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obsessedwvampbois · 3 years ago

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𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐋 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬

Oh boy so this is gonna make people really mad. I have listened to a total of 52 songs from the Diabolik Lovers franchise (that I could find) and ranked them for the hell of it. For this ranking I will be including all character songs, openings (both anime and game) along with the remixes. I will not be counting solo versions of songs (eg. Gin no bara), soundtrack bgm or the endings themes.

My ranking is based on these things:

how well does the song fit the character/s or game, both in lyrics and aesthetic

the overall production and performance of the song

is the song a bop? would I willingly listen to it again?

Couple of disclaimers: I do not speak Japanese so I will be crediting the translations of each song as I go through them along with any think pieces / essays that I come across. If there is any song I missed, please let me know and I’ll slot it into the rankings, its hard to find one source that has all the songs recorded. Finally, just a reminder because I know I'm gonna make someone mad, this is my list! If you don't like it make your own or ignore mine, I'm only one person and my opinion is not final!

With that in mind, my rankings are below the cut

*Least Best*

These are the songs I will probably never listen to again. I have a few gripes with them that I'll talk about in my explanation.

52. 誓いのカンパネラ (Chikai no Campanella)

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This song is just super underwhelming overall. The guitar is my favourite thing about the song but that's it. There is so much build up for a boring chorus. The lyrics don't have much for me either.

51. 血戦のDies irae (Kessen no Dies irae)

Tsukinami Brothers

~translation~

On the opposite end, this song is so overwhelming. There are so many elements to follow and its hard to keep up. This is the first time I'll bring it up but the volume of the voices is so quiet compared to the backing track, its frustrating. The lyrics is what brings it up a notch as it talks about the day of wrath (dies irae) as the day the founders take over. I was also low key hoping to hear some version of the dies irae song hidden in the background but I couldn't hear any.

50. S.O.S-ΑtoΩ-

Tsukinami Brothers

~translation~

This song just feels so forgettable, I just feel like there isn't much to comment on. There are some interesting lyrics sprinkled out like comparing literal self mutilation to abstinence. Also the actual delivery of 'S ah O ah S ah', I can't take it seriously.

49. Dystopia

Kino

~translation~

This had an interesting start because I hadn't heard anything similar for DL but then after a few lines the tone change was just a nope for me. Again, Kino's voice is super quiet and the constant barrage of all these instruments that don't really gel together its confusing. Overall, it didn't leave much of an impression and I couldn't really visualised DL in the song.

48. 吸愛ラビリンス (Kyūai Labyrinth)

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

Praise for the saxophone! Props to that because it shines here and is really the only memorable thing besides that final line of the chorus. The song does give the vibe of the Vandead Carnival with its more playful energy though. The lyrics feel really typical, like there are so many times I read lyrics about drinking blood before I get bored.

47. 極限(UNLIMITED) BLOOD -Remix ver.-

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation w/ original ver.~

I don't think I really need to hear EDM/dubstep and Diabolik Lovers again thanks. It feels super dated and the vocoded singing is a little much for my taste. Good source material and the stripped back vocals at some points is quite nice.

46. 愛しきPain (Itoshiki Pein)

Subaru

~translation~

First off please never let me see Subaru near a fedora again thanks. Overall I felt bored with this song, like its nice, but that it. There are similar sounding songs that just hit home similar themes a lot stronger later on. The best part of this song is the spoken word but it feels weird for Subaru to be singing such a slow song.

45. Luv Apple Juice

Ruki & Azusa

~translation~

Yes, I am counting Ruki's spoken word, its my list. Lyrics are a must read with references to Adam, Eve and Eden throughout. Again, the voices are super quiet and with how fast paced the instrumentals are its annoying. The tempo also backfires because these are two of the more 'chill' characters. The last complaint is that the speed of Ruki's speaking compared to Azusa's singing just isn't right.

44. DIE IS CAST

Kou & Yuma

~translation~

This has to be my least favourite opening to a song, the staccato is just really grating to me. The way I'd describe the chorus is loud, the same note over and over again isn't appealing. The lyrics are an interesting read but nothing feels super important. The highlight of the song is the pre-chorus, thanks production!

43. カレイドナイト (Kaleido Night)

Kanato & Subaru

~translation~

This song is just generic, like overall. The sound, the lyrics, the production. There just wasn't must for me to listen to without zoning out.

*Average*

These songs don't leave too much of a lasting impression on me, but I still enjoy them.

42. 苺の罪 (Ichigo no Tsumi) (strawberry sin)

Reiji

~translation~

First of the generic rock songs! I couldn't really find much in the lyrics of note I think the actual performance of the song is my favourite element here.

41. 真夜中の饗宴( MIDNIGHT PLEASURE) -Remix ver.

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation w/ original~

One the best part of the original is that opening section with the steps, it creates some nice anticipation for the coming song. The chorus this time round feels a little low energy after the hype of the pre-chorus. After watching the actual opening with the remix, I kind of wish they had the voice over, the song is so chill the last chorus could have it to make it feel more grandiose.

40. ZERO

Subaru

~translation~

Second generic rock song, this time it actually suits Subaru's brand! The lyrics do have some hints to Subaru as a character which is better. My sustaining thought is that this sounds like an off brand Arcadia.

39. Bloody★Mayim★Mayim

Sakamaki Brothers

~translation~

This has to have one of the strongest hooks for DL. For how many people sing in the song, it's easy to keep track of and the chemistry between them all is in sync. The main issue is that it feels like its missing some element to make it shine, the lyrics aren't in-depth too which brings it down another peg. The bridge/interlude is the best part though as I can visualise some mini story within the song here.

38. ADDICTED (2) PHANTOM

Ayato

~translation~

This song would be so much higher if I felt like it was more memorable cuz the lyrics here really shine. My interpretation is that this is Ayato questioning where his love stops and his sadistic nature to satiate his desires begin, can he separate the two? He both loves and despises the idea of draining his s/o dry. Another gripe with the song is that its not quite Ayato's aesthetic sonically.

37. Kindan no 666 (Three Six)

Kou & Azusa

~translation~

What puts this song so low is the majority of the instrumental, it takes a backseat here when I feel there could be more added. Props to percussion, drums are great though. After watching the MB opening so many times its hard to not see DL. Lyrics match with this one line here describing Kou in a nutshell:

"Sin spread from mouth to mouth, saying 'I’ll be gentle' pulls the trigger on a casual disaster!"

