#or even gone a miso route..

[distortionincarnate]

Ig I'm finally working on making Actual Recipes for food ideas I have. I was making a vaguely Pineapple teriyaki pork belly and it didn't turn out great, but! Now I have ideas for what I can change and make it better......

[oh-shinx]

Musharna Mail! One of Renée's nightmares.

You wake up lying in a comfortable bed, in a bedroom. This isn't where you went to sleep. It's not even your bedroom. It almost looks like it, but something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong.

Your bag is lying against the bed. You open it, and it's completely empty. None of your things are in there. None of your Pokémon are in there. You can feel a sense of panic growing in your chest as you frantically search every place you possibly can for them, to no avail. They're gone.

Did someone kidnap you? Is that what happened? Someone kidnapped you, and they took your Pokémon. What do they want from you? And why did they put you in a room so similar to the one you have at home?

You test the doorknob, bracing yourself for it to be locked. It isn't. It leads into a hall with a flight of stairs to get down to the first floor, like your room does at home.

A woman's voice calls from downstairs. "Rene, is that you? Come down, it's time for breakfast!"

How does she know your name?

You don't see much choice but to do what the woman says. You walk down the stairs, into a downstairs that looks almost like the first floor of your house.

You see her at the table. She looks almost like your mother, but she's definitely a different person. Who is she? Why did she kidnap you? You take a breath and walk over to where she's waiting with miso soup and hot rice.

You take another breath, and look her in the eyes. "Who are you? Where are my Pokémon?"

The woman looks confused. Really, honestly confused. "Rene, I'm your mother. You don't have any Pokémon. Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine." You shake your head, trying to ignore a rising sense of dread. This woman kidnapped you. That's the only explanation. "Where am I?"

Now she looks concerned. "You're at home, in Pallet Town. Are you sure you're okay?"

No. No. No. Without answering her or responding when she calls out, you run for the front door and pull it open, running outside to very familiar surroundings.

This isn't Pallet Town. But it is, it's just wrong. All the buildings are in the same places. The house you just left is yours. The one over there is your rival's.

You start running. No. No. No.

Everything is in the right place. It's wrong, like a twisted reflection of your hometown. But there has to be something, anything, that marks it as somewhere else. That proves that woman was lying.

There's nothing. It's all the same. All of it, except for the wrongness. Even the entrance to Route 1 that you find yourself standing at now is the same.

You let out a scream.

........ ................ .......... ........... .... ................ ........ ....................

....................... I.... I don't........ I do not want that to keep happening make it stop.............

[aqvarius]

Masquerade Kiss: Do Bad Girls Like to Self-pleasure? Kazuomi Shido - otona love - chapter 4 summary/translation

in case you missed it, you can read the previous chapter here or  check out my translations page to read from the start.

is it just me or have we never seen this background before?

the reason for that is because it’s the day of your day off and you’re setting off in a hot air balloon. you thought you’d be taking the private jet as usual, but it turns out it was diagonally upwards (no idea what she’s actually trying to say here, maybe that you’re going diagonally upwards in a balloon rather than jetting off down a runway and taking off). 

kazuomi says that the place you’re going to can only be reached by balloon. a place you can’t go to without a balloon...? you’ve never heard of something like that

“it’s an island that doesn’t admit transportation other than balloons”

(bro how rich do you have to be to become part of a rich people club where you learn about an island that only allows balloons. next we’re gonna learn that kazu is part of a club where they hunt man for sport)

kazu says that the owner changed and boats and jets aren’t allowed, and then he comments that you look like you want to say “that’s weird”. 

you: “by the way, this balloon... has the “SHIBA company” logo 

“yeah. i borrowed yuzu’s [balloon]”

THE FACT THAT YUZURU CASUALLY HAS A HOT AIR BALLOON... AND NOT JUST HIS OWN ONE BUT IT’S A COMPANY BALLOON ALSDKFJSL. i like how we sometimes think yuzu is so bland and minimalist but then he’s literally just as extra as kazuomi and kei but in his own equally ridiculous way. 

kazuomi thinks “balloon huh... you don’t get that many opportunities to ride one*, so when yuzu recommended/offered it, i thought it would be good”

*i’m not sure if he’s saying that you don’t get that many opportunities to ride a balloon or if he himself doesn’t (since there are like no pronouns lmao!!) but i think he’s talking about you since everything he does is for you~ also cause he basically slates balloons in the next slide

“it’s slow and plain and most of all, the altitude is low”

“it’s good if we’re talking about being romantic, but honestly i prefer something more flashy”

“but mc is surprisingly enjoying the situation”

ughhhh the things he does for you!! 😍😭

you tell him that unlike with airplanes and helicopters, you can actually feel the wind which is so nice, and it’s so great that you can see the scenery without any distance/gap.  

“you’ve been busy these days, haven’t you?” you ask. “sometimes it’s not bad to feel the wind like this, right?” 

“i see, that’s one way of thinking about it,” kazuomi says. 

you: “if i had to choose one, i’m surprised that shiba-san [is the one] who likes this [kind of thing]”

you say that you think he (shiba) would say that balloons are a waste of time. kazuomi replies that that guy is surprisingly a romantic, which is why he wanted a screw that had gone into outer space. 

(wtf yuzu is so adorable.........)

anyway, the balloon goes to its destination with you, who seems to be having fun from start to finish. 

when you land on the small island, you go to a log house purveyed by kei (more like.......perveyed....... sorry couldn’t help myself)

“...it’s so lovely! such a warm atmosphere,” you gush . 

kazu says that kei said that it was just that it was spacious... seems like it really is so. 

you exclaim that there’s a fireplace in the next room. kazuomi replies that there’s a fireplace here too. nearly all the rooms have one. you say something like that it won’t get cold at night then, and kazu adds that it’s a luxury to spend time listening to the sound of firewood. talking about sound makes kazuomi realise that the log house, with no music, is quiet for now. it’s almost silent because it’s far away from the other log houses. 

“i can’t relax like this ... i wonder if mc is having fun”

you ask him, “hey, aren’t you feeling restless?”  

“hm? no...” kazu says. he can’t help but smile wryly as you guess how he’s feeling. 

“that kind of face...” you explain

you: “plus, i was sure you like brilliant and bustling places”

“you understand me well”

you: “it would take a lifetime to understand you completely”

maybe because it’s a quiet place, but your expression is calmer than usual. he likes hearing your small laugh, and he thinks that the quietness isn’t so bad. 

“balloons, quiet log houses... none of it is very like you, but that’s why it’s fresh” you say. 

you: “shido, thank you for bringing me [here]”

there was no reason for me to add a screenshot here but i just wanted to show that you really just call him shido. 

both the balloon and the log house were loaned from, and proposed by, yuzu and kei. 

“on the surface, they were amused with all their might, but i couldn’t help but appreciate the clumsy compassion of my mates*.”

*悪友たち can mean like bad friends/bad company but can also mean like partners in crime, close friends

“well... there are no interruptions here. what do you want [to do]?”

“we came here so i can indulge your every whim** for the whole day”

“anything is fine. i’ll grant any wish”

**literally listen to your selfishness 

when the main subject comes up, you shake your head after thinking a little. “i don’t want you to do anything.”

“what did you say...?” kazuomi says. 

you: “i don’t need anything. you bringing me here is enough”

you tell him there was a kitchen back there so you brewed some coffee. 

