‘You know,’ Nozomi replied as if it were obvious, ‘so I can have some fun and follow you- I mean, monitor your progress on your date!’

Kotori groaned. Eli gave her sympathetic look.

‘Okay, then!’ Nozomi cheerfully rubbed her hands together. ‘We’ll get you prepared with some last-minute cramming before your date, just like how we teach Nicocchi!’

Kotori folded her arms over her chest. ‘Please tell me that doesn’t mean washi-washi-ing!’

‘First off, we’ll…’ Nozomi trailed off, as she noticed Eli becoming distracted. ‘Is something wrong, Elicchi?’

‘No, it’s just that…’ Eli pointed towards the movie theatre. ‘Isn’t that Umi over there?’

Nozomi and Kotori both looked to where Eli was pointing. Eli was right – in the ticket queue, dressed dashingly with red beret, blue blazer and striped skirt was Umi. It might have just been Kotori’s keen eye, but she also looked a bit nervous for some reason.  

‘Change of plan!’ said a cheerful Nozomi, already dragging both Eli and Kotori along with her as she got in position to shadow Umi with some moves pulled straight out of Metal Gear Solid. The sunglasses really completed the look.

Watching her like a hawk through the crowd, Kotori saw Umi as she walked to the theatre door, took suspicious looks around her surroundings left and right, then disappeared into the darkness beyond.

‘She went into theatre three!’ announced Nozomi.

Eli turned around and scanned the movie listings for the film playing in that theatre. She shook her head. ‘That can’t be right,’ she said. ‘It’s that new French romance movie they’ve been advertising on NicoNico.’

‘Oh, I’ve heard of it!’ Kotori replied with excitement. ‘Amongst other things, it features chin-in-hand kisses and young girl romance! But why would Umi-chan be going to such a movie?’

‘There’s only one way to find out!’ said Nozomi, her voice getting further away from Kotori as she walked towards the ticket counter with money already in hand. ‘Three tickets, please!’

‘I don’t think Umi-chan is enjoying herself.’

To Eli and Kotori, Nozomi was whispering the obvious as they sat together at the back of the movie theatre.

Umi, not so much sitting in her seat as forming into a tightly wound ball on top of it, had her arms huddled around her knees as she watched the movie with a mixture of confusion, genuine interest and a few cringes of terror as the flirting and undertones between the characters built up.

Simply put, it was hilarious to watch.

Definitely more entertaining than the movie, thought Nozomi as she passed the popcorn between them. Clearly, her two companions agreed, their eyes on Umi as they chewed on the slightly too greasy treats.

The three watched her in silence until the movie reached its climax. The teenaged protagonist with long, teal twin-tails leaned towards her pink-haired counterpart, already having her eyes closed and lips waiting for sweet contact.  

That was the exact point where Umi stood up, walked briskly towards the aisle, and covered her ears with her hands while sprinting towards the door.

Kotori watched Umi’s departing figure with disappointment. ‘Umi-chan…’

‘Come on,’ said Nozomi, either not noticing Kotori’s reaction or trying to divert from it. ‘Let’s follow her some more!’

Head thrown back over the top of the white park bench, Umi cut a figure suggesting that they had already seen entirely too much for one day. It wasn’t even noon.

Watching from a distance, Kotori flicked her sunglasses up and tilted her head in confusion. ‘Why is Umi-chan at the park now? By herself?’

‘Maybe she just wanted to watch the birds for a while?’ Eli suggested.

‘Umi-chan!’ Kotori cooed, looking lovestruck.

‘Or,’ Nozomi said with a smirk, ‘she could be meeting up with someone else, like a cute kohai from archery club!’

‘Umi-chan,’ said Kotori, her expression turning darker than her sunglasses.

Eli didn’t need spiritual powers to tell that Kotori’s scowling and fist-balling was not a good thing. ‘It doesn’t look like she’s meeting anyone though!’ she replied cheerfully, clamping a hand over Nozomi’s mouth without Kotori noticing.

‘Oh,’ said Kotori, dark aura fading in an instant.

Eli breathed a sigh of relief before removing her hand from a Nozomi’s mouth. She was kind enough to let her take a gasp of air before yanking her by the ear and angrily whispering to her. ‘Are you trying to get yourself killed after what happened before?’

Nozomi almost looked apologetic for her actions. Almost. The playful glint in her eyes meant otherwise, as Eli knew too well. ‘I know, I know, but I just can’t help teasing people!’ Pausing, she pressed a finger to her chin in thought. ‘I guess that makes me an S?’

‘More like an M for inviting trouble on yourself,’ replied Eli.

‘Hmmm, I guess we’ll just have to figure it out between ourselves later. Could always do with spicing things up in the bedroom-’

‘Nozomi!’ Eli squeaked, cutting Nozomi off as she turned to Kotori instead. ‘Sorry you had to hear all that, Kotori.’ But instead of receiving a reply, Eli was left making a double-take. ‘Wait, Kotori? Where did she go?’

‘Over there?’ said Nozomi pointing over to the bench Umi was sitting on as if it were obvious.

Umi managed to snap herself out of her funk, shaking her head and turning her attention to the people populating the park – in particular, the scores of cute yuri couples exchanging hand-holds and affectionate looks between them on a pleasant, weekend, not-quite-afternoon stroll together. That was enough for Umi’s head to flump downwards again, only looking up to shoot a glare at one couple with the temerity to hold hands as they passed in front of her. The worst part was that they didn’t even notice, with those girls happily swinging their arms together as they exited the park.

Umi sunk down into the park bench once again. ‘I guess I’m still not used to this yet. And I’ve been trying so hard to change…’

Losing herself in thought, she never noticed Kotori’s quiet approach from behind.

‘Umi-chan.’

Umi jumped from the bench before turning around in shock. ‘Kotori?!’

Like the film she had reached earlier, Kotori knew that she had reached the turning point of this story. ‘Umi-chan, I... I’ve wanted to say something to you for a while now.

Umi gave a visible gulp as Kotori drew a deep breath to steady herself, meeting Umi’s nervous eyes with an earnest look.

‘Umi-chan,’ she began. ‘I want to do the things that couples do. I want a future with us being together. I want to be your girlfriend, Umi-chan! Because I’m in love with you!’ Kotori’s sudden rush of bravery faded, as tears glistened in her eyes. ‘Is that shameless of me?’ she asked. ‘To be in love with another girl?’

‘Kotori,’ Umi replied seriously, taking Kotori’s hands within her own. ‘There’s nothing shameless about that. Because… because I love you as well.’

Kotori felt her eyes welling up again – this time out of a disbelieving happiness. ‘‘But… why? I was trying so hard, and you didn’t even notice me…’

‘No, Kotori. I’ve noticed for a while, now - you were more than a childhood friend for a long time. It’s just that I didn’t think I was ready.’

‘Ready for what?’ asked Kotori. ‘A relationship?’

‘Not that, just…’ Umi drew a breath and began to blush. ‘It’s just the k-kissing and all the other things, really. I know it’s what couples do and it’s beautiful and all that but…’ Umi looked down at her lap in embarrassment. ‘That’s why I couldn’t tell you. I want everything to be perfect for you, Kotori-chan. And I’m not. So I tried to work hard and conquer my weaknesses. But… It didn’t go quite so well.’

‘Is that why you walked out of the movie?’ Kotori asked, curiously. ‘Not because they were girls?’