36. Iolite (アイオライト )

Shu

~translation~

I don't know why the producers associate electro-pop with Shu, I can't really see it much. I think they should have gone full glitch-pop instead considering how the song does a deep dive into his mind and thought process. Again, I think the voice is also quiet here but the instrumentals have some great moments, especially the strings.

35. 常夜KNOW UNDERSKIN

Sakamaki

~translation~

Well this gives Sakamaki vibes, nice guitar! Again, I like how it isn't overwhelming despite the amount of people involved. Lyrics aren't super impactful but super catchy.

34. 冷たい血 (Tsumetai Chi)

Ruki

~translation~

You have to read the lyrics while reading this, please! Its surprisingly wholesome and emotional overall. Again, there is the issue of the voice being way to quiet as the instrumentals swallow him whole after the second clock tick. The delivery is really well timed and production does a great job adding elements that works with the lyrics. There is a subtle echo to the voice that feels super enchanting as he comes to terms with the fact that he has fallen in love. Biggest drawback obviously is that this is just spoken word.

33. KISS♥MARK

Shu

~translation~

This song delves into the more perverse side of Shu, but we haven't really reached the level of Laito (we'll get there). The phone feels a little out of character but it suits that narrative. The straight cut out of music for the intermission was a bit abrasive but the transition back to music makes me forget about that with how slick it is. At least its better than a generic rock song.

32. カモフラージュ (Camouflage)

Shu & Laito

~translation~

What a great match up for subject matter, my interpretation is a denial and inability to accept oneself, ultimately using a mask to hide. So please look up the lyrics for some gems. However, after the 'against the blood' nothing really hit that same point sonically, furthermore its not the most aesthetically fitting for the two characters.

*Great*

These songs I actively enjoy, think about and do listen to occasionally and would recommend you check it out too.

31. >REDRUM<-

Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This song is full of anagrams in the lyrics, I mean look at the song title. Its super catchy and is hard to forget about. The bridge is the weakest part of this song but it is made up by the distortion of vocals after the final chorus.

30. Fanatic of Night

Sakamaki Brothers

~translation~

Well time to party, talk about a bop and a half! Its just so fun, even though its to exactly DL to me, but that's Lunatic Parade for you. Shout out to the guitarist and percussion once again.

29. Bad Howling

Shu, Ayato & Kou

~translation~

This is super catchy, its nice to hear Kou in the opening song this time round, it spices things up. Theres some really nice elements played with the vocals as they sing over one another that is really well balanced. The biggest peg down is that I don't get super DL vibes and the lyrics aren't the deepest.

28. I.M.I.T.A.T.I.O.N. G.A.M.E

Kino

~translation~

Overall this song is a little generic and doesn't sound like DL but! There is a lot to love here too. Starting off with the performance, I really like the vibrato in his voice and the decent of notes at the end of the chorus is just, yes. It a nice hook and the lyrics are pretty good too. My only other complaint is that the drums mask some smaller elements in the background of the song which would have been nice to hear more in the forefront.

27. 極限(UNLIMITED) BLOOD

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This is where the rankings get pretty hard cuz I wish this was higher but oh well. the dramatic shift from the opening piano to the song is so abrupt but it gets you pumped. The intermission does a good job of changing things up without cutting tension. The lyrics themselves seem to be from the view of the Adam project during more blood and the unquenchable thirst they get in the story.

26. アルカディア (Arcadia)

Ayato

~translation~

Immediately I get Ayato vibes from this song and the rapping does help too with a nice flow that isn't too jarring from the rest of the song. These lyrics are basically Addicted2Phantom on steroids, I can't see anyone else other than Ayato in them.

25. Kekkyoku Night

Ayato

~translation~

Don't know why but the guitar melody just seems like I had heard it before but I can't put my finger on it. The bass is super slick here and I really enjoy it. The vocal distortion at the start of the verse sets a scene for him to hunt down this person and its a narrative choice. The main issue is that I wish there was a little more pizzaz to the chorus.

24. Kaikan DEATH-TRUCTION

Kanato

~translation~

Spoilers but I have placed both a Kanato's songs pretty high up so this was a little bit of a let down after the other two. The main issues here is that I don't really get too much of Kanato in the song and the yelling before the chorus is a little much. This, to me, is a self reflection from Kanato which is a good switch up from his last two songs. Overall, the song is abrasive in a good way that isn't overwhelming and the 8-bit section is my fave.

23. 血濡れた密会 (BLOODY SABBATH)

Laito

~translation~

Oh boy, look these lyrics up for a good time. This song is about his hook up with a women with the song getting progressively darker as it goes on. Nice psycho reference but I don't know if it does much in the end. Really catchy hook and the escalation of the final chorus is just so good. Also I'm just going to leave this line from the song here:

“You wend all out with the rodeo girl play? So then, let’s grind!!!”

22. 幻日理論-Parhelion Logic

Ayato

~translation~

This song is meant to be kind of an open letter to Cordelia and my word these lyrics are haunting. It fits the vibe of Haunted Dark Bridal so well, super strong overall. I just wish there was a stronger performance vocally.

21. 暴言シンドローム (Seiron Syndrome)

Yuma

~translation~

Yuma, to me has some pretty good observation skills and its really highlighted here. The first line just hits the nail on the head in terms of how rough he is both in and out of the bedroom. This song is the best of the 'generic rock' with production being really smooth despite the high energy, it matches him really well. First line:

The pain of your sprained neck won’t subside

20. 蠱惑のParade (Kowaku no Parade)

Reiji & Kanato

~translation~

We got another catchy banger here! This song just screams 'the two of us are here to hunt you down and we won't stop till we get a taste.' I mean this song is super pleasing aesthetically and great lyrics to boot!

19. KILLYOU,AGAIN

Azusa

~translation~

The strings are an immediate attention grabber and its hold it throughout the whole song. Super catchy, and these lyrics are Azusa, especially this chorus. Id be interested to hear what people think about the second verse in particular cuz there's a lot to read into:

"In a worn out state of mind, no matter how many nights we question it... We’ve idealised too much."

18. SQueeze…

Subaru

~translation~

Okay before anything else, the squeeze at the start is goofy, I can't take it seriously. Anyway, I can't help but tap my foot to this song. Third times the charm, finally hitting Subaru's aesthetic to a T. The voice is a little quiet on the track but what takes over just sounds so good. The contrast of the bell and the guitar is just, yes thank you. The pre-chorus is a nice mix up to the status quo and these lyrics are great too.