“don’t need anything...?” kazuomi thinks. he stands up, seeing you off to the kitchen after your unexpected response. he can’t infer the true meaning captured in your words. 

after that, the two of you drink the coffee you brewed and enjoy a dinner arranged by kei. he thinks that your profile as you gaze at the firewood in the fireplace looks peaceful and happy and wonders if this is the time you had wished for. he thought you wanted a more enriching time. 

you put your cups down on the table at the same time and laugh. your faces naturally approach and your lips touch, and when they part, you laugh again.

“it’s been a while since we spent time like this,”  you say. kazuomi agrees, saying that [you haven’t spent time like this] ever since he first visited your place. “stop joking,” you retort. “i didn’t get a moment of rest that time.” you tell him that you got cold sweats (from anxiety) at the thought of him coming to your place. 

“and now?” kazu asks.

“now, well...” you say. 

resting your head on his shoulder, he sees your eyes narrow gently as you gaze at the fireplace. 

“i’m not troubled by you seeing me, i’m cool [with it]”

“then, i’ll come visit you again***”

***when kazuomi says またお邪魔しよう he means he’s going to “intrude” in on your place again (since people say “sorry for intruding” when they go to other people’s places) 

you: let me know beforehand. i’ll get my parents to send over some jakoten.

basically they’re referring to that time in kazuomi’s lover obscura route when he came to his mc’s place for the first time and she was really anxious about him seeing her true self and afraid that he wouldn’t be into her bc her true self isn’t as sophisticated as “arisa”. she lied about being able to cook acqua pazza despite not actually being able to cook and instead made yasai itame, nikujaga and tamagoyaki and served miso soup and some side dishes, including jakoten (fried fish cakes) from her hometown (uwajima) that her parents sent, and kazuomi actually really liked jakoten haha. 

“the sound of mc’s giggly laughter fills my heart and heals me.”

“pointless conversations, playful kisses, intertwined fingers... we haven’t done anything special, but this is enough.”

“it’s a good feeling ... i think it’s because i fell in love with mc”

i just want to interrupt here because this makes me so emotional ahhh. like kazu and his mc’s thing has always been about like challenging and playing games with each other and it’s always been about the thrill of the chase, so i just adore it when they’re just simple and wholesome and in love (esp when kazuomi is the one who we get to see being head over heels). 

“falling in love, huh... i never thought the day would come when i would use that word”

this whole time, he thought it was his role to uncover**** your heart and body. however, without him even realising, you may have opened him up. 

****the word used here is more like to unravel/loosen/relax. basically it’s referring to you know how kazuomi and his mc are always talking about like getting each other to open up/expose/reveal their true selves and intentions. 

“i see,” kazuomi thinks. “we open up to each other and heal each other.” maybe that’s why you want to spend such an enriching time together. 

the coffee that you brewed is still hot and kazuomi feels like he’s never had such delicious coffee before. 

“doing nothing but sipping coffee in front of the fireplace ... that time is the most precious.”

“it’s delicious.” you say the same thing [as he was thinking] after drinking your coffee, face softening. 

“it was already pitch black outside, but the inside of the log house was full of warmth and happiness.”

“...i see. so this is happiness”

(LOOK HOW SOFT HE IS AHHHHHH)

he places the cup down and hugs you from behind. placing a hand on his arm, you murmur while staring at the fireplace, telling him that he seems to be so busy lately, you didn’t want to push him too much... you avoided tiring him out as much as possible. 

for the first time, kazuomi is unmistakably hearing the “true feelings”***** that you have hidden until now...

*****i chose to use this phrasing (alongside true intentions/face) here and in the previous chapter to try to convey the meaning as smoothly as possible through the context but you’d probably get a better sense of the meaning if you search “本音” or “honne”. essentially, it’s one’s true inner self/feelings that can’t necessarily be (and in fact is usually contrary to) one’s outward-facing societal/public persona (tatamae). it’s a recurring theme throughout kazuomi and his mc’s relationship (particularly in the earlier stages) as they are both trying to uncover each other’s real selves.

--

anyway i hope you enjoyed chapter 4! can’t believe we only have 2 chapters left to go, and i promise you that they get really steamy. but for now, i so enjoyed seeing kazuomi putting aside his own tastes to make you happy, and then realising that he’s so in love with you that even doing the simplest things with you give him bliss. it’s so rare that we get to see kazu being... not Excessive(tm)? he’s really just a man in love when it comes to you ;~~; also how cute is it that yuzu and kei give him so much shit but really try to help in any way they can when it comes down to it? 

i’ve set up a ko-fi page here and would be incredibly grateful if you would like to support me for translations and being able to purchase more routes to recap in english!

click here for chapter 5

[jojosbizarreblog]

Let Down Your Crystal Walls

1 /// 2 /// 3

Chapter 2: Split Second Decision

Song inspiration: ‘Split Second Decision’ by Futurisk

It was a big mistake falling asleep on the floor. Her neck ached at the awkward angle and her loose ponytail was a mess. The hair tie slipped off as Kyogen stumbled up but she didn’t pay attention to the coarse, thick hair that curtained her face. The house was quiet and she assumed that her mother was already gone, off to work or some other errand that she couldn’t bother to know. Not that her mother would have told her anything.

Kyogens’s mind wandered back to yesterday’s events and her heart leaped. Sharpnote, Kujo, and Seiko. It was strange and Kyogen groaned at her racing thoughts. No use trying to overthink this, she’ll just observe Kujo and Noriaki at school today. Pulling another uniform out of her closet Kyogen decided it was high time to get ready.

Stale rice and cold miso was today’s specialty breakfast. It was better than nothing but Kyogen couldn’t help but think back to the full dinner that Seiko had made last night. That woman sure knew how to cook. Kyogen did too, but nothing too lavish or fancy. Cold air greeted Kyogen as she yanked the door open. Briskly making her way through Morioh, Kyogen thanked the fact that her school skirt reached her knees. She took the same route as yesterday, denying the fact that she wanted to maybe meet Kujo again. 

Surprisingly, Kyogen found Kujo’s fangirls milling without him.

“Where’s Jojo?”

“Where do you think he is?”

“He’s never late!”

“He’s not usually late like this.”

A strange feeling began to churn into Kyogen’s gut. Even though Kujo was a delinquent, he strangely always went to school at the same time every morning. With the news of the Stands and now Kujo not showing up on time, Kyogen began to get uneasy. School be damned, her grades could take a hit every once in a while, she was going to go to the Kujo household.

                                                          ***

Kyogen arrived to vans and men milling outside the gates of the house. Spotting the two other teens to the side, Kyogen briskly made her way to them. “What is going on?”

Jotaro glanced at her. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“Shouldn’t you two also be at school?” Kyogen countered, craning her neck up at him.

“It’s none of your business.”

Another voice interrupted the conversation. “They’re doctors from the Speedwagon Foundation. We can trust them.” Joseph and Avdol walked out of the gates. “They will take care of Holly around the clock.” Holly? Did something happen to her? “Joestar-sama, what is happening?”

Joseph jumped and saw Kyogen. Frowning slightly, he exchanged a few words quietly with Avdol and the two split. Avdol went to Jotaro and Kakyoin as Joseph took her aside. “Ah, you’re... Wind, right?”

Kyogen nodded. “That is my family name, correct.”

“Since you have no ill intentions, I am trusting you with this information,” Joseph replied. “My daughter has fallen ill to a stand.”

Her world flashed. Seiko? The same woman that invited her to stay for dinner? The same woman that smiled so happily? “How?”

“She doesn’t have the fighting spirit to sustain a Stand. It will make her sicker and sicker until she dies in fifty days. The only way to stop it is to confront Dio. Jotaro, Kakyoin, Avdol, and I are going to go save her.”