‘Of course not. Wait, you saw that earlier?’

Kotori nodded.

Umi slumped down again with a groan.

Yet even as Umi’s cheeks burnt with mild mortification, Kotori felt upbeat - the memory of burnt sweets and rumpled paper now made her laugh to herself. As it turns out, they had both been guilty of trying too hard for each other.

‘That’s one thing I really like about you, Umi-chan,’ she said. ‘How you’re always trying your best at everything you do.’

She flashed a radiant smile, leaned over close, and flicked at Umi’s forehead with her finger. Umi flinched more from surprise than pain as she looked at Kotori, dumbstruck. ‘But Umi-chan you dummy, this time you were wrong from the start! Because an imperfect Umi-chan is good enough for me. She always was. And she always will be.’

She met Umi’s eyes and her smile turned fond and kind.

‘I love you, Umi-chan.’

‘Kotori…’ Umi whispered. ‘I love you, as well.’

A warm, contented feeling settled between them as they held each other’s hands, and Kotori leant her head against Umi’s shoulder. Kotori almost wished that feeling could last forever.

But wait. Kotori put that thought on hold. Wasn't there still something missing? Something that's in absolutely every romantic story?

‘Um,’ Kotori began, ‘Umi-chan, we’re usually meant to kiss at this point, but…’

‘What?!’ shouted Umi, rather ruining the good atmosphere that had been built to this point. ‘Here?! But that’d be shameless-‘

Umi cut herself off as she heard Kotori already sighing in resignation. She could hear her mental gears grinding against each other in opposite directions, sounding something like this:

It's shameless! The number one act of shamelessness in the world! And to top it off you're in public, Umi Sonoda! Don't you dare do it, or I swear you'll spontaneously combust!

But Kotori is the most important thing in the world, and she wants you to kiss her! And her lips look so soft…

But it's shameless!

But it's Kotori!

Umi made up her mind, psyched herself up, and actually slapped herself quite hard.

‘No, I said that I’d do my best!’

Kotori turned to look at Umi again in bewilderment. It only got more confusing from there for her, as she found Umi now had her eyes closed and her lips pursed, her body trembling a little.

‘Ummm…’ Kotori blinked her eyes several times to make sure her eyes weren’t tricking her. ‘Umi-chan, what are you-‘

‘Hurry up and kiss me, Kotori!’ Umi shouted, now actually drawing stares from some startled passers-by who weren’t paying much attention beforehand, which might have mortified Umi if she had known. Thankfully her eyes remained well shut instead, as she remained leaned halfway towards Kotori. ‘I-I really can’t take much more of this.’

‘Umi-chan,’ Kotori said kindly, ‘you don’t have to push yourself.’

‘It’s okay.’ Umi's words were finally becoming calm and settled. ‘I want to do this.’

Kotori still took some time before deciding. ‘Well… if you’re sure.’

She began to lean in, stopped herself, then smiled. Umi was just too cute to not spend a few more seconds teasing. Finally becoming satisfied, Kotori giggled, placed gentle hands to Umi’s shoulders, and leant in the rest of the way when Umi relaxed in her grasp.

Umi’s lips were softer than macarons, as they parted softly from Kotori’s own. And okay, there may have been a bit of tongue involved as well.

Kotori finally broke the kiss and smiled. ‘How was it, Umi-chan?’ she asked, peering at Umi intently.

‘Kotori…’ Umi whispered as her eyelids fluttered open, looking a little dazed. ‘It wasn’t bad, actually.’

‘So then,’ Kotori began, hopeful lilt in her voice, ‘we can do it some more?’

Umi’s reply was curt. ‘Absolutely not.’

‘Aww,’ said Kotori, her head dropping sadly.

Seeing Kotori’s disappointment made Umi give a quick reply. ‘No, I mean, I’d like to get some more practice first. In private, preferably?’

‘Aww!’ shouted Kotori, glomping onto Umi in a bear-hug. ‘Umi-chan! I love you so, so much!’

‘K-Kotori!’ wheezed Umi, sounding short on oxygen from Kotori’s constricting show of skinship, ‘I just said in private!’

A discreet few benches away, Nozomi beamed to herself as she passed her phone to Eli. ‘I think I captured the moment best with this picture.’

Eli took one glance and gave a smile of instant approval. ‘Good job. Come on, I’ll treat you to something.’ This time it was Eli taking Nozomi by the hand as they snuck away unnoticed, to grab a round of victory parfaits. Truly the best kind.

‘Oh, I almost forgot,’ said Umi, having wriggled out of Kotori’s very public display of affection. Was it just Kotori, or did Umi have a different, non-shamelessness related kind of blush? Maybe it was the hug? ‘I liked your haiku, by the way. It was really sweet, Kotori.’

‘What do you mean?’ Kotori asked, genuinely confused.

As it turns out, written on one of the pages that Eli retrieved from the classroom’s wastebasket was a haiku Kotori forgot about writing. Umi, who Kotori noted was definitely blushing now, quietly handed over an uncrumpled piece of paper for Kotori to read.

Always beside me

Like a seagull needs the sea

This bird needs Umi.

[thecomicsnexus]

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ADVENTURES #31-37 APRIL - OCTOBER 1992 BY STEVE MURPHY, ERIC TALBOT, CHRIS ALLAN, BRIAN THOMAS, BARRY GROSSMAN, JON D’AGOSTINO AND ROD OLLERENSHAW

SYNOPSIS (FROM COMIC VINE)

After the struggle against the demon Noi Tai Dar, our heroes seek activities to soothe their souls. Leonardo and Master Splinter train on a hillside. The Sensei explains to Leonardo that a true swordsman must empty his mind of all thought when doing battle - there must only be flow, the swordsman must become one with his blade. Splinter has little trouble disarming and defeating his student, and Leonardo tries to take in the lesson before the two break for lunch. The pair join the other Turtles, Fu Sheng, Chu Hsi, April, Ninjara and the girl Chien Khan kidnapped in the previous issue for some sushi. Raph isn't happy about the menu, and Ninjara needles him by saying "I thought you weren't afraid of anything!"

Leo notes that Japan is where all of their lives began - it is the home of Master Splinter as well as the Foot Clan. The Sensei agrees, and asks his students to explore their homeland, so that they can better understand their teachings and origins. The Turtles eagerly agree and ask where to begin, and Splinter tells them to first separate from one another. Mike joins the girl and the two head off to fly a kite. Ninjara takes Raphael to visit some stone monuments. Donatello decides to check on how the containment process is going at the nuclear power plant - but he chooses to go alone. Splinter asks Leo to continue his lessons. Fu Sheng is left alone, as April and Chu are wrapped in conversation. Ninjara and Raphael arrive at the shrine. The Turtle wonders why there are so many crows around, and the fox explains that they are probably drawn to the dark power contained in the Torii. Raph asks if these monuments are really a gateway to a dimension filled with demons, and Ninjara assures him that it is true - the Torii are a gateway to the Yomi, or Underworld or "Land of Gloom." Raph feels compelled by the Torii and Ninjara warns him to be careful, as they contain mesmerizing power over those who are open to it. The Turtle begins to stutter and Ninjara orders him to "Let it go!" in the nick of time. Shaken, Raph leans on the fox for support and thanks her for her help. Ninjara notes that Raph has an affinity to the Torii, and she tells him that she likes that. Suddenly, the foxy ninja smells something on the wind... cologne? We see four human figures hidden in shadows, spying on the mutants.