17. 愛の檻 (Ai no Ori)

Ayato & Laito

~translation~

The opening is a nice tone setter for a haunting head bopper. These voices work together so well, just like how the sirens work with the strings. The singular violin during the bridge is great, praise to anyone who can do that my god. The string motif climaxes at the final chorus and it creates an awesome song!

16. 月蝕(Eclipse)

Kou, Yuma & Azusa

~translation~

Well we have a nice build up ballad here. The opening is a little out of place but I forget about it as it builds to this final chorus with the tempo getting faster and faster. The stripped back production also ends up aiding the song in the end with its punches and message. Speaking of which; I get the idea this is about watching some either currently or in retrospective how their personality changes after turning into a vampire; a loss of innocence. How fitting for the Mukami's.

“Despising the sunlight that filters through the blinds is only inevitable, I suppose”

*Faves*

This is what I think the best of the best is. It reflects the themes, ideas and characters of Diabolik Lovers in the best way possible. When people ask me what music from the franchise to listen to, I point to these songs.

15. Count off

Kino

~translation~

There is so much to talk about here, this is a mix of singing and spoken piece and it works so well for me. The delivery over this contagious beat I can't help but get hints of a k-pop vibe here. The movement to singing then vocoded voice are interesting and fun. The bridge switch up too is great, my only wish is that the choir hand a little more presence in the final chorus cuz its fun the first times round, it would be a nice call back.

14. A Certain Prophet's Fate [とある預言者の、運命 Toaru Yogensha no Unmei]

Reiji

~translation~

I can visualise a Nutella Kookie moodboard with this opening alone. To me, this is Reiji explain his views on women with allusions to Faust too, not the Ikemen version relax. there are some cool allusions to his mother in the lyrics too. The bass is so cool to listen out for and the guitar nodding to the chorus at the end is a nice way to end. I was just hoping for a little continuation to the opening like Reiji finding this person escaping on horseback.

13. CHAOS☆PARTY

Laito

~translation~

Aaaaaand another innuendo song from Laito, what a surprise! The jazzy, circus-pop vibes are super fun and catchy, I love it. It's like an upgraded version of Bloody Sabbath to me. The distortion on the guitar is also great to listen out for.

"Don’t decide where’s the critical point, grind as you feel it,

Till the moon oh, mockingly"

12. Mr.ButterflyMask

Reiji

~translation~

The opening may be cliche but it works so well, this is such a deep dive into Reiji's psyche; his mother, inferiority complex and village burning to name a few. The actual song is easy to remember which makes it even better here, the descending notes at the end of the chorus is a highlight.

"Burnt black, that awful land mark"

11. 真夜中の饗宴 (MIDNIGHT PLEASURE)

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

The song to start it all, thank god it's such a highlight. I get so hyped from hearing the opening footsteps; mirroring the prologue with You stepping into the mansion for the first time. I feel so nostalgic for this and I'm hyped to play the game every time I hear this. The spoken section is the high point in terms of the HDB aesthetic but these lyrics maaaannn:

"With a scream that shatters the moon itself I’ll give you this extraordinary pain called “love”!"

10. Guilty×Guilty!!!

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

I'm gonna get crucified for putting this above midnight pleasure but my list and this is my fave game op. The only peg down is the lyrics but it makes up so much for the actual sound variation. The unnerving energy from this scifi-y noise, it screams danger with the Tsunami arrival. The variation between the two verses in robs what places it high and the bridge is excellent to boot.

9. Farewell Song

Shu

~translation~

If I had to make one song recommendation outside of DL with this list it is this song here. The lyrics and melody match up the same way and both are strong in their own right. Onto the song, these lyrics really shine wrangling with ideas and the thought process of depression; something that hits close to home for me. With the inclusion of the destructive nature vampires its truely impactful. The sound of the song aids these lyrics too while all sounding like Shu.

Without pause, the drops of a drizzle had begun to weep...

...Comforting the screams of the things you’ve touched"

8. Mr.SADISTIC NIGHT

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This is my favourite opening of all the games and anime and it is the most on theme with the DL franchise, not just the one game. The guitar rifts at the start are just sooooo iconic. The actual line "Mr Sadistic Night" is delivered so well too. I mean the song speaks for itself. I will make the observation though that this song is the epitome of kids unknowingly singing a song with dirty lyrics.

"If I’m so aroused by the snare of your enticing blood

Tonight, as I thrust deep into you, a lust for death awakens from within you!"

7. 悪魔的（Devil's）Spire!!!!

Kou

~translation~

This song is just Kou at his best, I can imagine him singing this at a concert as a debut single. It has all the elements of a catchy pop song with some sinister elements that just reflects his personality. Production has my praise here too. The song seems to be a friends with benefits situation Kou has as he recounts the tale. Also, more innuendos:

"In the deep red velvet sheets, Do you want to taste my forbidden syrup?"

6. Operation X

Tsukinami Brothers

~translation~

Haven't seen these guys in a while! You can tell production had fun adding all these medical sounds in the back like the sirens and heart monitor. The song itself is super catchy too, that bass just hits you at the core! The lyrics look like the Tsukinami's observation of You as she has become entangled with all these vampires and the situation just seems to spiral even more out of control.

"The risk spreads further the deeper you get involved...

...The more you give up, the more that guy mocks you"

5. GRATEFUL★DEAD★MARCH

Kanato

~translation~

Production had fun again, you can tell. It's more upbeat there is still a sinister vibe here. The constant switch ups within the song all flow so well. I feel genuine despair listening to this chorus, like Kanato is mocking or toying with me before going in for the kill. My only complaint is that the slowing down at the end is a bit of a mood killer.

4. 切断★舞踏会 (KIRISAKI CARNIVAL)

Kanato

~translation~

In terms of character aesthetic, this is sheer perfection. There is a narrative within this song that you need to look at the lyrics for the best experience. The sound effects act as a good way to heighten the story as they match the lyrics. One moment to note it both the chorus and pre-chorus as they act as the extreme ends on Kanato's personality and it creates a great dichotomy when placed together.