The words were out of her mouth before she knew it. “I’ll come.”

Joseph blinked. “What?”

Kyogen was dashing back to her house. “I won’t take long! I’ll be back!”

She didn’t know what possessed her as Kyogen found herself pulling open the closet door to grab the hidden bag in the corner. A sizable waterproof travelling backpack that had cost her a small fortune, filled to the brim with several pairs of clothes and other basic necessities. She’d prepared it for the day that she would finally leave home with it, though she supposed this was a similar circumstance. A wad of cash was yanked out of a loose floorboard from the corner of her room and Kyogen shoved that in alongside the daggers and a case of guitar picks, as good luck charms. 

Just as she was going to hop out of the window, something stopped her. She needed to get another thing. As if on autopilot, her desk drawer was pulled open and Kyogen found a Polaroid and five extra film packs, each containing ten film sheets. This was the only moment where Kyogen paused in her mad rush. 

How did it…

No time to waste, and Kyogen took the camera and film packs and nestled them in her stuff. Act first, think later. Kyogen didn’t look back as she left the house behind. That was all it was, a house, not a home. No good memories, no attachments. In five minutes, Kyogen found herself back at the front gates of the Kujo house. Avdol and Joseph were there, but Kakyoin and Kujo were nowhere to be found.

Avdol did a double take when he saw Kyogen. “Wind.. are you coming?”

Giving a resolute nod, she stood there and tried to regain her breath. “Where’s Kakyoin and Jotaro?”

“Packing, I see you have all your stuff, correct?” Joseph asked.

“Yes, Joestar-sama.”

Joseph scoffed. “What’s with the ‘-sama’? I never liked those dumb Japanese addresses!”

“I shall address you as Mr. Joestar, then.”

A large duffle back dropped next to her. “Good grief, you’re getting worked up over some stupid titles when we have more pressing concerns at stake.” Jotaro eyed her. “You’re coming too?”

Kyogen nodded.

“Yare yare daze.”

Rapid footsteps and Kakyoin finally joined the group with another large duffle bag. “I’m here! Sorry I took so long!”

“That’s alright!” Joseph pounded his palm with a fist. “Since we’re all here, let’s go.”

Avdol turned to Jotaro and said, “Jojo, before we leave, since I am a fortune teller, I shall name your Stand.”

Avdol… was a fortune teller?

“Name?” Jotaro asked.

Avdol withdrew a deck of cards and held it up. “With the cards of fate, the Tarot,” he said. “Choose a card blindly and it shall be decided. This will suggest your fate, as well as suggest your Stand’s power.”

The Egyptian man presented the deck to the male, who separated it in half and withdrew a card. 

The Star. “The Star! The Star card!” Avdol declared as he saw the card in Jotaro’s hand.

Kyogen blinked. How did she know that?

“Then I shall name your stand… Star Platinum!”

Jotaro nodded.

“Alright then!” Joseph yelled. “We’re off!”

It was time to go.

[altoassassin]

Kage, Original Story

築地

Prologue

     The darkness hid his imperfections, the ones that riddled his arms, legs, chest, and face. Imperfections that came from being a ronin. Even in the light, you wouldn’t be able to see his lean, cunning figure. He wore a dark navy shozoku that blended well in the dim light he usually worked in and the near darkness of midnight. He lived based on priorities, and now, his priority was stalking an overweight noble who was using his power to abuse his servants for the sick entertainment it offered. In other words, typical for his kind. The ninja was watching this unfold from the shadows on the top of the stairs, which descended about fifteen steps to a small bottom floor with a gold-encrusted throne in the middle of the room and towards the back. The walls were made of washi. The noble was sitting on his throne eating miso and nimono with his right hand while using his whip in his left hand to awkwardly whip his servants. The noble suddenly choked on his food, surprising everyone in the room except the assassin. Relishing the small window of time, the ninja leaped silently off the stairs to behind the throne, landing quietly thanks to his Jika-tabi, the shoes that allowed him to get dangerously close to vital organs. From behind the throne, the fat, fleshy, sweaty neck of the noble barely showed the artery that supplied blood to his brain. Poisoning it would guarantee death. The ninja stood up and, quieter than the softest breeze quickly poked the nobles artery with a poisoned needle that he hid in his sleeves. The noble shot up, away, and towards the servants, he was beating. He turned, frantic and afraid, looking for what had stung him but he didn’t see anything. “Show yourself you bug! I’ll squash you like a―” He stopped there because the poison was starting to take effect, no, show its effects. The poison had been killing him from the moment it pricked his skin but the effects hadn’t shown until now. The skin around the needle prick, which had been smooth and pale before, was turning dark purple due to the rapid constriction of the surrounding muscles. This constriction put pressure on his artery and cut off blood flow. The noble looked around in a confused daze before he passed out seconds later and caused the entire building the rumble… there was silence… and then the servants cheered and quickly fled from the room. He stood up and unsheathed his hidden katana, a standard samurai sword, except this one was custom made by his sensei and had the ninja’s name, “Shizuka Kage”, engraved on the blade. Shizuka walked over to the body and carved “ヘビ”, meaning snake, in big letters into the neck of the corpse. He had a habit of branding his victims. He sheathed his blade and left from where he came from, the window. Too bad he still had yet another task that, unfortunately,  wasn’t so easy as the first. Back at his paper-walled house, his wife, a kunoichi, was pacing frantically back and forth with an urgent expression. She wasn’t worried about Shizuka’s safety. He never gave her a reason to worry. This assassination was a lucky break from the usual violence he went through. He only took the job because it paid well enough. His job as a daylight ronin and midnight assassin meant he had done way worse than just poking some guy on the neck. Such as the time he—let’s not dwell on the details. Let’s just say he took care of the largest yakuza syndicates in a way even the most seasoned samurai couldn’t. 

………………………………………………….

She was Hikaemena and she lived up to her namesake. When she saw her beloved open the door, she rushed up to him and scolded him. “What took you so long? It was a simple task and you took your sweet time knowing we have more important business to attend to! Now we’re running late and the operation will fall behind and―” Shizuka spoke, ”Relax, you’re worrying too much, and when you worry, you talk faster than a vendor selling his wares. I was only gone for twenty minutes.” "Yeah!" said Hikaemena, "You could have taken ten minutes! Even five! You took longer than a monk takes to 'discover the power within'!" Her voice softened. "What am I going to do with you..." "You've been saying that since we were kids Hikaemena-tsuma. You'll keep talking and I'll keep listening, just like we always have." Shizuka, who was a head taller than her, kissed her head. After a comfortable silence, Hikaemena spoke softly, “We’re wasting time here. We should get going.” Shizuka knew she enjoyed his company but she would never openly admit it. But he knew she was right. She always was. “You’re right. Let’s get this over with. Get your bag of tricks and we’ll leave.” She left him to get her things. With the overbearing silence that was left, he mentally reviewed the mission. It sounded way harder than it was, it always did, but that didn’t mean it would be easy. 

He was going to stage a home invasion gone wrong. The inhabitants were, once again, rich which meant they would have guards patrolling every inch of the building, he guessed around 200 on the entire property. The goal was to make it inside and finish the task without alerting any guards until the end of the plan. This would show the power and potential his employer possessed, being able to sneak in right under their noses and taunt them when the job is finished. Once he made it inside, he was supposed to steal anything of value while simultaneously making his way to the mansion owner’s bedroom. The next part would be tricky. He would sneak into the bedroom and “accidentally” wake up the sleeping wife by dropping and breaking some of the stolen items he snagged earlier. The lady would scream and her husband would wake and Shizuka would escape as quickly and quietly as he could. Most of the guards will be drawn from their stations to the scene of the crime, away from the escape route. After eluding the few guards still posted around the perimeter of the mansion, he would slink away back into the inky shadows and return to his employer to get details on the next stage of the plan. ...one was going to live to tell the world that his yakuza was not to be trifled with. After the message was received, the victim would become an example of his wrath.