Donatello is watching helicopters pouring cement on the nuclear power plant. The men are burying the radioactive plant in concrete, the same way that Chernobyl was sealed. Don finds the solution somewhat pedestrian, but is impressed by the engineering involved. His thoughts are interrupted as two crows fly by - and then a strange white energy ball forms in front of the mutant. Donatello wonders if it's an after effect of the demon's sorcery, or of the radiation.

Leo and Splinter continue to train, but once again Leonardo is unarmed. Splinter reminds him, "Be one with your sword, Leonardo." The Turtle thanks his mentor and the teacher thanks his student as the sun begins to set. Mikey and his friend exchange haikus as they fly a large kite decorated with a yellow dragon.

Feng Shu trains Chu Hsi to control the spirit of the Warrior Dragon while April practices with her katana. After a time, Chu manages to shrink the gigantic form of the Warrior Dragon down to his normal height. April is impressed. Ninjara and Raph attack the people spying on them - it's the gang of youths from the sewer fight! Raph states that they mistakenly thought the Turtles were allied with Chien Khan's ninjas, and one of the men incredulously declares, "Mistakenly?! Yet you keep company with the greatest thief in Japan?!" Donatello watches the energy ball as it transforms into the Yin Yang symbol and speaks to him, explaining that it is all things feminine as well as all things masculine - for it is the Tao. Don is bewildered at first, but then smiles and introduces himself. The Yin Yang asks Donatello to follow it, and it leads him up a mountain. Once he reaches the top, Donatello can see that the men have finished filling in the damaged nuclear power plant, and the concrete forms the Yin Yang symbol. "There is ebb, there is flow," the symbol explains, "There is give, there is take. Every saving has its cost. Tao is all." And with that, the Yin Yang symbol disappears.

Raph and Ninjara put the finishing moves on their opponents. Raph wonders aloud why the men attacked them, and the last one standing notes, "It was you who attacked us! We came seeking.

April and Chu share a kiss by the moonlight. April breaks away and says that they need to slow down, and Chu agrees. He takes O'Neil by the hand and the pair head off to join Fu Sheng for dinner.

Leonardo and Master Splinter continue their training. The pair lunge at one another, and both their blades shatter upon impact.

The gang of youths that Raph and Ninjara had battled in the previous issue inform our hot headed heroes that they've come to seek help for a friend. On cue, the mighty Sumo wrestler named Tattoo arrives and tells the Turtles that his pet chihuahua, Inky, has been taken hostage. The mob has threatened to kill the massive man's best friend if he doesn't take a fall in his next match - Tattoo states that he can't lose the match as it will ruin his career. The TMNT vow to help him get his pooch back without having to throw the match.

While Tattoo is engaged in his Sumo match, the TMNT, Ninjara and the Warrior Dragon infiltrate the mob headquarters and rescue the fiesty pup. Tattoo wins his match and the Turtles return Inky to his beloved master. The wrestler awards Leonardo a katana as thanks for saving his dog.

Master Splinter has a nightmare about being caged and when he awakes, he determines that it's time for the Turtles to leave Japan. Splinter, Mike, Don, Leo, Raph and Ninjara bid farewell to April (who is flying home) and their other friends and set off for China.

After a very long trip, our heroes finally arrive in Tibet. They rent some yaks to climb the mountains on the last leg of their journey, and discover a four armed tiger named Katmandu in battle with Whirling Dervish assassins on the high trail. The TMNT help Katmandu and discover that he is headed to the same place that they seek - the Crystal Palace, which is home to Master Splinter's spiritual guide, Charlie Llama. Katmandu explains that he wishes to become a guardian of Charlie Llama to improve his karma.

As the group arrives at the palace, they discover that it's been attacked! Before anyone can get their bearings, a skeletal dervish escapes the scene, laughing as it goes.

Katmandu notes that this is very bad karma.

Master Splinter, Ninjara and the TMNT have traveled the globe to visit the Sensei's old teacher, Charlie Llama, in the Crystal Palace in Tibet. On their way they met a four armed tiger man named Katmandu who was on his way to the Palace to guard the Llama. Unfortunately, upon their arrival, our heroes find the palace in shambles - and a four armed skeleton escapes their grasp.

As Katmandu and Leo ponder where the skeleton may have gone, a young pregnant woman named Jang La explains that she has come to the palace in order that Charlie Llama (the fourteenth reincarnation of the Buddha) can serve as her midwife during the birth of her child. She also points out a distant palace among the mountains that the Dervish skeleton has escaped to.

Katmandu explains that this building is the home of the evil sorceror Mang-Thrasha. Typically, the wizard does not involve himself in the lives of men - so the tiger warrior is surprised that he has kidnapped Charlie Llama. As the protaganists decide what course of action to take against Mang-Thrasha, Jang La suddenly goes into labor. The TMNT take her back inside the Crystal Palace and make her as comfortable as possible. Soon, a group of monkey monks called the Tantric Monkeys arrive. Leo, Mike, Raph, Ninjara and Katmandu leave for Mang-Thrasha's palace as Master Splinter, Don and the Tantric Monkeys help Jang La during her birthing.

The group of heroes arrive at the foot of the mountain holding the evil sorceror's palace and soon run into a strange mist. Raph and Ninjara are separated from the others due to the fog. Mike, Leo and Katmandu are attacked by two dervishes. Meanwhile, Raph and Ninjara spot the palace and begin to climb towards it - when the mutant turtle loses his grip and causes an avalanche that carries both ninjas down the mountain.

Leo, Mike and Katmandu discover the four armed skeleton Dervish in the mist and Katmandu makes short work of the bone brain. The trio heads into Mang-Thrasha's unlocked palace and find the wizard accompanied by a large Chinese militia. The sorceror states that he plans to ally himself with the Chinese and hand Charlie Llama over to them. The Chinese government will then force Charlie Llama to tell his millions of followers that he is not the Buddha and that his spiritual claims were all lies, thus ending the any threat that the Chinese might lose control of Tibet.

Suddenly, Raph and Ninjara come crashing through the wall and a battle ensues. While the Turtles and fox fight the militia, Katmandu rushes to Charlie Llama's side - but as he stands guard over his master, the Buddha dies comfortably on his bed, due to natural causes.

At that moment, Jang La has her baby, much to the delight of the Tantric Monkeys.

With the death of Charlie Llama, Mang-Thrasha's plans are ruined.

That evening, Charlie Llama is burned upon a funeral pyre. Ninjara laments for Splinter that he has traveled all this way to speak with his mentor, only to lose him upon arrival. Splinter smiles and states that while the Master he knew is gone, he will return later, when the new incarnation of the Buddha (Jang La's child) has grown up.

Continuing their journey, the Turtles, Ninjara and Master Splinter find themselves in the deserts of Iran, where they sneak aboard an oil freighter heading for Oman. Our heroes then cross the sands of Saudi Arabia, heading for Al Hadidah, which is nearby Mecca, where the legendary Black Stone is kept. Ninjara reveals that the Stone is highly prized by thieves, and it is said to be fifth most difficult item in the world to steal. When the group arrives in Al Hadidah, a large crater in the Earth's surface, they decide to camp for the evening. While they rest, Master Splinter tells them the history of the area and that of the Black Stone and its importance to the religion of Islam. Splinter also states that since they are so close, they must at least take a look at Mecca.