3. Q.E.D.

laito

~translation~

My favourite solo song, and the one I constantly visit the most. Laito is a complex character and this song does a self reflection in the best way possible.I would also recommend reading this great analysis by everything laito because I can't do a proper analysis justice. For the song itself, the piano is a great mood setter as it acts as if we are approaching Laito as he plays the piano about to go into one of his many monologues to himself. The intercut from the piano to the guitar is abrupt but it works so well as if there are crack in his facade showing through. The change back to the piano is great too and isn't distracting in any way. I also think this is such an emotional performance, like I can feel the sadness and despair along with almost a self deprecating humour to the delivery. Top notch stuff

2. 罠-If You’re Diablo- (Wana -If You’re Diablo-)

Mukami Brothers

~translation~

I want mention first off that the spoken word from Ruki is such an aid here, the pace is slower, more haunting and despair-inducing in tone. The speaking adds a nice break to the vocals. The chorus in particular packs such a punch its kind of nice to lie on the ground and just let the song envelop you. The lyrics give the impression that there is a mutually destructive relationship here with the Mukami's mentioning of betrayal yet they suck the blood of this person. There is also a feeling of hopelessness that the Mukami's know they can never achieve their goal of becoming Adam.

"I'd been resigned to become Adam since who-knows-when...

I continue to hate this fate, my prayers in zero"

1. Gin no Bara

Sakamaki Brothers

~translation~

And we're finally at the end! This song encapsulates everything that Diabolik Lovers is. Vocally, it's really catchy with such a somber vibe, because that's what DL is. It's a dark series but you can see that darkness with each backstory, the actions these characters take and just the overall hopelessness in this one song. The Sakamaki's all singing together packs such a punch too. There are so many gems in these lyrics, to literally acknowledging the pain and suffering their mothers' caused and coming to terms with the actions they have committed as they fall in love.

"The proof remains on your neck while you sleep quietly Even if an eternal curse awaits me beyond those overflowing tears

I now hold this love and pain in my chest"

*SHOUTOUTS*

I want to give a huge shout out to the following people. They have helped immensely with translation and just overall accessibility to the songs because they would be 1000 times more harder to find without them.

Silvermoon249 (Live Journal)

Asyqin98 Creator (YouTube)

S I s o v o l i (Youtube)

DIABOLIK LOVERS (YouTube)

Dialovers otaka (Tumblr)

Starlight voices (Tumblr)

Cannonette (Tumblr) @canonette

The Precious Sugar Chan (Tumblr)

One final note, I would recommend listening to these with headphones because the audio sometimes does that thing where it jumps from ear to ear and it creates the best effect to be more involved in the atmosphere.

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #sakamaki #mukami #ayato sakamaki #sakamaki shu #reiji sakamaki #laito sakamaki #kanato sakamaki #sakamaki subaru #ruki mukami #mukami kou #mukami yuma #mukami azusa #tsukinami shin #carla tsukimami #kino sakamaki

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dialovers-translations · 4 years ago

Text

Diabolik Lovers GRAND EDITION for Switch ;; More, Blood ー Subaru Dark [07]

ー The scene starts in the hallway at school

Yui: ( Subaru-kun is still keeping an eye on me every day but... )

( In the end, nothing else has occurred ever since the car accident that day... )

( I haven’t seen those Mukami guys ever since either... )

Kou fangirl A: Kyaaahーー!!

Yui: ...!?

( What was that shriek just now...? Did something happen? )

Kou fangirl B: Kou-kun! I made your favorite sweets! You mentioned these in a magazine the other day, right?

Here you go~!

Kou fangirl A: Ah! You sneaky little...! (1) Say, if I made some next time as well, will you eat them?

Kou: Thanks! I’ll gladly accept these at any time.

Yui: ( Ah...That person, it’s the one from before. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen them around, but they have been attending this school after all... )

( Uhm, if I recall correctly...His name is Mukami Kou, right...? )

( So he’s popular with girls, huh...? His face really is gorgeous, so I guess it only makes senーー )

Kou: Ah!!

Yui: Eh?

Kou fangirl A: Ah! Hold up, Kou! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?

Yui: ( He’s coming my way!? )

Kou: Hey thereー! M-neko-chan~!

*Rustle*

Yui: Eh!? W-What are you doing out of the blue...?

( He’s holding my hand... )

Kou fangirl B: Wait a second! Kou-kun!? Who is that girl!?

Kou: Sorry! There’s something I need to talk about with this girl. Let’s hang out again later, okay?

Yui: W-Wait...

Kou: ーー Oh come on! I figured you’d help me out here!!

Yui: Help you out?

Kou: See you again girls!

Kou fangirl A: Eeeeeeh~~~~~!?

Yui: Hold on...Ah!

ー Kou tugs her along

Yui: ( W-What is happening all of a sudden...? What does he mean with ‘help him out’...!? )

( Wait, I’m being tugged along but is this okay...? )

( These guys might be after me, right...? )

( I have to look for an opening and make a run for it... )

ー The scene shifts to the rooftop

Kou: Ahー ...I dodged a bullet. Thanks, M-neko-chan.

Yui: ...I don’t think you needed to run away from a situation like that though...

Kou: No, that was a huge red flag! Those girls are just so persistent, you know? ...Haahー...Don’t they realize we’re at school?

Yui: But, you do have a point...You are really popular, huh...?

Kou: ...Do you perhaps...Not know about me...?

Yui: Eh? You’re Mukami Kou-kun, right?

Kou: ...No...Haah, you’ve got to be kidding me...No wonder...Now it makes sense why you reacted so differently from all the other girls...

Yui: Uhm...?

Kou: I’m working as an idol. Never heard of them?

Yui: ...Ah, I see. I’m not really interested in that kind of stuff...Sorry.

Kou: Well, that’s fine. There aren’t many girls like you though.

Yui: Am I weird...?

Kou: Nah, it isn’t weird. It only makes sense there would be all sorts of people living in this world. I guess I should have expected as much from Eve.

Yui: ( ...’Eve’, again? They called me that before as well, but what could it mean...? )

( ...Wait, this isn’t the time for a casual chat. )

( I forgot because Mukami-kun interacts with me with like a normal person would but... )

( I have to quickly go back...! )

Ah, I’ll be returning to the classroom then.

Kou: Eh? No way, you can’t! Stay here with me a little longer!

Yui: But...

Kou: Are you wary of me, perhaps? Can’t say I don’t get where you’re coming from but we’re at school right now. I won’t assault you out of nowhere, so rest assured.

Yui: ...

( He may say that, but if I do this, I’ll end up worrying Subaru-kun and angering him again... )

( I have to hurry up and do something... )

Kou: Right, right! Say, you know this city well, right?

Yui: Eh? Yeah, well, for the most part, I guess?

Kou: Then, are there any bakeries you’d recommend?

Yui: Eh? Bakery? But you guys are...

Kou: Even Vampires eat regular food, you know? Us in particular.

Yui: ( So those kind of Vampires exist as well... )

Kou: Which is why I’d love to hear about some places that sell delicious bread if you know any.