[jumukus]

A3! Event: Harugaoka Quartet Chapter 2 Translation

The members of Spring Troupe are discussing Citron’s wishes to play the violin during their upcoming play.

Izumi: Are you guys okay with Citron-kun starring as the lead character for Spring Troupe’s sixth play?

Sakuya: Yes! Citron-san is the only one who hasn’t been the lead actor, after all.

Itaru: He should be the lead actor by now.

Chikage: With this, everyone has experienced playing the lead roles.

Izumi: That’s right. I’m deeply moved by that for some reason.

Tsuzuru: Then, regarding Citron-san’s wish, I think he wants to take on the role of someone who plays the violin.

Itaru: Violin? We haven’t performed that kind of theme until now.

Masumi: Are we going to play the violin during performance?

Izumi: I don’t think it’s necessary for you guys to perform for real since it’s just a play, though….

Citron: I’ve always performed on the violin  during Zahra’s ceremonies every year, you know!

Izumi: Huh, is that so!? That’s awesome!

Itaru: As expected of high specs in disguise. (will it be better to stick with this or should i use the literal meaning, hidden/secret high specs?)

Masumi: If it’s only violin, I can do it too…

Sakuya: I want to hear Citron-san play violin!

Citron: I haven’t played violin at all since coming here, though. I don’t know if I still can play~.

Chikage: In the first place, we don’t even have a violin here.

Itaru: Yeah….

Manager: We have iit!

Izumi: Huh?

Manager: We still have the musical instruments back when the first-gen did a play about orchestra!

Since they’re the real deal, the sound comes out properly!

Itaru: Heh~. I expect no less from the first-gen, they were prosperous.

Chikage: The yakuza holds the pulse strings in our generation, after all.

Manager: I’ll bring it here, so please wait a minute!

Izumi: We do have it for real. It’s a decent violin.

Citron: «...The strings are rusty, and the bow hair is all stretched out of shape. But there aren’t any broken nor peeled off parts, so I think it’ll still make a sound.»

Sakuya: Huh? What is that?

Chikage: The violin doesn’t have any broken nor peeled off parts, so it looks like sound will still come out.

Citron: ….

Itaru: Is he tuning?

Chikage: His way of holding the instrument looks like someone who knows how to play, too.

Sakuya: He looks cool!

Citron: «...This should be okay.»

——.

Izumi: Oooh, it makes a sound!

Sakuya: So this is what a violin sounds like, huh.

Tsuzuru: By the way, I feel like I’ve heard this song before——.

Masumi: Smash, smash….

Itaru: Smash as always. The sesame miso paste, smash*…

Tsuzuru: That’s it!

Izumi: Why do you have to play that song, out of all things!?

Tsuzuru: It sounded really moving when you played it like that!

Masumi: Can you really play?

Citron: I was just kidding! Tehepero. I can play these kinds of songs well too, see.

…..

Izumi: Whoah…!

Citron: «Just as I thought, my fingers are not moving like they used to in the past...»

That’s pretty much of it~.

Sakuya: You’re awesome, Citron-san!

Tsuzuru: I think you’ll be popular if you truly hold your tongue.

Itaru: A real prince.

Izumi: Citron-kun, that was really beautiful!

Masumi: I can do that much…

——Hand me the violin.

Citron: Oh, I’ve been rolled!

Chikage: Do you mean robbed?

Masumi: ——.

Sakuya: The sound comes out!

Izumi: You’re amazing, Masumi-kun. This is your first time, right?

Masumi: ——tch.

Itaru: There, there. Don’t get so worked up.

Tsuzuru: You can already make a sound despite playing it for the first time—that’s good enough.

Masumi: Shut up! I’ll play the violin too for our next play. I’ll play just like Citron did.

Izumi: Eeeeh!?

Sakuya: Will we have two people play the violin?

Chikage: What kind of story will it be, then? Is it something like—a story of two people having a showdown?

Tsuzuru: With violins?

Itaru: So it’s a new kind of superhero story where the characters use violins as weapons and fight, huh.

Tsuzuru: That kind of story might exist, but it doesn’t look like something that Spring Troupe would perform, you know!

Izumi: If we do a play set in college or a school of music, then I think it won’t be strange to have a lot of musical instruments appear onstage.

Masumi: I’m okay with anything as long as I get to play the violin.

Izumi: Can you write something like that, Tsuzuru-kun?

Tsuzuru: Ah, well, I got inspired by the song from earlier, so I think I can do it.

Izumi: That song is really beautiful, after all.

Tsuzuru: I want to put it in the play, too.

Citron: But it’ll be an incomplete song if it’s only played by one violin.

Sakuya: Huh? What do you mean?

Manager: Ah, could it be that the song is meant to be played by a duo or quartet?

Citron: Ding dong. This song is Mozart’s “String Quartet”.

Tsuzuru: Heh~.

Manager: That’s right. How about putting a quartet in the story as well, then?

The group will consist of two violins, a viola and a cello, so personally, I think it’s perfect!

Itaru: Manager is good at something. How rare….

Tsuzuru: And he’s talking about decent things for once…

Manager: Do you think that low of me…!?

Leave all things about music to me! I more or less can play any type of instruments, after all!

Izumi: It’s unusual for manager to look like someone who can do anything, it’s suspicious…

Tsuzuru: I feel like there will be a trap, somehow.

Itaru: Bad end flag, huh.

Chikage: I can imagine manager breaking all the instruments on the first day of the play.

Itaru: That will happen for sure.

Manager: You all are being cruel to me…!

Citron: Don’t worry, guys. The fact that this instrument was not broken is surely thanks to Isuke’s management.

Izumi: Is that so?

Manager: Huh? Uhh, well, I accidentally found that instrument in the warehouse yesterday…. I actually forgot that it even existed.

Tsuzuru: You really are hopeless!

Izumi: No matter how many times I think about it, I can’t leave things to you…

Manager: But I really can play instruments!

Izumi: Well, since we don’t have any connections, should we ask manager to help coach for our musical performance…?

Manager: Leave it to me!

Chikage: But isn’t it still difficult for us to be able to play that song before the performance?

Izumi: You have a point. Generally, I think we can arrange the original recording and play it during the play.

Citron: I’ll also help teach.

Izumi: Then, Citron-kun, can you teach Masu——.

Masumi: I can learn by myself.

I’ll make you fall for me with my violin performance.

Izumi: Huh? Eh, hold on, Masumi-kun——.

Sakuya: He’s gone…

Tsuzuru: Does that guy understand our main priority is the play, not the violin?

Itaru: He got motivated in a strange way.

Izumi: F-for now, that’s all for our upcoming play. I’m counting on you, Tsuzuru-kun.

Tsuzuru: Roger that.

Izumi: Well then, should we end the meeting here?

Sakuya: Thank you for your hard work!

Citron: Good job~.

Chikage: Great work.

Tsuzuru: Good job.

Itaru: ...Ah, Tsuzuru.

Tsuzuru: ?

Itaru: Playing instruments is NG for me.

Tsuzuru: Huh? Why——.

Itaru: Do you want to see me making weird dance moves while holding an instrument onstage?

Tsuzuru: ….Got it.

Citron: ….