The next day the mutants ride out on camels, and Ninjara tells the tale of a second stone. According to legend, two stones fell - the Black Stone, as well as a White Stone. Reportedly a nomad disappeared with the White Stone before anyone else arrived on the scene. Supposedly wealthy men have been selling the stone for the past 3,000 years and have been trying to steal its Black twin - as legend has it that the man who holds both Stones will live forever.

The turtles pass by another caravan of six camel riders. Pleasant greetings are exchanged and the groups continue on their separate ways - although one of the other riders seemed to recognize Splinter...

Later, the TMNT find an abandoned city, long ago forgotten when the trade routes changed. The team takes shelter, as a huge sandstorm looms on the horizon. Unbeknownst to them, a falcon has taken news of their arrival to an unsual eagle-headed mutant, who resides nearby.

Back at the abandoned city, the Turtles are attacked by a group of men. As they fight, the eagle-headed mutant flies into the fray and smashes into Michaelangelo. We discover that this new threat goes by the name Al 'Falqa, and he's under the impression that our heroes have stolen the Black Stone of Mecca. The Turtles and Splinter manage to convince their flying foe that they have not taken the artifact. Al 'Falqa explains that he was sure they had taken the Stone, as it was reported that six riders had escaped with it. Suddenly, the sandstorm is upon them. Everyone tries to take cover, but Master Splinter is overcome by the force and passes out due to lack of oxygen.

From a distance, the Shredder watches the scene via his binoculars and laughs.

Once the sandstorm has passed, Shredder arrives on the scene and lifts the unconscious body of Splinter, cursing his existence. Ninjara, Al 'Falqa and the TMNT arrive and a battle breaks out, but our heroes are soon trapped inside a force field created by a new villain, the cat mutant cyborg from the future named Verminator-X!

Verminator-X kicks the force field bubble and sends our team rolling through the sand. The villains then climb onboard their camels and take Master Splinter with them as they ride off into the desert.

Several hours later, the force field finally collpases and frees our heroes. Al 'Falqa sends his falcon ally, Talyn, to find their foes. The bird soon finds Shredder and his new henchman. Verminator-X spots Talyn and fires, but his shot only wounds the bird rather than killing it.

Talyn tells Al 'Falqa that Shredder is camped at a nearby oasis, and the eagle mutant leads the Turtles through a foggara (an underground aqueduct) to the spot.

Verminator-X and Shredder are waiting for a time-slip portal to open, which will give them the means to escape with their prize - the stolen Black Stone of Mecca.

The Turtles discover Foot Robot guards and attack, while Ninjara and Al 'Falqa battle Shredder and Verminator-X. The TMNT mop up the Foot bots with little trouble, but they soon find Master Splinter held hostage by Verminator-X and their arch enemy. Leonardo reminds Shredder that he owes the Turtles for freeing him from Krang. Shredder reluctantly turns the Sensei over to the TMNT, just as the time slip opens and the villains escape with the Black Stone.

Except they didn't escape with the Stone! Ninjara had used her thieving skills to replace the Black Stone with a fake while Al 'Falqa kept the criminals busy. The mighty eagle mutant is overcome with gratitude and kneels in praise with the real Black Stone of Mecca.

Our heroes continue to cross the desert when their old acquaintance Cudley the Cowlick arrives and informs them that Mr. Stump, head of the Intergalactic Wrestling Federation, wants them to appear on his show again. The Turtles are so tired of walking the desert that they agree to have Cudley take them across the galaxy to Stump's asteroid to see what he has to offer. Master Splinter isn't happy that they've cut their tour of the world short.

Upon their arrival, Stump tells the TMNT that he wants them to take part in his wrestling tournament. If they agree, Cudley will take them anywhere and anytime in the universe as payment. Donatello angrily notes that all they'll be getting for their appearance is a ride home, a fact that Stump acknowledges. Master Splinter points out that the Turtles had agreed to come here, so if they want a ride home.

The TMNT head to the locker room to don their wrestling costumes, where they meet Cryin' Houn', Ace Duck and Trap. Trap informs the mutant dudes that Stump has decided that this time, since it's a tournament, they'll have to wrestle each other! The winner of the tournament will then have to take on El Mysterio for the title.

As Ace Duck begins the tournament against a werewolf named Bloodbath, Master Splinter and Ninjara discuss her relationship with Raphael. The Sensei admits that while he intitially didn't trust her due to her partnership with Chien Khan, he has come to trust her completely - but it is difficult for him to accept her relationship with Raph, as it means that his sons are growing up. Ninjara hugs Splinter as they view the beauty of outer space through a gigantic window.

At this point, the main event begins - the TMNT in a free-for-all against one another. After a long bout, Donatello finally manages to pin Raphael and win the match. El Mysterio (Cryin' Houn' in a costume) arrives in the ring, but Don is too quick for the lumbering four-armed wrestler and quickly pins him as well. Donatello is declared the winner and receives a kiss from the ring girl.

Soon, Cudley is flying through space, carrying our heroes home.

REVIEW

Because of the whole situation with the Shredder travelling to the future, I would have imagined that the Turtles would have asked Cudley to take them there. But as far as I know, no one knows what year they were coming from.

These are very controversial issues that IDW considered too risky to reprint. And they were originally published by Archie!

They are controversial though. Not only there is a visual depiction of Mohammed, but he is also blue eyed (like the 90% of the characters in this comic). Then we have the Chinese caricature whose name I already forgot. I feel like these stories take the characters to places it does not dare to go again. And the story with Shredder doesn’t really make much sense for the character. It’s strange that the intergalactic battle becomes the highest point of these issues.

There is also an appearance of Inky, Eric Talbot’s favourite easter egg (that I just saw at the beginning of “City at War”).

The art manages to find iconic sequences. I think that, in general, this book’s art is very pleasing to the eye.

I give these issues a score of 5.

[a-motivation-to-study]

Books to Read in 2019

This past year I finished reading MAYBE 2 books. How incredibly disappointing is that? In high school I read ALL THE TIME, and I have a whole wall covered in books, yet I have barely read! I’m really going to force myself to read more this next year. I know for a FACT that my semester next year will hinder my goal, but I’m hoping to follow this plan as closely as I can (although I am darn positive that I probably won’t be able to finish all of these). Most of these books I have selected relate to other personal goals I hope to achieve. The boldened titles are the books I feel are most important in my personal growth (and thus the books I will read first). I’m also hoping my love for reading can be reignited. I know a lot of us can lose the habit of reading, especially with busy college schedules, so I’ve added the descriptions of the books (from the back or from the amazon descriptions) I hope to read in case any of you would also like to read more!

Productivity Books

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People People, author Stephen          R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principal-centered approach for         solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living  with       fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity- principles that give us the      security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. 

2. Getting Things Done by David Allen 

In today’s world, yesterday’s methods just don’t work. Veteran coach and        management consultant David Allen shares his his breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introcued to tens of thousands of people  across the country. Aleen’s premis is simple: our productivity is directly   proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective results and unleash our creative potential. From core principles to proven tricks, Getting Things Dones can transform the way you work an live, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down. 