Yui: Aah, in that case...I’d recommend the bakery inside the shopping mall.

The baguettes in particular are delicious. My Father loves their bread as well...

Kou: Heeh, I see. The shopping mall, huh...?

Yui: Ah! On the topic of the shopping mall, I’d recommend the greengrocer as well!

The owner is such a sweet guy, he throws in freebies from time to ti...

( ...! Hold up, why am I just naturally keeping the conversation going...!? )

Kou: Heehー That sounds nice. I wonder if he’d give me some extras as well?

Yui: Y-Yeah...Actually, if you’re an idol, he might just give you even more of a service.

Kou: Fufu. Hooray...~!

Yui: ( This is throwing me off...Is this person really a Vampire? )

( He’s no different from a normal high school boy like this...If anything, he is the very definition of it...! (2) )

Kou: ...? Is something the matter?

Yui: I was just thinking you’re really normal despite being a Vampire, Mukami-kun...

Different from what I expected, so I’m a little shocked.

Kou: You can call me Kou. Besides, Vampires come in all shapes and sizes as well, right? They’re good and bad ones. Just like with humans.

Yui: Eh...!?

Kou: Keep still for a second, okay...?

Yui: ...!?

Kou: Fufu. You are such an honest, good girl. As to be expected of Eve...Understood? Don’t move an inch...

Yui: W-What are youーー

*SMACK*

Subaru: Don’t touch her...!!

Kou: ...!? Owowowow! W-Woah there! Don’t twist my arm...! It hurts!!

Yui: Subaru...kun!?

Subaru: What did you just try and do to her...!!?

Kou: I wasn’t really...going to do anything in particular..Owow...It’s just, in her hair...!

Subaru: Fuck off!

Yui: Eh? My hair...Wait!! Kyaah! There’s a bug!!

*Rustle*

Subaru: ...!?

Kou: See...!? I only tried to get rid of the bug!

ー Subaru steps away

Subaru: Che...Annoyin’. Don’t be doin’ such misleadin’ things.

*Rustle*

Kou: Owowowow...Haah, that startled me...When did you get here.

Subaru: Hmph. ...Just now. Fuck, I shouldn’t have jumped the gun...

Kou: ーー Just now he says...Fufu, nothing but lies. I picked up on your presence long ago...

Subaru: Aah? You said somethin’ just now?

Kou: No, nothing~! Anyway, this is the first time we’ve properly talked, right?

Subaru: ...

Kou: Oh come on, don’t glare at me like that~ I’m Mukami Kou. Nice to meet you! Handshake!

*Rustle*

ー Subaru smacks his hand away

Subaru: ...You wish. Oi, Yui. Let’s go.

ー Subaru grabs hold of her wrist

*Rustle*

Yui: Ah...!

Subaru: Hurry up...!

Yui: Y-You don’t have to pull that strongly, I’ll come with you either way...!

Subaru: ...Che...

Kou: Bye byeー! See you again!

ー The two of you leave as the scene shifts to the staircase

Subaru: ...What a pain...

Yui: ( ...Subaru-kun seems...kind of upset? I guess I shouldn’t have talked with Kou-kun after all, huh...? )

( I should have tried my hardest to shake him off and run away...What now? I guess I should apologize? )

Selection

→ Don’t apologize (S)

Yui: ( ...But, it’s not like Kou-kun was a bad guy, so he didn’t have to smack away his hand like that... )

Subaru-kun, don’t you think you could have at least shaken hands with him...?

Subaru: Aah?

Yui: ...S-Sorry...

( I ended up apologizing anyway... )

→ Genuinely apologize (M)

Yui: I’m sorry...Subaru-kun, I...acted selfishly.

Subaru: Don’t do somethin’ if you’re gonna apologize for it later.

Why are you always that careless...!?

Yui: S-Sorry...

Yui: I truly am...He asked for help and dragged me away so...

I did consider searching for an opening and running away but...

Subaru: Stop actin’ like such a miss goody-two shoes! Fuck...

Yui: ( It really was reckless of me...Subaru-kun’s going out of his way to keep an eye on me, so I should be careful as well... )

ー The scene shifts back to the rooftop

Kou: ...What do we have here...~? Those two get along just fine, don’t they? Fufu...~ That makes breaking them up more than worth it.

That guy’s full of sin (3)...He pisses me off. I’ll definitely...steal Eve away from you. So better brace yourself.

Monologue

Even though I was told to be on guard,

the way Kou-kun acted like your average guy,

threw me off my game.

Careless, a miss goody-two shoes,

no wonder Subaru-kun would criticize me (咎められる) as such.

To unravel the Mukami family’s goal,

he has been keeping an eye on me (見張っている) after all.

I repeat that inside my heart,

feeling how my chest starts to ache just a little.

I wonder what exactly I am expecting,

as someone who is nothing but a prey in their eyes?

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) Literally she says ‘it’s so mean of you to get a headstart’, using the term 抜け駆け or ‘nuke-gake’. However, this did not quite have the same impact because it’s a whole phrase and not just one word like in Japanese. ‘Nuke-gake’ implies a sense of sneakiness as well though, hence my translation.

(2) Literally she says ‘he seems even more normal than normal’, implying that within the category of ‘normal’, Kou stands at the very top. xD

(3) Kou calls Subaru 罪な子 or ‘tsumi na ko’ which means ‘child of sin’ or ‘sinful child’ literally. I assume he is aware of Subaru’s past and is referring to the fact he was conceived through implied sexual assault/rape.

→ LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

<- [ Dark 06 ] [ Dark 08 ] ->

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #subaru sakamaki #more blood #diabolik lovers translation #mbsubarudark8

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sakamakisaywhat · 4 years ago

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Headcanons for Shu, Reiji, Laito, Subaru, Azusa and Carla with a s/o who has a chronic skin disease?