Tsuzuru: What’s wrong, Citron-san?

Citron: It’s important to wipe the instrument’s rosin before putting it back to its case, you see~.

Tsuzuru: Is rosin this white powder?

Citron: Yes. Sound won’t come out if we don’t attach this to the bow.

Tsuzuru: Heh~. I see.

Anyway, what kind of song is the one from earlier?

Citron: ——, you know.

Tsuzuru: Huh… Ah, I see. That’s why you played it.

Citron: That’s right.

Tangerine: …..

«The route which Onii-sama took to sneak away should be this one…»

«Onii-sama…»

Mika: «Who’s there——!?»

Tangerine: !!

Mika: «Tangerine-sama!?»

Tangerine: «Mika——.»

Mika: «What were you doing this late at night——.»

Tangerine: «——Follow me! This is an order!»

Mika: «Eh!? Ple-Please wait——!»

t/n: *Basically, Citron is playing classic children song “Zui Zui Zukkorobashi” (listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUN2gjSjqAg)

< Chapter 1 | Masterlist | Chapter 3 >

[recentanimenews]

Higehiro – 01 (First Impressions) – Inadvertent Guardian

Yoshida had the evening with his attractive co-worker Gotou all planned out in his head. They’d have a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant, and if things went well, he’d ask if she wanted to come home with him. He hadn’t banked on the possibility Gotou was already seeing someone for years, and simply never mentioned it at work because she wanted to keep life and work separate—which is perfectly reasonable.

Thus rejected, Yoshida goes and gets drunk with a friend until that friend has to head back home to his wife. Yoshida blabbers about how Gotou “tricked” him, and stole his heart and won’t give it back, but I’ll forgive his attitude as he’s allowed to wallow in defeat, drunk and horny as he is. The bottom line is Yoshida didn’t want to look past sleeping Gotou, and now he’s a little lost at sea.

He most certainly didn’t plan to encounter a runaway teenage girl (voiced by Ichinose Kana) outside his apartment, nor for this girl to offer to let him sleep with her in exchange for a roof over her head for the night. But even when her other options are seemingly ruled out, Yoshida makes it quite clear that he’s not sleeping with a “little kid”, nor is he prepared to leave her to the tender mercies of the night.

So, in his drunk and staggering state, he invites her in, then collapses into his bed to pass out. The girl, no stranger to crashing at men’s houses in exchange for sex (though she is thankfully not shamed for this), sits on the bed and asks matter-of-factly “Hey, are you sure you don’t want to do me?” He’s sure. When asked if there’s anything else he wants, before passing out he mumbles “miso soup.” The next morning, that’s what he gets: miso soup, made by the girl he flat-out forgot he invited in last night!

When he hears how he rejected her offer of sex, he salutes his last-night self, relieved nothing sordid happened. She also mentions how he mumbled about being rejected by someone named Gotou, and whether he wanted her to make him “feel better”. Once again, he declines, saying he’s not so far-gone he needs “a tiny little teenage girl” to do that.

When she points out that her breasts are quite big and asks “aren’t F-cups you can touch better than H-cups you can’t?” he flat-out asks why she’s trying to seduce him…and if she even wants to sleep with him. She says she doesn’t, but then embraces him and says she’s never met a man willing to let her stay for nothing in return, so maybe he’s the “abnormal” one. That’s when Yoshida, God bless him, asks for her ID, a gesture that again makes clear he’s not interested in her in that way.

He learns her name is Ogiwara Sayu, that she ran away from high school in Hokkaido six months ago. When he tells her to go home already, she says she’s sure they’re happy she’s gone, Ichinose Kana’s voice breaking ever-so-slightly. The more Yoshida thinks about Sayu, the worse he feels about it. He takes it out on her to a degree by calling her “stupid”, “dumb as a rock”, and “a spoiled brat”.

But beneath those harsh barbs, he understands that Sayu is not “fine” as she says in the slightest; that what she’s had to do to survive since leaving home is not right or okay. More than she’s an idiot, she’s a victim: both of a home that she felt she had to leave, and to a world apparently full of men who taught her all the wrong lessons and twisted values and standards. He’s also angry that such a kind and sweet young woman couldn’t have a “normal life” and a “normal love”.

Obviously, Yoshida’s positions are showing both his privilege and paternalism. The former was a result of his own upbringing and life experience; the latter was learned through both, just as Sayu learned a certain way of living the last six months. But I can forgive the motives behind his fundamentally principled choice to stop this child from being harmed anymore by offering her a safe, clean place to stay.

I’m not going to pretend that in the real world this isn’t his choice to make. As a matter of law, he should probably go to the police, right? And yet who’s to say Sayu wouldn’t be harmed anyway if he took that route? Considering what she’s been doing to stay away from her home, it’s clear going back there isn’t what’s best for her. Being placed into an overworked and uncaring social services system also wouldn’t be much better.

The fact there are no easy answers or cut-and-dried solutions add a lot of welcome emotional heft to the whole scenario. Yoshida, whom I mentioned is somewhat lost at sea, has encountered a fellow castaway adrift and rudderless, who has the added disadvantage of being far too young to have to endure the waves. So for now, he decides to lash their ramshackle rafts together and chart the course of least harm.

The more time he spends with Sayu, the more disappointed in his fellow man he becomes. When he heads out to the patio to smoke, she calls him “nice”, but our boy Yoshida is not so deluded to think he’s some saint, and makes it clear to her in perhaps his best line of the episode: “Listen up! I’m not nice. They were shit.” He contemplates the environment that put Sayu in such an unfairly precarious situation, and even implicates himself for “letting her stay spoiled” by giving her a place to run to.

But even as he checks headlines about an unrelated case of a man arrested for kidnapping a teenager, and Sayu walks over him, inadvertently giving him a look up her skirt, Yoshida isn’t about to cut the ropes of her raft free. He found her on those waves, which means he feels responsible for her well-being. That doesn’t just mean a roof under her head, but more appropriate clothes, pajamas, and a futon to sleep on.

Sayu isn’t ready to accept all this without worrying about not being able to repay him in some way. Yoshida is again disheartened by the fact a kid has to think that way, but indulges her by insisting that the cooking and cleaning she’s done constitute more than adequate payment, and that arrangement will serve for the time being.

The next morning over breakfast, Yoshida explains to Sayu that it isn’t the act of shaving that makes him feel old, but becoming too lazy to shave every day. Sayu spares no tact in saying he doesn’t look good with stubble, so he decides to shave after all. The exchange indicates this won’t be a one-way street. Perhaps in helping keep this lonely damaged girl safe, Yoshida can find a new course in life post-Gotou rejection.

Higehiro is fraught with potential problems, as all series involving an adult and a child always are. And yet unlike the horrifically skeevy Koikimo, Higehiro presents its situation, questions and arguments in good faith, and from a place of human decency and empathy. It’s a compelling, hopeful tale of an imperfect person trying to do the right thing for someone who has already been wronged far too much. Unlike Koikimo, I don’t feel like I need a shower after what I saw, but rather want to see what happens next!

By: sesameacrylic

[juniorformulamotorsport]

Thursday, 26th September 2019 – Raben, Horben

On Thursday evening we set off on a white-knuckled drive from Glottertal, through Freiburg and up to the village of Horben, which seemed to involve rather more hairpin bends than I cared for, as well as fairly dramatic stretch when we first had to run on the tram lines, and then had to dive through a single lane arch that the trams also shared! We were on our way to the one-Michelin starred restaurant, the Gasthaus zum Raben, where, according to Michelin, Steffen Disch is in the kitchen where “using top quality ingredients, dishes with distinct flavours are carefully prepared to a consistently high standard”. I’d booked a table well in advance by email, and was very much looking forward to trying out the food that would come from what their website describes as “a regionally inspired gourmet kitchen, which dissolves all facets and refinements of kitchen art in a remarkable straightforwardness, in his historic inn”.