Meditation and Buddhist Books (from Wisdom Publications mostly)

3. Zen Vows for Daily Life by Robert Aitken

Zen Vows for Daily Life is a collection of gathas, vows in verse form for daily practice, similar to prayers or affirmations for use at home, at work, and in the meditation hall itself. Reciting these poetic vows can help us be fully present in each moment and each activity of our lives. These gathas serve as gentle reminders to return again and again to our highest aspirations, with acceptance, joy, and compassion—for ourselves and all beings. Zen Vows for Daily Life will be a steadfast companion in keeping the reader inspired and committed on their spiritual path.

4. A Heart Full of Peace by Joseph Goldstein

Love, compassion, and peace—these words are at the heart of all spiritual endeavors. Although we intuitively resonate with their meaning and value, for most of us, the challenge is how to embody what we know: how to transform these words into a vibrant, living practice. In these times of conflict and uncertainty, this transformation is far more than an abstract ideal; it is an urgent necessity. Peace in the world begins with us. This wonderfully appealing offering from one the most trusted elders of Buddhism in the West is a warm and engaging exploration of the ways we can cultivate and manifest peace as wise and skillful action in the world.

This charming book is illuminated throughout with lively, joyous, and sometimes even funny citations from a host of contemporary and ancient sources—from the poetry of W.S. Merwin and Galway Kinnell to the haiku of Issa and the great poet-monk Ryokan, from the luminous aspirations of Saint Francis of Assisi to the sage advice of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama.

5. Open Mind by B. Allan Wallace 

Lerab Lingpa (1856–1926), also known as Tertön Sogyal, was one of the great Dzogchen (Great Perfection) masters of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries and a close confidant and guru of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. This volume contains translations by B. Alan Wallace of two works that are representative of the lineage of this great “treasure revealer,” or tertön. This volume will be of great interest for all those interested in the theory and practice of the Great Perfection and the way it relates to the wisdom teachings of Tsongkhapa and others in the new translation schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

6. Interconnected by Ogyen Tinley Dorje

Plucked from a humble nomad family to become the leader of one of Tibet’s oldest Buddhist lineages, the young Seventeenth Karmapa draws on timeless values to create an urgent ethic for today’s global community. The Karmapa shows us how gaining emotional awareness of our connectedness can fundamentally reshape the human race. He then guides us to action, showing step by step how we can change the way we use the earth’s resources and can continue to better our society. In clear language, the Karmapa draws connections between such seemingly far-flung issues as consumer culture, loneliness, animal protection, and self-reliance. In the process, he helps us move beyond theory to practical and positive social and ethical change.

7. I Wanna Be Well by Miguel Chen

A punk rocker’s guide to grow, learn, and appreciate the present moment—in short, to live a life that doesn’t totally suck.

8. Discovering Your Soul Signature by Panache Desai

Your soul signature is your spiritual DNA - it is who you are at your core, the most authentic part of you, and your singular contribution to this world. And yet, we reject our authentic selvs. We allow our soul sigature to become blocked by any number of emotional obstacles that life throws in ou path: anger, fear, guilt, shame, sadness, despair. Any or all of these feelings overtake us and create a density, a heaviness that doesn’t permit us to embrace who we truly are, deep inside. We are energetic beings, Panache Desai reminds us, and emotions are energy in motion. When we are blocked we feel unworthy, less than, unloved, incomplete. 

In Discovering Your Soul Signature, Panache Desai invites us on a 33-day path of meditations-- shot passages to be read at morning, noon, and night that are designed to dismantle the emotional burden that holds us back and open us up to changing our lives. Through this distilled, poetic, practical, and inspiring course, he invites us to live a life of authenticity, to rediscover purpose and passion, and to believe from our soul in the possibility of all things.

9. As Man Thinketh by James Allen 

This little volume (the result of meditation and experience) is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that -

"They themselves are makers of themselves"       by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment and happiness.

Religious Books 

10. The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball

In The Miracle of Forgiveness, President Spencer W Kimball gives a penetrating explanation of repentance and forgiveness and clarifies their implications for Church members. His in-depth approach shows that the need for forgiveness is universal; portrays the various facets of repentance, and emphasizes some of the more serious errors, particularly sexual ones, which afflict both modern society and Church members. Most important, he illuminates his message with the brightness of hope that even those who have gone grievously astray may find the way back to peace and security. Never before has any book brought this vital and moving subject into so sharp a focus. This classic book is a major work of substance and power.

Science Books

11. God’s Equation by Amir D. Aczel

In God’s Equation, Amir Aczel tells the story of what lies between these events: the history of modern physics and the development of the sciene of cosmology, the study of the nature of the universe. 

Other Books

12. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

In Anthony Burgess's nightmare vision of the future, where criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal invented slang that brilliantly renders his and his friends' social pathology. A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. When the state undertakes to reform Alex—to "redeem" him—the novel asks, "At what cost?"

13. Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

In 1845, Thoreau moved to a cabin that he built with his own hands along the shores of Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Shedding the trivial ties that he felt bound much of humanity, Thoreau reaped from the land both physically and mentally, and pursued truth in the quiet of nature. In Walden, he explains how separating oneself from the world of men can truly awaken the sleeping self. Thoreau holds fast to the notion that you have not truly existed until you adopt such a lifestyle—and only then can you reenter society, as an enlightened being.   These simple but profound musings—as well as “Civil Disobedience,” his protest against the government’s interference with civil liberty—have inspired many to embrace his philosophy of individualism and love of nature. More than a century and a half later, his message is more timely than ever.

14. The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian

In the Art of Worldly Wisdom Baltasar Gracian gives us pertinent and pithy advice on friendship, leadership, and success. Think of it as Machiavelli with a soul. This book is for those who wish to have an ambitious plan for success without compromising their integrity or losing their way. Audacious and captivating!

15. For One More Day by Mitch Albom

For One More Day is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that lasts a lifetime and and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?

[lassunsscheitern]

What's the significance Of Mala beads Bracelet?

What is the significance Of Mala beads Bracelet?

wrist mala beads First of all, There's nothing Like a Mala Beads Bracelet, beads mala (or garland) is a really traditional thing and people have started wearing it like a bracelet to bring some style statement or fashion. Malas stands of 108 beads plus a"guru" bead traditionally used for meditation and prayer, are the newest fad in wearable yoga, with designers making mala bracelets that unite gemstones imbued with powerful energies and sacred meaning to infuse your practice. The term mala means'heavenly garland' and is employed for mantra meditation, yoga practice, triggering of the chakras and gemstone healing, or as part of your hip bohemian style style. Mala beads are a beautiful tool |} For keeping count during mantra meditations. Malas bracelets may also be made of 27 beads or 21 beads and can be used for a few mantras for balancing determined by the syllables. For instance, the Gayatri mantra which is an elaboration of"OM," is ideal for a dawn meditation repeated 27 times with the quartz crystal or Himalayan sphatik mala. Some mala meditation bracelet is made of gemstones that match the color of this chakra which you're attempting to balance or energize.

Most of the religions of this |} World use prayer beads for prayer and meditation. These malas generally include of 108 beads or another number which is divisible by 9. It's thought by Buddhists there are 108 likely sins and on the other hand, the Hindus believe there are 108 names of Hindu gods and also the number 108 signifies that the nine planets contained in the 12 zodiac houses.