SHU

- To be honest, he probably wouldn’t notice it at first - it’s not that Shu isn’t perceptive and he does pay attention to how you look, but unless it’s right in his face he would hardly give it a second thought - When the two of you first started dating, I can’t see it really factoring into his decision to go out with you one way or another - If you have to take medicine or put on cream to stop inflammations or flare ups, he wouldn’t be the best at reminding you but Shu would definitely try - “Did you forget to take your tablets again? You’re so troublesome... go and get them now or I’ll have to feed them to you myself.” - He might throw around the word ‘troublesome’ a lot but since Shu finds everyone and everything troublesome in some way, it’s unlikely having a chronic condition like this would bother him at all - Once Shu is serious about you, he tends to ignore such trivial things

REIJI

- Reiji would be surprised when he finds out that you have to manage a chronic skin disease, but he’d ultimately chalk it up to “one of those strange human afflictions” - While he might not be knowledgeable about your condition at first, he’d pore over books, archives, or any type of information about it to research the disease - Reiji naturally has an interest in science and medicine anyway, but the fact that by learning about the disease he’s also learning about you motivates him even further - He’d be very good at reminding you to take any medication - sometimes a little too good - “My dear, have you applied your cream yet? When managing this disease, it is best to establish a routine in order to effectively improve your condition. I in fact read an account by a physician the other day which recommended application of this poultice..” - You might have to remind him that you’ve been living with this all your life so you know how to manage it just fine, but you appreciate his efforts anyway

LAITO

- While Laito definitely notices looks and is very perceptive when it comes to unique features in people’s appearances, it’s very unlikely having a chronic skin disease would change his opinion of you or even cross his mind at all - He might ask about it just out of curiosity, but as long as you gave him a straightforward answer he wouldn’t probe any further - If you were ever ashamed about yourself or felt down because of how you looked, Laito would definitely notice though - He’d be the first to pick you up and reassure you that chronic skin conditions are not only very common but don’t diminish your looks at all - “You’re unique, Bitch-chan. That’s what I like about you, but it’s not really on my mind. I can think of lots of other things to focus on.” - When it comes to helping you manage it Laito would probably leave you to it, considering you understand it much better than him, but he would encourage you to take any treatment regularly so you feel happier

SUBARU

- Subaru straight up wouldn’t notice anything different about you at all - it would either have to be extremely obvious you had a skin disease or you’d have to point it out to him (he’s not stupid but he’s normally probably too flustered about the romance to think about much else) - He’d never admit it to you but if you told him about it Subaru would really try to research and understand it - While he might not really know what some of the books or websites are talking about, he’d give them a go just for the sake of understanding how you function - After forgetting to pick up your prescription one day, you��ll be surprised to find it sitting on your desk when you got home - “Uh. You mentioned you were worryin’ about bein’ able to get it ‘cause of school, so I- I picked it up for you. Don’t fuckin’ smile at me like that, it’s not funny!” - Ultimately it’s not really something that would cross his mind at all unless you bring it up in conversation

AZUSA

- Azusa wants to know everything about you from your head to your toes, so he can please you and be the best possible Adam - He’s very appreciative you chose him over anyone else so he’d make an effort to inquire about your condition and try to help you manage it in any way you wanted him to - Azusa would be aware that these things can impact your self-confidence, so he’d try his best to reassure you that he’s never once thought about your skin disease negatively - “I love you... Eve. So these things... don’t matter to... me. I have... my own marks... on my skin. It’s not the... same... but... you still like me. So why would... I find you... unattractive?” - Azusa would treat you gently and make sure to find out when you’re having issues with it flaring up, so he can’t possibly hurt you - You’ll have to tell him if you don’t want to be treated like glass, but you understand that he’s just trying his best to look after you

CARLA

- Carla would definitely notice that you have a chronic skin disease and equally would almost definitely ask about it, but he would never judge you - It’s impossible for him to forget that he has a chronic disease himself, in his case likely much more severe than yours, so as long as your skin condition isn’t life-threatening he wouldn’t think about it very much - The only way it might possibly affect anything is that if you told him it was hereditary, but in that case he’d just prepare the resources to look after your children should they have it too - This is one of the few times he’d be willing to take instruction from you about how to best manage something - Carla would encourage you to be confident about your body, whether you felt self-conscious of your condition or not - “Mortal, you are the future spouse of the ruler of the Founders. Your beauty is unparalleled. This ‘disease’, weak as it is, is hardly worth mentioning.”

#shu sakamaki #reiji sakamaki #laito sakamaki #subaru sakamaki #azusa mukami #carla tsukinami #headcanon #vampire03 #sakamakisaywhat

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thedeliverygod · 4 years ago

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2020 Anime Rec List

side note that these animes didn’t necessarily come out in 2020 (though some did) its just the year that I watched them.

FOR FANS OF NORAGAMI

Toilet Bound Hanako Kun

Based off the popular legend in Japan of Hanako-san, a ghost who haunts the girl’s bathroom. However, this Hanako is a mischievous boy who happens to be the leader of the school’s Seven Wonders. The heroine Nene comes to Hanako with a wish of making her senpai notice her and chaos ensues from there as the near shore and the far shore intertwine. You’ll see a lot of obvious comparisons between this and Noragami and the manga is also extremely worth it. I would say Hanako-kun is a little bit heavier on the comedy, but by the same token it can also be dark af :]

Kakuriyo

All of her life, Aoi has been able to see ayakashi; one even saved her from a near death experience when she was a small child. But after her grandfather passes away, she’s met by an ogre king who says that because of a debt her grandfather owes him, she must come to the hidden realm and be his bride. Aoi refuses and asks to instead work off her debt at the inn that he owns. With the help of Ginji, a kind fox ayakashi, Aoi starts her own restaurant and grows many friendships with the various workers of the inn, including the ogre king himself. This one is definitely not as action based as Noragami or Hanako-kun but it’s a very spiritual and fun show. If you’re into cooking/food, there’s definitely a lot of that too.

Fantasy

A Lull in the Sea

In this world, certain humans have been blessed by the gods with ena; a special skin covering that allows them to live and breathe underwater. For generations, there has been tensions between humans who live on land and humans who live in the sea. The show begins with a group of friends who for the first time are required to go to school up on land. While most are open to the idea, the main character, Hikari, is very hesitant and very resistant towards befriending land-dwellers. Over time, the friends grow to realize people in the sea and people on land are not so different after all and do their best to bring the two worlds together. This is honestly simplifying the plot a lot, but it’s a beautiful series. The amount of characters could honestly get a little overwhelming at times but I still highly recommend it.

ReLIFE

Arata for all intents and purposes is known as a “NEET”. So when an opportunity arises for him to become 17 again and ‘restart’ life, he takes it. I’ll be real, this anime was not at all what I was expecting. Arata’s reasons for being a “NEET” are very deep and relatable rather than the results of poor life style choices. Honestly, I think most people who are in their twenties right now can relate to at least one or more parts of his story as the anime goes more into detail. By going back to high school, it teaches him how to connect with people on a real level and how to appreciate life for what it is and take in every single little moment.