The chef and his wife run the inn, after he did an apprenticeship at the Hotel Colombi in Freiburg, and plied his trade in other hotels before he arrived at the Gasthaus. The inn itself may well be the oldest such establishment in Horben, dating from at least 1604, and it has been lovingly renovated. The food is firmly rooted in local products from the neighborhood, and these in turn become a fresh take on Baden classics on the menu. The cuisine had been described as “cozy, sophisticated and creative” so we were hopefully of a good dinner. We got far more than a good dinner. What we got was the culinary experience of the holiday. First, though, having parked in the extensive, gravelled car park, I needed to recover from that drive. A glass of Riesling sekt with a home-made syrup of quince, proved to be just the thing. It was also quite a striking colour.

Some time passed while we tried to figure out which version of the menu we wanted to go for. We were in debate about whether the five course menu or the four course menu was the answer. Eventually we settled on the five course menu, because there were interesting sounding things in the dish that would be missed out if we’d gone for the four course option. An amuse-bouche that was described as “blood sausage” arrived. What it turned out to be was a tiny bread-crumbed, crunchy morsel of the local blutwurst, iron-inflected from the blood, and slightly bitter, on a soft puree of celeriac, with rice layered through it.

Some bread was delivered by the charming waiting staff, along with some very good butter and a sweet potato mousse that could also be used as a spread on the bread. It was all very honest, and could have been rustic had it not been subject to such refined treatment before it arrived on our plates.

We both held back from the bread, not wanting to commit space in our stomachs to anything that wasn’t part of the menu.The first course, when it arrived, was a perfectly constructed dish of lightly smoked goose liver, the offal tender, soft and melting, layered with a chocolate, served with a tiny brioche roll, an apricot ice cream quenelle, a couple of spheres of apricot gel, and dusted with almonds. It was a technical and gustatory triumph. We absolutely loved it; you could tell by how long it took me to eat t, because I just wanted it to last!

Next up came a fish course, with a dish of char, beetroot, celery and horseradish. The celery puree was glorious, far richer than I could imagine celery ever being, no matter what you do to it. The beetroot came in several forms, with some small, sticky cubes, a sharp and spicy juice, lightly pickled slices and a beetroot crisp. The fish was the start of the show though, enhanced by the beetroot, perfectly cooked and flaking apart if you so much as looked at it the right – or maybe wrong – way.

A fabulous middle dish was next up, with a dim sum dumpling filled with soft strands of Berkshire Ferkel piglet, and red prawn, a chunk of slow roasted piglet, all dressed in a delightful dashi and Black Forest miso broth. It was dressed with micro herbs and it tasted fabulous. If I was going to upset my digestive system with pork, I might as well do it for this sort of quality in both cooking and provenance. It would be worth the slightly queasy morning for the night before.

For the wine, I’d gone with the sommelier’s recommendation, and we had drunk a 2017 Lösswand Weisser Burgunder from Arndt Köbelin, a wind from old vines (over 45 year’s old), with the winemaker ensuring a low yield, and then aging the wine in oak barrels. It was an excellent choice, which is why we trusted him to recommend a red wine for the meat and cheese courses. This time he sold us a Fritz Wassmer Syrah from 2015, which was fruit and perfect for what we wanted.

The main dish, which is not to take away from the dishes that went before, was venison with parsley root, wild cauliflower, pear chutney and hazelnut potato noodles. Every time we thought they couldn’t outdo the previous effort, they promptly did. The softness of the meat, the tenderness of it and the way it almost fell apart when you got your knife to it, pointed to a man with a sous vide machine who really, really knows how to use it properly. The pears were sweet and offset the meat and the density of the sauce, and the potato noodles were nicely buttery, complemented by the hazelnuts. It was heaven on a plate.

We’d got to the dessert or cheese point and now we had another decision to make. In the end though, it was an easy choice. We would have one of each. The staff are obviously used to this sort of thing, and quiet happily brought extra plates, cutlery and anything else we might need to divide up the spoils! Chocolate soil, a chocolate and plum layered mousse, plum ice cream, and a cute little chocolate and nut muffin made an excellent dessert, the whole suffused with the warmth of cardamom, and drizzled with a port jus. It was pretty to look at, and superb on the tongue. Of course it helps that I love plums in their many and varied forms, and of course we both love port, so it was pretty much guaranteed to be a late summer winner.

A selection of raw milk cheeses from Affineur Waltmann provided an excellent finish, with some very good bread and local fruit chutneys (plum, mirabelle).

The atmosphere is pleasantly casual, the food anything but casual with a precision and attention to detail that means every mouthful is rewarding, delicious, and memorable. A Michelin star is no less than this place deserves. We paid the bill – after a bit of uncertainty as they generally don’t take VISA only MasterCard or cash. Whatever the case, the payment went through so everyone was happy! And then we had to drive back to Glottertal. Strangely, the route down the mountain seemed a lot shorter, so the SatNav promptly misdirected me on the way out of Freiburg and instantly added 10 minutes to the journey time. The Gasthaus has rooms, at quite reasonable rates, so if there’s a next time, I’ll look at staying there instead.

Food 2019 – Alsace and Baden, Day 14, Gasthaus zum Raben, Horben Thursday, 26th September 2019 – Raben, Horben On Thursday evening we set off on a white-knuckled drive from Glottertal, through Freiburg and up to the village of Horben, which seemed to involve rather more hairpin bends than I cared for, as well as fairly dramatic stretch when we first had to run on the tram lines, and then had to dive through a single lane arch that the trams also shared!

[lemonscreativeworld]

A Moonlit Meeting

Ruri and Katsuo meet, forever changing both of their lives.

The moon shone brightly over the forest, illuminating the woman walking on the dirt path.

Her footsteps were soft and unhurried, despite being a beautiful young walking on a dangerous road at night. There was an aura of confidence about her that seemed nearly deadly.

The woman regularly patrolled this road, which led to her hotsprings inn. The entire valley was hers; Sakura no Tani had been in her family for generations, passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter and ever since her mother died, it was hers to maintain and to guard.

Hence why she was walking at night. Foolish bandits liked to think that simply because this valley was run by a female inn owner, they could muscle their way into the peace and take over. It never failed that she was attacked at least twice while on her route.

It also never failed that those same bandits' eviscerated bodies were found on the road leading out from the valley, on the edge of the nearest village. Blood dripped from her fingers and mouth in the morning and her employees and the village residents had long since stopped asking.

After all, their lives were simple and peaceful, but unimaginably prosperous. If their bloodthirsty guardian doesn't turn her hunger towards them and instead towards those who would disturb their blissful existence, then what would they gain with protesting?

A rapid succession of footfalls snatched her from her thoughts and she turned her head towards the line of trees that she heard them from and not a second later, out burst a young man. He was no older than her; in fact, he seemed like a few years her junior. His black hair was greasy and unkempt, like a river of oil. She noticed the flecks of blood in it as well and the larger stains on his person. Some were on his face, but most of it was on his chest and hands. One of which seemed to grip a sword.

He finally looked at her and she was mildly surprised to see his eyes were a demonic shade of yellow. It pierced her soul and when it found that she would not be shaken, he growled, taking a step towards her. But instead of rushing at her like a wild animal, he merely fell flat on his face, passing out before he even hit the ground.