A japa mala Bracelet functions two |} Purposes A mala will help to keep a count of |} {The amount of times the mantra is chanted When you close your eyes and Attempt to concentrate on the headline, the understanding of this mala bead onto your fingers helps you to concentrate But if you observe, then you Will realize that beads are spherical. It's not by chance or only an accidental layout. There's a good significance of round design/pattern in ancient civilizations like India. One of the old Indian religious text (part of Vedas), mentions in Sanskrit that -"Parimandala un vaa ayam (prithvee) lokah." Translation:"This earth is round in shape" And it further cites that"not only ground but the sun, moon and other planets are spherical in shape." And you'll be amazed to remember that as per the Laws of Physics, sphere is a pattern that -"Of the solids with a specified quantity, the sphere is the one with the smallest surface area; of all solids having a given surface area, the sphere is the one with the best volume." The physical existence or the Mundane existence hardly matters, what matters the most is the inner reality, wisdom, and soul. So try to become just like a sphere, small regarding surface region but try to attain the most significant volume. These properties make "Sphere" a mysterious and powerful form. And thus do the mala beads (Japa Mala) are shaped into sphere reflecting a great deal of metaphysical aspects of it. Can I use two types of mala Bracelet at precisely the exact same moment? You can use in any format (Bracelet or Necklace/Mala) both in addition to an individual depending upon the recommendation from any astrologer or Guru which has indicated you. ( If You Would like to wear it's Shiv's rip - if Sati was burnt in Yaga of Daksh because she was unable to hear humiliation from her dad about his cherished Shiva - Many Pure of Shiva next to your heart or deeds you can wear in any kind ). Few suggestions: Eliminate it at home before you visit to Cremation for cremation Eliminate in Night and keep it in Your house temple and then use it in the morning. Remove it before visiting WC. You can wash Rudrakasha every day Or when you feel like either with water or Ganga Jaal. Prevent difference of Vishnu and Shiva as both are same. Slowly begin manifesting it and Shiva will allow you to understand that in his heart Vishnu resides in the shape of Rama. How can I create a mala necklace? Making a Mala Bracelet is similar to Composing haiku, sonnets, or limericks. There is a prescribed framework that has to be worked inside. This framework can be numerous beads, sometimes patterns of diamonds (where mark move ), consistently a professional bead which ties the whole into a single and generally a tassel, even though the last is personal taste. The guru bead includes three holes. The guru bead represents the guru or spiritual teacher. The beads that are used from the Buddhist followers to rely on the amount of times they chant while they meditate using the mantras. The Buddhist beads are quite like the other form of beads which are used in a variety of religions all around the world. Additionally they have known as"Buddhist rosary." The strings come in particular Amounts on every full-length piece. There are 108 bits on these, and the wrist Bracelets are coated with 21 pieces. This has specific significance for the user. The initial one hundred beads count as one bead each 100 mantras. The extra Eight are a commitment for every sentient being as a prayer of hope and help to them.

[djizuss]

What's the Importance of Mala beads Bracelet?

What is the Importance of Mala beads Bracelet?

bracelet mala yoga jewelry First of all, there is nothing Malas stands of 108 beads and a"guru" bead traditionally used for meditation and prayer, are the newest trend in wearable yoga, together with designers making mala bracelets that unite gemstones imbued with powerful energies and sacred significance to infuse your practice. Mala beads are a beautiful tool |} Malas bracelets can also be made of 27 beads or 21 beads and may be used for some mantras for balancing determined by the syllables. By way of instance, the Gayatri mantra that's an elaboration of"OM," is ideal for a dawn meditation repeated 27 times with the quartz crystal or Himalayan sphatik mala. Some mala meditation bracelet is made of gemstones that match the color of the chakra that you are trying to balance or energize.

Most of the religions of the |} World use prayer beads for prayer and meditation. By way of example, Buddhism and Hinduism use the Japa Mala, i.e., the mala that keeps an eye on the reprises in meditation. These malas generally include of 108 beads or another number that is divisible by 9. It is thought by Buddhists that there are 108 probably sins and on the flip side, the Hindus believe that there are 108 names of Hindu gods and also the number 108 signifies the nine planets contained in the 12 zodiac homes.

A japa mala Bracelet functions two |} Purposes A mala helps to keep a count of |} {The number of occasions the mantra is chanted When you shut your eyes and Attempt to focus on the mantra, the understanding of this mala bead on your fingers helps one to concentrate But if you see, then you Will realize that beads are spherical. It is not by chance or just an accidental layout. There's a great importance of round design/pattern in ancient civilizations like India. One of an aged Indian religious text (part of Vedas), cites in Sanskrit that "Parimandala u vaa ayam (prithvee) lokah." Translation:"This earth is round in form ." Plus it further mentions that"not just earth but the sun, moon and other planets are spherical in shape." And you will be surprised to remember as per the Laws of Physics, sphere is a pattern which -"Of all the solids with a specified volume, the sphere is the one with the smallest surface area; of solids with a given surface area, the world is the one with the greatest volume" The physical existence or the Mundane existence hardly matters, what matters the most is the inner truth, wisdom, and soul. So try to be like a world, small regarding surface region but try to attain the most significant volume. These properties make "Sphere" a mystical and strong form. Can I use two Kinds of mala Bracelet at the same moment? You can use in any format (Bracelet or Necklace/Mala) equally as well as an individual based on the recommendation out of any astrologer or Guru that has suggested you. ( If you want to wear it is Shiv's rip - if Sati was burnt in Yaga of Daksh as she was unable to hear humiliation from her father about his beloved Shiva - Many Pure of Shiva next to your heart or deeds you can wear in almost any form). Few suggestions: Eliminate it at home before you Remove in Night and keep it in Your house temple and use it in the morning. Remove it before visiting WC. Or if you feel like with water or Ganga Jaal. Prevent gap of Vishnu and Shiva as both are identical. Gradually begin manifesting it and Shiva will help you to know that in his heart Vishnu resides in the form of Rama. How do I make a mala bracelet? Making a Mala Bracelet is like Writing haiku, sonnets, or limericks. There's a prescribed frame that must be worked inside. This framework can be a number of beads, sometimes patterns of diamonds (where markers move ), consistently a guru bead which ties the whole into a single and usually a tassel, though the last is personal taste. The guru bead has three holes. The guru bead represents the guru or spiritual teacher. The beads which are used from the Buddhist followers to count the amount of occasions that they chant while they meditate with the mantras. The Buddhist beads are absolutely similar to the other form of beads which are used in a variety of religions all over the world. They also have called"Buddhist rosary." The strings come in particular Amounts on each full-length piece. There are 108 bits on these, and the wrist Bracelets are strung with 21 bits. This has specific significance for the consumer. The initial one hundred beads count as just one bead each 100 mantras. The extra Eight are a dedication for every single sentient being as a prayer of trust and help to them.

[jaredreitzin]

What's the significance Of Mala beads Bracelet?