Slice of Life

Kakushigoto

Kakushi Goto is a successful manga artist. But not just any manga artist, one who makes his living with lewd drawings and jokes. The catch? He has a small oh so innocent daughter that absolutely must NEVER know what he does for living. This anime is so sweet, heartwarming, and hilarious. Honestly the reason I watched it is because the main character is the same voice as Yato lmao. So if you want to pretend, it’s like Yato has a little girl.

My Roommate is a Cat

Subaru is a recluse novelist and has been stuck in writer’s block for quite a while. After finding a kitten and bringing it home, Subaru finds new inspiration for both his writing and ways of seeing the world. A really cute & slow-paced slice of life.

Tonikawa

On his way home from school, Nasa sees a beautiful girl across the street. Without thinking, he walks across and finds himself being hit by a truck. Luckily, the girl jumped in to protect him and saved his life. Though she miraculously only had a few cuts, Nasa suffered some broken bones and was told to wait for an ambulance while she walked off. Not wanting to lose a chance to see her again, Nasa chases after her and asks her about going on a date. Tsukasa replied that she would date him only if they got married first. Without hesitation, Nasa says yes before he soon passes out from the pain. Years pass and Nasa can’t forget the girl who saved his life. But just when he’s about to give up, she appears again and this time she’s got the marriage papers. This anime is really cute and hilarious! I thought the characters were younger than they actually are due to their cutesy design which is why I held off on watching it but I promise it’s not children getting married haha. Although Tsukasa says she’s 17 it seems to be implied she’s older (like, Yato old). I haven’t read the manga so I don’t know this for sure but there’s been a few moments in the anime that seem to hint at this. Plus, you know, the fact that she was hit by a truck and was fine.

#anime recs

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aqvarius · 5 years ago

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[REVIEW] Her Love in the Force: Shusuke Soma - Who I Once Was

Guys, I’m supposed to be dieting during this quarantine period but Voltage is keeping me FED with all this new amazing Soma content.

HLITF fans, we have been blessed with amazing Soma content recently. Soma’s S3 Love’s Battlefield route was probably one of, if not the, most memorable HLITF routes I’ve ever played. I also adored his PoV despite it not covering all the moments that I personally wanted to read. (I understand disappointment over it, but I found that the bonus scenes they gave us made up for it, and it allows me to play with my own imagination a bit and potentially write up some fic for the scenes not in his PoV hehe.)

Like the manic Soma fan that I am, I had to IMMEDIATELY buy and read this route. I love him so much I am willing to do anything just to understand him even a little bit better. To my delight, I’m not even a little bit disappointed. And the route even made me spend 300 more coins to buy Goto’s Episode 0 so well done Voltage lol.

I will summarise my thoughts on this story and then get into some more detail in the cut below. With that said, if you know Soma’s back story already, there isn’t much information to spoil. But I’ll leave some of the more surprising details under the cut.

This story shows us an unfamiliar Soma. This is a Soma that is far colder than even when we first meet him as a Special Instructor at the Academy. He battles with his conflict over his future and what he feels like his life’s purpose is, which is all sparked over his sister Kurume’s comment that she sees him as a hero. Throughout the route, he struggles with aimlessness and his futile attempts to investigate the metro gas attack even while doing his work in the Criminal Affairs/Investigations department, where he becomes the mentor for new recruits Ichiyanagi and Goto. That’s RIGHT, we finally get the Soma/Goto/Ichiyanagi Criminal Affairs dynamics that I have been waiting for years for ever since finding out that they all worked there together! (The only thing missing is Hayase but I guess he’s from a different timeline lol).

This is something that makes the route super enjoyable to read because we get to see a Soma who isn’t as gentle and reticent as the one we know. He’s a bit colder, a bit harsher, and has less tolerance for antics. We also see Soma as a mentor before he became an instructor and it’s so cool to realise that Goto and Subaru are so capable partially because of the harsh but fair mentoring of Soma and the way that he’s not only drilled the fundamentals of police work into them but also supported them emotionally through the trials of losing a loved one. This route really helps you understand why Goto has so much trust and respect for Soma (and I’d like to see more Soma/Subaru interactions!)

We also get to see Kurume for what I believe is the first time, which is incredible to be able to put a face to the name. I am such a sucker for big brother Shusuke and seeing more of his life with Kurume really adds depth to our understanding of his character and why/how losing him has made him lose perspective of his own life and identity.

(I don’t know if I can explain in words how devastated seeing the two of them together made me feel...)

The route also gave some more insight into the Goto/Kazuki situation which was used really well to offset Soma’s own situation regarding vengeance and unresolved grief. We also get to see more of the relationship between Soma and Goto and how much Goto respects him as a senpai even though Goto transferred to Public Safety first (on the recommendation of a certain elite ;)). There are also some great Ishigami/Soma moments which I’ll elaborate on under the cut, as well as some things I discovered while cross referencing between this story and Goto’s Who I Once Was.

I love that there’s a theme running throughout the story, which is about defining a hero. This is a crucial question which underpins Soma’s incessant yet pointless attempts to figure out his identity and purpose in life. I love that we begin to see him figuring out what being a hero means to him and that Goto’s own grief and slow road to recovery, and the way that he’s affected Goto’s life, is what sets him on this path towards figuring out where to go from here on out. This path is then what leads him to his MC, who we can see is someone who grabs him by the hand and pulls him ever forward.

To put it briefly, this is a route you’ll enjoy if you love Team Ishigami. You get to see both Soma and Goto pre-trauma (you get to see a younger Goto than in his own episode 0), but then you see both of them forced to confront grief head-on, and then you can see how they both help each other to move forward in their own subtle ways. This story also showcases the best of Ishigami, a man who is collected and analytical but is always thinking of how he can help those around him who are hurt. Like how Ishigami and Kaga are saved by Namba, I would say that Soma saves Goto, then Goto returns the favour, and then Ishigami saves them both.

Keep reading under the cut to see my further thoughts on Soma: Who I Once Was. I provide extra details about the story and provide some analysis on his relationships with his colleagues and his MC with lots of screenshots for evidence!

Okay so first off: Soma’s parents are ALIVE??? Why have we never met them?! You would think that they would come to Kurume’s grave on Soma’s birthday to see their children at least. For some reason I genuinely thought it was just him and Kurume but no it turns out that he’s had parents this whole time?! Either way, it’s so wonderful getting to see Soma’s home life from back when he was a teenager.