She looked at him with a look of disdain and interest. Not many have surprised her like this. It made her wonder about the condition of this man. If he was possessed by a demon, she would simply purge it and allow her village to nurse him back to health. If not, well then...

Before she had a chance to check, she heard another set of fast moving footsteps coming towards her. With these, she could feel the malice rolling off of their owner like miasma. She reached for both her bow and knife as a second man burst through the woods, panting and snarling like a rabid wolf. The second man looked at the first and smiled that screamed insanity. He didn't even notice her and instead reached for the first man.

He jumped back when an arrow flew at him, narrowly missing him by centimeters and seconds. His attention snapped to her and she finally felt a quiver when looking at this man. He had the same -

No...she thought, looking at his eyes again, more clearly. He was fully possessed by whatever resided in the other man and he reveled in his demonic power.

"Who are you? And why do you get in the way of me and my Katsuo-Kun?!" He screamed, spittle flying everywhere as he drew his sword and pointed it at her.

She merely narrowed her eyes and said nothing, keeping her focus entirely on the threat in front of her. He laughed suddenly. "You won't say anything?! Fine then! I'll make sure everyone knows that your final words were your screams!" He threw himself at her, sword poised for the killing.

He was immediately struck by a lightning bolt and thrown back into a tree. The force broke the tree and the place where he was hit was burned and still sizzling. He was dazed and coughing blood, but still mobile.

When he lifted his head, he was shocked to see a golden, nine-tailed fox floating above the bitch. Balls of lightning hovered over the both of them, protectively and as he gazed back at his Katsuo-Kun, he saw a couple of lightning balls over him too.

He turned back to his Katsuo-Kun and got up slowly, sword still in hand. He hobbled over to his Katsuo-Kun when another ball of lightning hit the space between him and his Katsuo-Kun.

"Leave." A melodious and ethereal voice said, power dripping from it. His eyes went back to the fox-witch and her familiar. "Leave this place and never return." The fox said, it's blood red eyes trying rip his soul asunder. "You are marked with the crest of my family. Never set foot in my valley again or be destroyed."

In the distance was the sound of people, and a lot of them. While he had no problem slaughtering a few idiots, this witch and her familiar posed serious problems.

Live to fight another day, he decided, as he sheathed his sword and ran away, swearing to kill the witch and skin her fox.

When Daiki came up the hill, the sight of his mistress with her bow drawn, a fallen man on the ground and another man running towards the valley entrance and exit was something unexpected but a more welcome sight than what he had imagined when he heard thunder on a clear night. He and the villager men he gathered up breathed a collective sigh of relief when she lowered her bow and turned to face them.

She smiled; meant to be reassuring but coming off a bit more menacing than she probably meant.

Probably.

"I am sorry to have worried you all." She spoke. She pointed to the fallen man. "Retrieve Doctor Kyou and have him look over this man. Then bring him to the inn and set him in the room next to mine." She started on the way the other man had ran to.

"A-ah! Sakurai-Sama, do you require assistance?!" Daiki called out, running a few steps towards his mistress.

"No." She said firmly, not looking behind her at the Kondo. "It would be best that you turn to the village and tell the men and warriors to stay on alert. Protect Doctor Kyou's with your lives."

Daiki stopped and gazed at his mistress with fear and awe. This woman was dangerous in the best way and he would gladly give his life for her.

He bowed and said "Yes, Sakurai-Sama!" He turned back to his group and started barking out orders; the Hyuga born villagers knew better than to defy Daiki, a Kondo or not. He was Sakurai-Sama's right hand mistress and to go against him would go against their bloodthirsty guardian.

She walked the path to the valley's entrance, the demonic miasma like a breadcrumb trail leading her towards him. Her hand gripped her bow and Raiden walked along beside her, his tails swishing back and forth in aggravation.

"How dare this human demon walk into my valley and dare threatens my human." He huffed, his lightning balls dancing around him.

"Settle yourself, Rai-Kun. It was none of our business and we could have handed the other idiot over to the first and be done with it." She gave him a look before continuing. "But yet, your fragile ego could not handle a mere human whelp playing demon insulting me, like I am a mere maiden."

Raiden growled. "Silence! Your mother had more respect towards me! I daresay your grandmother as well, even though she too had a mouth on her."

She laughed and pat his head lovingly. Though a proud creature, Raiden could not rest a head pat from his beloved human.

Their moment was interrupted by a long howl, tinged with madness and evil. She looked up and saw that the man was looking down on the valley from a ridge and she could feel his evil raking over her form. Then, as the dawning sun slowly crept above the horizon of the valley, he was gone, the same howl washing over the valley.

She and Raiden watched his retreat and knew that he would return...

Back at the village, Daiki tried to calm down the once fallen man.

After Doctor Kyou had checked him over, the old man was nearly knocked out by the awoken man's panicked flailing. It had taken Daiki and his brother Daichi to carry him over to Sakurai-Sama's inn. It caused more than a few of the now awake villager's stares, but given how much strangeness happens in this valley, this bit of silliness was more than welcomed.

But now, Daiki was thinking about making the man pass out again. He couldn't stand the shouted threats much longer.

Thankfully, the door slid open and revealed his mistress. The Kondo bowed low, his forehead pressed into the floor. "Sakurai-Sama! I apologize for the mess, but this man will not calm himself!"

She had on a navy blue with royal purple cherry blossom patterns and a pipe, smoking drifting out of the unusually large bowl, which was decorated with a fox next to a cherry blossom tree. Her considerable bust was nearly falling out of her kimono and her unusual pale green eyes reminded him of freshly cut bamboo. She looked like a hostess but if the way the Kondo was acting, she was the owner of this in.

"That's quite alright, Daiki. You are dismissed but tell Akiko-Chan that need some miso and rice. Also tell her to make a couple of dumplings for your trouble." Her voice held an air of absolute authority and her aura spoke of someone who was not to be messed with unless you had power: and a lot of it.

The Kondo, Daiki, thanked her and he walked out of the room, giving him one last ugly look before closing the door.

He turned to the woman and snorted. "Are you the owner? Because I have a few choice words for you and many quest-"

"You were running from another man, your eyes telling me of an unwilling demonic possession and his eyes of a more than willing one. You were injured and I chased off the other one. You are safe and he will not be able to step into my valley without fatal repercussions." She told him, not waiting for him to finish. She sat down across from him and smoked on her pipe, looking at him with a look he wasn't sure he liked.

His mouth was agape as she said she chased off Jun and that she could basically kill him if she wanted. He could feel her power and cringed, scooting back a bit. "Who are you?" He asked.

She smiled, full of intent and he didn't know if it was good or bad. "My name is Ruri Sakurai, and I am now, Katsuo-Kun, your mistress."  

[thecosmiccuttlefish]

Anymore, I don’t need to be afraid.

April 2nd 2017 11:40pm

I'm so much better. So much better than I was.

The hospital has worked miracles for me I suppose. If it was like 8 weeks ago I would've been freaking out right now.

I was out with Skyler. I went out to dinner with her, I got a fish and had sushi appetizers (I could've been braver and gone pasta. Prioritize being vegetarian over achieving health foods. Morals over health foods.)

Then we went to a poetry show. It went later than I expected. I ordered a blueberry tea. Surprise. It's alcohol. Ain't even ID'd.

The first poem I spent all day working on was alright. The second poem, impromptu, reading TLC's "No Scrubs" as proceeding through life stages, was much better. The last verse I even mined out the heart rate meter of a dying person: "beep. Beep." Lots of laughs.