What's the Importance of Mala beads Bracelet? bracelet mala beads First of all, There's nothing Like a Mala Beads Bracelet, beads mala (or garland) is a really traditional thing and people have started wearing it like a bracelet to bring some style statement or style. Malas stands of 108 beads plus a"guru" bead traditionally used for meditation and prayer, are the most recent fad in wearable yoga, with designers creating mala necklaces that combine gemstones imbued with powerful energies and sacred significance to infuse your practice. Like meditation, yoga and Buddhism grew, a more suitable way of carrying these beads had been born in the shape of a 27 or 18 bead Mala Bracelet. Mala beads are a beautiful tool |} Malas bracelets may also be made of 27 beads or 21 beads and may be used for some mantras for balancing determined by the syllables. For example, the Gayatri mantra which is an elaboration of"OM," is perfect for a dawn meditation repeated 27 times with the quartz crystal or Himalayan sphatik mala. Some mala meditation bracelet is made of gemstones that match the color of the chakra which you're trying to equilibrium or energize. Most of the religions of this |} World use prayer beads for prayer and meditation. By way of example, Buddhism and Hinduism utilize the Japa Mala, i.e., the mala which keeps track of their reprises in meditation. These malas generally include of 108 beads or any other number which is divisible by 9. It is believed by Buddhists there are 108 likely sins and on the other hand, the Hindus believe that there are 108 names of Hindu gods as well as the number 108 suggests that the nine planets contained in the 12 zodiac houses. A japa mala Bracelet functions two |} Functions A mala will help to keep a count of |} {The amount of times the mantra is chanted When you close your eyes and Try to concentrate on the headline, the perception of this mala bead on your fingers enables you to focus But if you see, then you Will find that beads are spherical. It is not by chance or just an accidental layout. There is a good significance of spherical design/pattern in early cultures such as India. One of an aged Indian religious text (a part of Vedas), cites in Sanskrit that -"Parimandala un vaa ayam (prithvee) lokah." Translation:"This ground is round in form ." Plus it further cites that"not just earth but the sun, moon and other planets are spherical in form." And you'll be amazed to recall that as per the Laws of Physics, world is a pattern which -"Of the solids with a given quantity, the world is the one with the smallest surface area; of all solids having a given surface area, the world is the one with the best volume" The physical presence or the Mundane existence barely matters, what matters the most is the inner truth, intellect, and soul. So try to be just like a sphere, little regarding surface region but attempt to attain the most important volume. These properties make "Sphere" a mystical and powerful shape. And so do the mala beads (Japa Mala) are shaped into audience reflecting a lot of metaphysical elements of it. Can I use two types of mala Bracelet at the same time? You can use in any format (Bracelet or Necklace/Mala) equally as well as an individual based upon the recommendation from any astrologer or Guru which has suggested you. ( If you want to wear it's Shiv's tear - if Sati was burnt in Yaga of Daksh because she was unable to hear humiliation from her father about his beloved Shiva - Many Pure of Shiva beside your heart or deeds you can wear in any form). Few suggestions: Remove it in your home before you visit to Cremation for cremation Eliminate in Night and keep it in Your house temple and then wear it in the daytime. Remove it before visiting WC. Or when you feel like with water or Ganga Jaal. Prevent difference of Vishnu and Shiva as both are identical. Slowly start manifesting it and Shiva will allow you to understand that in his heart Vishnu resides in the shape of Rama. How do I make a mala bracelet? Making a Mala Bracelet is similar to Writing haiku, sonnets, or limericks. There is a prescribed frame that must be worked inside. This framework can be a number of beads, sometimes patterns of diamonds (where mark go), always a professional bead which transforms the whole into a single and generally a tassel, even though the final is personal taste. The ace bead has three holes. The guru bead reflects the guru or spiritual teacher. The beads that are utilized by the Buddhist followers to rely on the number of occasions that they chant while they meditate using the mantras. The Buddhist beads are quite like the other form of beads which are employed in various religions all over the world. Additionally they have called"Buddhist rosary." The strings come in specific Amounts on every full-length piece. There are 108 bits on these, and the wrist Bracelets are coated with 21 bits. This has specific significance for the consumer. The initial one hundred beads count as just one bead each 100 mantras. The extra Eight are a commitment for every sentient being as a prayer of hope and help to them.

[notfallingapart]

What's the Importance of Mala beads Bracelet?

What's the significance Of Mala beads Bracelet?

wrist malas First of all, there is nothing Like a Mala Beads Bracelet, beads mala (or garland) is a very traditional thing and people have started wearing it like a bracelet to add some fashion statement or style. Malas stands of 108 beads plus a"guru" bead traditionally used for meditation and prayer, are the most recent fad in wearable yoga, with designers creating mala necklaces that combine gemstones imbued with powerful energies and sacred meaning to infuse your practice. The term mala means'heavenly garland' and is employed for mantra meditation, yoga training, activating of their chakras and gemstone healing, or as part of your stylish bohemian style style. Mala beads are a Gorgeous tool |} For keeping count during mantra meditations. Malas bracelets can also be made of 27 beads or 21 beads and may be used for some mantras for reconciliation determined by the syllables. By way of instance, the Gayatri mantra that's an elaboration of"OM," is perfect for a dawn meditation repeated 27 times together with the quartz crystal or Himalayan sphatik mala. Some mala meditation bracelet is made of gemstones that match the color of the chakra which you're trying to equilibrium or energize.

Most of the religions of the |} World make use of prayer beads for prayer and meditation. By way of instance, Buddhism and Hinduism utilize the Japa Mala, i.e., the mala which keeps track of the reprises in meditation. These malas generally include of 108 beads or another number which is divisible by 9. It's thought by Buddhists that there are 108 probably sins and on the flip side, the Hindus believe there are 108 names of Hindu gods as well as the number 108 suggests the nine planets contained in the 12 zodiac homes.

A japa mala Bracelet serves two |} Purposes A mala helps to keep a count of |} {The amount of times the mantra is chanted When you close your eyes and Attempt to concentrate on the mantra, the perception of this mala bead on your palms enables one to concentrate But if you see, then you Will find that beads are curved. It's not by chance or just an accidental design. There's a great significance of spherical design/pattern in ancient cultures such as India. One of an aged Indian religious text (part of Vedas), mentions in Sanskrit that -"Parimandala un vaa ayam (prithvee) lokah." Translation:"This ground is round in form ." And it further mentions that"not just earth but the sun, moon and other planets are all spherical in shape." And you'll be surprised to recall that as per the Laws of Physics, sphere is a pattern which -"Of the solids with a specified volume, the sphere is the one with the smallest surface area; of all solids with a given surface area, the sphere is the one having the greatest volume." The physical existence or the Mundane existence barely matters, what matters the most is your inner truth, wisdom, and soul. So try to become just like a world, small regarding surface area but try to achieve the most significant volume. These properties make "Sphere" a mysterious and strong form. And so do the mala beads (Japa Mala) are shaped into audience reflecting a lot of metaphysical elements of it. Can I use two Kinds of mala Bracelet at precisely the same moment? You can wear in almost any format (Bracelet or Necklace/Mala) equally as well as an individual based on the recommendation out of any astrologer or Guru which has indicated you. ( If you want to wear it is Shiv's rip - when Sati was burnt in Yaga of Daksh as she was not able to hear humiliation from her father about his beloved Shiva - Most Pure of Shiva beside your own heart or deeds you can use in any kind ). Few suggestions: Remove it in your home before you Your home temple and then use it in the morning. Remove it before visiting WC. Or if you feel like either with water or Ganga Jaal. Avoid gap of Vishnu and Shiva as both are same. Gradually start demonstrating it and Shiva can allow you to know that in his heart Vishnu resides in the shape of Rama. How can I make a mala necklace? Making a Mala Bracelet is similar to Writing haiku, sonnets, or limericks. There is a prescribed framework that has to be worked inside. This framework can be a number of beads, in some cases patterns of beads (where mark move ), always a professional bead which ties the whole into one and generally a tassel, even though the final is personal preference. The guru bead includes three holes. The guru bead reflects the guru or spiritual teacher. The Buddhist prayer beads are The beads that are used from the Buddhist followers to count the number of times they chant while they meditate with the mantras. The Buddhist beads are absolutely like the other sort of beads that are used in various religions all over the world. They also have known as"Buddhist rosary." Amounts on every full-length piece. There are 108 pieces on these, along with the wrist Bracelets are coated with 21 pieces. This has particular significance for the user. The initial one hundred diamonds count as just one bead each 100 mantras. The extra Eight are a dedication for every single sentient being a prayer of trust and help to them.

[rksingh1950]

GROWING WITHIN: A Review by Patricia Prime

Growing Within

Patricia Prime

                               Ram Krishna Singh Growing Within (English) / Desavârsire launtrica (Romanian) Haiku, Tanka & Other Poems Translators (Romanian): Alexandra Flora Munteanu & Taner Murat Constanta: Anticius Press, 2017     ISBN: 9786069450925 PB | Pp 285 | Price not mentioned A poetic trove of pearls of wisdom The title of Ram Krishna Singh’s volume of poems, Growing Within, with its semantic multiplicity, captures the poetics one finds between its covers. The words “growing within” can equally mean creation and contrivance: “Growing” meaning both a wellspring of the growth within oneself and the growth of the poem. The collection, with a trove of pearls of wisdom, contains three sections: poetry, haiku and tanka and, while it is tempting to divide these into separate packets, the truth is they decline such neat distribution. Like life itself, subject matters overlap and interweave. The poems are packed full of imagery and the most powerful poems are ingeniously worded, with perception and succinct imagery. Singh, who consistently experiments with framing types of utterance in different forms-- haiku, tanka and traditional poems-- has written several books with this format. Many poems at first glance look like automatic writing. Wry titles like “Lonely Journey” and “Haze” provide clues to his poetic outlook without explaining the work they head. Here, for example, are the first lines of “Lonely Journey”:

The scars of manipulative system squib through my shrinking genius no detergent of luck could clean whatever the prophecy...   (#4)

Personal pronouns, even “real” events and experiences, appear throughout his corpus, as in “Haze”:

Behind the hill the drill goes on the shooting unmindful of traffic and children returning from school for peace beyond quiet Sikkim the politicians in-fight with rhetoric of denial . . . (#10)

It would be a mistake to presume that all his poems have a message, or that the stories are always true. “A Tribute”, for instance, might be a simple nature poem, but the poem investigates – apparently – the connection between the attack and the “Bodyguard House”:

A black ant pulling the broken wing of a butterfly in the portico of Bodyguard House on hill top the scattered cloud overhead paying tribute (#11)

“Growing Nude,” with its haiku-like verses, describes the maturing plants which are destroyed by strangers uprooting their seeds. Yet this interpretation hinges on the further assumption that words have a special ability to call into being our life—world— that they are not in a state of material flux. Here are the poem’s first three stanzas:

Growing nude the plant sways in the field and matures in golden silk drifts like a bee in quiet rhythm the sun sings the flight and stars guard till beauty plays harlot (#19)

The poems in Growing Within regularly start off “about” something, progressively distorting the narrative they initiate and, in doing so, illustrating the contingency of their assumptions. Thus, “Peace in Sin”, in which the poet, while trying to locate someone in a lonely street, gets himself lost. The details devolve into finding someone who may or may not be a “random” choice:

I thought I’d locate you in the dark lonely street but I myself got lost mind’s mazy prompts shocked me into nakedness I never perceived (#20)

This aporia of the essentially strange inhering even in our most familiar experiences, indeed in our experience of language itself, is possibly Singh’s point. “Loneliness Torments the Soul” has a lack of transparency which seems to be a hallmark of Singh’s poetry and it is successful in the context of poetic objectivism. Here, he writes:

Sometimes I may seek your eyes to see hands to touch or legs to move but how can I borrow your flesh and be my own love (#28)

From the plethora of angles on what links a reader’s subjectivity and the poet’s intentions, the most resounding notes are picked up on and amplified in “Smallness”:

I live in a crowd of fakes smallness rises with age my mind has ceased to think new metaphors hardly happen hunger keeps me awake all night I mitigate minginess (# 38)

The second half of the collection focuses on haiku and tanka. I believe Singh places a fierce belief in the haiku he writes. He looks at the world with unrestrained belief that stems from compassion for all things, even those most of us take for granted. He creates meaning with a deft stroke, telling stories in three short lines. For example:

a fish tail dried up in river mud: burning smell (#6, p. 216)

The language here is minimal and yet it never loses the lustre of something exceptional. Singh’s voice is forceful. It has an elegance that I suspect arises from a deep understanding of his subjects. For instance, in the following haiku:

removing faded flowers from deities: new morning (#12, p. 218)

The poem stops us in its tracks, as we witness the flowers, which have been placed lovingly by worshippers of the deities, fading in the light of the sun. His simple haiku illustrate a skilful use of language, and a unique style of investigation, as we see in:

from the peepal swirling raindrops – palms open (#15, pp. 218-9)

which offers a delicacy of language, through his ability to articulate a simple scene which many people might miss as they go about their daily tasks. The musicality of Singh’s haiku is not merely a matter of its themes. Read any of these poems aloud and savour the melody of their becoming: “trespassing to pluck / the only hibiscus –/ a morning walker” (#18, p. 220) to hear the sibilance (“pluck . . . hibiscus . . . walker”); catch the rhythms, hear the vowel sounds and the image. The senses are part of what makes haiku special and Singh adopts them all: sight, sound, taste, hearing, touch, as we see in “icy fish / laced with blood / spices smell” (#19, p. 220). Here, we can feel the cold fish, see and smell the blood and spices and almost savour their taste. Singh’s haiku are grounded in nature, humanity and in the rhythm of life. Hear how this poet’s art brings our sense of unlimited wonder into focus:

warming together on a ceiling fan’s arm two pigeons (#20, p. 220)

and

ready to burst over the cracked window panes darkening clouds (#11, p. 217)

Is this the observation of a moment or a generalization of a recurrent phenomenon? The answer remains enigmatic. In the following poem –

the peepal in pot worshipped each Saturday: Phailin in backyard (#14, p. 218)

We see the role of the human in the celebration of nature.  Another poem regarding worship and nature is this one:

incense stick smoke before the paper goddess: Durga puja (#17, p. 219)

Singh brings into focus his deep resources of thought and spirituality that inform and complicate the modern. In the following haiku, his thoughts are on a simple everyday event:

sitting quietly on a packet of sweets a cockroach in the fridge (#21, p. 221)

Thus, the essence of Singh’s quest to comprehend the world in which we live is encapsulated in these poems. Singh has the courage to mingle the contemporary with the traditional in his vocabulary and format always to serve the best interest of the poem. His rhythms are exceptional as he weaves his magic with words then returns to his themes as they weave across the page. The themes are those of man and nature. He is very much alive to his surroundings and has the assurance of his maturity to accept himself and his world as they are.  This is the power of the creative arts. We turn the pages and hide between the lines and let the immense beautiful spaces become a refuge.

--MuseIndia:A Literary ejournal

Issue 78 (Mar-Apr 2018)   http://museindia.com/Home/ViewContentData?arttype=book%20review(s)&issid=78&menuid=7767