Then Skyler drove me home, late, she's working with my dad tomorrow.

So I could've had pasta, And I could've not taken the excess route that I took Melody on on our walk today.

(It was a glorious day by the way.)

To the point AND back, up the “epic hill” <-(I said in my mind) THEN onto the main trail instead of to the point and around as per usual.

But besides that, I’m so much better. When I got back, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was mum, surprisingly.

“What did you have to eat?” She asked, skeptically.

I told her:

“Three sushi appetizers...”, then seeing her widening eyes, “to start! Then I had a fish thing on jasmine rice. Miso marinated with spinach... and things.”

“Oh. But you texted me asking if you could eat a beet and goat cheese salad.” “Ya, but I didn’t.”

It was thanks to Skyler telling me I need something more substantial that I didn’t stick with salad really.

“Well...” Said my mum. “You didn’t have a snack.”

I guess me mentioning this afternoon she forgot last night made an impact. Parental guilt is strong.

She went to the fridge and poured me some chocolate almond milk, then said, pondering the fridge, “What can we get you that’s easy... and quick.”

She pulled out a tortilla.

“A plain tortilla?” I asked skeptically. “Anndd.....” She said staring into the white light

“Peanut butter and banana?” I suggested.

So here I am, despite being aware of the obscene amount of calories in this snack, eating it,

and here I am, not exercising. I asked mum as she ushered me into bed: “Yoga?”

“Margo!” She struck, in her don’t test me voice.

So I crawled into bed. I went downstairs to get my laptop. As I passed my parents room I heard my mum’s voice: “Margo?”

“Yes?” “What are you doing?” “I’m just getting my laptop from downstairs.” She didn’t stop me, because I’m getting better. I know I’m getting better.

She asked me, as I was getting my PJ’s on if I was left alone here, if they left, my family what would I do? She wants me to get to a point where I can feed myself and eat a variety of foods after all. In the past I would say the truth, exercise and stop eating. But today it was different.

Today I told her the truth, a different truth than the truth in the past.

I said I would go to an inpatient facility?

“If you couldn’t do that?”

“I’d ask people to come be with me so I wouldn’t be alone.”

If you couldn’t do that?

“I’d make a meal plan for myself, and try to follow that.”

“That’s okay.” She admitted.

She didn’t ask, but I wouldn’t exercise either. Not until a doctor who knows what I’ve been through said it was okay.

I’ve been having talks with my family, reflecting on my disorder.

I asked why my mum didn’t follow through with the initial referral to an eating disorder clinic, and she said it was because she thought “The ADD was the bigger problem.” and she was sorry.

It was good to hear that.

I’m doing better now.

I no longer believe I have to “prove myself” By withholding form exercise, exercise seems less scary to me.

I have more energy now.

I fear less now,

I get more things done now?

I realize, that I don’t need to dread things,

That, It’s okay to do something you want that makes you uncomfortable

But it’s not okay to do something you don’t want to because you’re scared of being uncomfortable without it.

You get it?

I don’t need to be afraid to do something great.

I don’t need to be afraid to push myself.

I don’t need to be afraid to be healthy and fit

I just need to go out and do what I believe in. Fear has no role in that.

I don’t need to be afraid.

[letsplaystarrysky]

Starry★Sky in Winter -Tsubasa- 12/22

Today is the last day of the school term, and we join our hard(ly)-working student council just as Kazuki is addressing his peers in typical Kazuki fashion…

...meaning he gives a dramatic and energetic speech to end all speeches.♡

But wait, in the middle of all Kazuki’s bravado did he just say something about a machine to collect souvenirs when the students return from their home towns…?

Tsubasa: 8D I made a thing that will keep people from stealing anything!

Team Mom Tsukiko: D: That’s dangerous

Team Mom Hayato: (=_=) get rid of it immediately

After the assembly is one last homeroom of the year, after which Tsukiko gets to talking with her sirs-not-appearing-in-this-game childhood friends (minus one French sheep) and her other classmates. She loses track of time and has to rush to the auditorium for today’s decorating. She arrives right in the middle of Kazuki and Tsubasa arguing. Kazuki wants Tsubasa to get rid of some piece of junk, and what could that piece of junk be?

“It is nooooot a piece of junk! It’s the Nukui-nukui Machine Nukui-san 1go DELUXE!!”

Tsubasa tries to get Tsukiko to be on his side and convince the other two to let him set up his machine. She hesitates, not wanting to let the poor kid down, giving Hayato an opportunity to casually remind them that the teachers were going to bring them hot food later, so they’ll be plenty warm.

Everyone gets to work until the food arrives. Tsubasa eagerly asks Tsukiko what she wants to eat.

Well, Tsukki?

What’ll it be?

Curry and Rice

Mystery dish

Tonjiru (a hearty pork and vegetable miso soup)

The mystery dish by the way is some kind of European looking...or Western looking...in any case delicious looking something-or-other. In any case, you know this is Tsubasa’s route, so we’re picking the mystery dish...FOR SCIENCE!

Kazuki and Hayato balk at it, since they can’t begin to guess what it is or what it’s made of. Tsubasa just digs right in. He says it’s good but chewy.

And the narration neeeever gives us a clue what it could be.

Anyway

Food eaten, everyone gets back to work until it’s pretty late and Kazuki suggests they call it a night. Everyone begins to gather up their things and Hayato asks Tsukiko to check around the tree to make sure everything’s in order, no one’s forgotten anything, etc. While she’s there, two off-screen idiots start horsing around and bump into the tree. It almost falls on Tsukiko, but at the last minute, Tsubasa grabs her arm and pulls her to safety.

“Tsukiko! Are you okay?”

Tsukiko assures him she’s fine, thanks to him, and he’s glad to hear it. If anything happened to her, he would be so sad… he quietly adds that he doesn’t want to lose anyone again. Tsukiko doesn’t really know what he means but she pats him on the head.

Kazuki and Hayato come over to see if she’s okay, and upon seeing that she is, Kazuki goes full-on Dad Mode and lectures the hell out of the students. He then says they can go back to the dorm, and leave the cleanup and the toppled-over tree to the student council. The students protest but our glorious student council declare that they can handle it just fine, no worries at all. Leave it to them!

Once the students are gone, Tsubasa offers to use his inventions to help out but that idea is shot down pretty fast. Kazuki lays out a plan for how they’ll clean up and as they get to work, Tsubasa declares,

“Nuinui-sa!”

Tsukiko: Huh?

Kazuki: What the heck is that?

Tsubasa: I thought ‘Nuinui-sa!’ would be a good rallying cry.

(like ‘hip-hip-hurrah’ or ‘banzai’ and the like)

Everyone likes Tsubasa’s idea and they go with it. Nuinui-sa it is!

Fixing the tree and redecorating takes them all night, and when morning comes Tsukiko makes them all some tea to warm up with.

“Yay! Tsukiko’s Terrible Tea!”

Not to nitpick or anything, but there’s a text error there where the text even reads “shoki” (secretary).

Despite calling it terrible, after drinking Tsubasa and Kazuki begin to marvel over something. Tsukiko’s tea… it’s good!

Tsubasa: It’s so good! It’s a miracle! Can I have another?

Tsukiko: A miracle?! Just for that I’m not giving you any more!

Tsubasa: (;◇;) Nuuuu I’m sorry!

After they drink their not-terrible tea, Tsubasa begins to yawn and this acts as a reminder that they’re all sleepy. They get some blankets and sit against the wall in a row, with Tsubasa practically sleeping on Tsukiko ‘because she’s warm’.

She doesn’t seem to mind.