In the past, I’ve made joking comments about Soma being confused over familial and romantic love and wondering if he just cares for his MC like he cares for Kurume because how can you have sex with someone and then still wonder if you just care for them like a SISTER. But this story definitely helped me understand his mindset a bit better and why he sees similarities between his MC and his sister.

So I think we’ve discovered quite early on that Soma’s sister died on his 19th birthday. We also see scenes of them when Kurume is in high school and already having to fill out forms about her future. So she would be 15 at the very least while Shu would have been probably in his first year of uni? I think he’s mentioned that Kurume and his MC would be around the same age but I was really reminded of that in this route.

Honestly it devastated me to read that conversation because her future was just stripped away from her like that. And to see her get all excited about all the possibilities her future held just wrecked me emotionally. She was considering being a florist or a baker or a pharmacist. She would have been around the same age as the MC :’( To see Shu suggest that Kurume could consider studying agriculture made my heart ache because it made me think of how much care Soma puts into maintaining his plants and how much it means to him that his MC takes care of them for him when he can’t, especially because that’s what Kurume did. I also now believe that Soma is so invested in doing whatever it takes to guide his MC towards the best possible future for her because it’s his way of almost atoning for Kurume never being able to live out her dreams and future.

So rather than mistaking familial and romantic/sexual love, I think it’s rather that Soma sees his MC as symbolic of how his sister might have grown up. Rather than thinking of his MC as his sister, he wonders if he’s just fond of her because she’s similar to how she might have been, sort of like how you might make friends more easily with people that remind you of other friends or siblings/people close to you. That’s why he gets so confused when he feels more beyond just affection and can’t control his emotions, because he’s never felt love beyond just worrying and wanting the best for someone until his MC.

On a side note, Soma did a 4 year degree at a university before joining the police academy? What did he study?!?! I want to know!!!!!

I also love that we got to see Soma not really wanting to be a mentor. We get to see him at his most candid, and at a time in his life where he’s still figuring himself out and doesn’t have any goals except for getting to the bottom of the Crimson Wings case. So when he has to take two rambunctious young men under his wing, it’s so amusing to see how much they annoy him at first with their bickering. In the main stories, we only really get to see a bit of this when he deals with Kurosawa but when he does that, it’s kind of jokey and snarky but man Subaru and Goto really pissed him off at times LOL. Like I mentioned, we’ve only seen him as a seasoned instructor who goes out of his way to help you develop, but he is so reluctant to look after these kids at first. He calls them goons, the gruesome twosome, annoying, a pain in the ass… It’s so funny seeing this side of Soma.

I did think it was so cute that Subaru immediately jumped to calling him Shu and Goto was so polite and called him Soma-san but then somewhere down the line ended up calling him Shu as well (which is what he still calls him to this day. I would literally DIE to see some present-day Subaru/Soma interactions – will someone who’s played Goto’s Adversaries let me know if the two of them interact? Subaru is so alpha male especially now, I’d love to see him defer to Soma in the present day.) It was also so cute that they tried to throw him a birthday party (but also very tragic because his birthday is also the anniversary of Kurume’s death and none of them knew that).

I also loved seeing Soma’s response to Kazuki’s death and the way that Goto’s loss and Soma’s loss kind of play off each other. He knows how it feels to lose a loved one, he’s been dealing with the repercussions of it for at least around 5 years at this point with frankly very little progression. If Goto was not able to move forward because he was stuck in time, Soma is not able to move forward because he is lost. Goto’s grieving puts in in a static place where he can’t move, but Soma’s grieving has him constantly moving, but without direction. He’s haunted by Kurume’s words and even says as much: “I had no idea where I was supposed to go… I just let myself float along”.

This is why Soma scolds him both in his own story and in Goto’s story, and it is Soma’s experience that allows him to guide Goto towards his growth. It’s also (at least partially) because of Soma that Goto ends up in Public Safety.

Ishigami approaches Soma for an evaluation of Goto, stating that “students raised by an elite teacher are elite themselves”. Soma’s evaluation sets the stage for Goto to eventually be able to confront his grief and develop as an undercover specialist through Ishigami’s guidance; Goto even calls him his “benefactor”. In Goto’s story, he says “It has to be him. The one who found me on the neon-lit street” and Goto then mentions a line about being blinded by revenge that I’m pretty certain is something that Soma said during their nighttime (and thus presumably neon-lit) back alley chat. So I’m not 100% certain who Goto has in mind but 95% he’s thinking about Soma, especially since he later thanks him for the transfer.

We know that Soma essentially helps Goto without trying because he’s confused when Goto calls him his benefactor. In evaluating Goto to Ishigami and cornering him in that dark alley, without even knowing it, Soma effectively helps to push Goto into facing his future – the two facets that Goto says makes someone a hero.

We also discover that Soma is recruited to Public Safety through a recommendation by Goto, who is presumably “the elite who nominated” him. I love that if Soma pushes the frozen-in-time Goto into moving forward, Goto helps the lost Soma begin to find some direction.

For years, Soma has been chasing this elusive concept of “being a hero” without even knowing what that means, which is why he never gets closer to fulfilment, because he doesn’t know what it’s supposed to be like to “feel like a hero”. No matter what he himself does, he is never able to see himself as a hero either because he couldn’t prevent the death of the one person he wanted to save. I will say probably that the thing that first changed Soma into making him feel like he has more sense of purpose in becoming one step closer to the “hero” that Kurume said he was is that Goto basically called him his hero. I think it’s so special because here we can really see the links drawn between Goto’s life, Soma’s life, and the narrative theme of being a “hero”.

Something that I thought was missing was how Goto (and potentially Subaru?) finds out about Soma’s past. We never see him tell him about it, but I wonder if that’s the reason why he nominates Soma to join Public Safety? We know that Ishigami knows about it, but I think Goto would probably have found out through Soma himself?

On another note, I actually wondered why Soma, Goto and Kurosawa all have fairly similar strategies and strengths as detectives while Kaga and Shinonome have more specific specialties. Now I realise it’s because Goto trained under Soma, and Kurosawa trained under both Goto and Soma.

These two routes made me realise that Goto needed Soma, Soma needed Goto, and they both needed Ishigami and Public Safety in order to be able to keep walking forward without being trapped in neverending grief. I just need to talk for a little bit about how incredible Ishigami is. Ishigami’s judgement in picking his team is amazing. The fact that he finds these people who have personal vendettas who are working covertly and independently to achieve vengeance and then sees how they evaluate each other shows that he is actively building a team that respects each other and work well together. He sees that they have the skills for Public Safety work but also that they have personal issues that Public Safety can help them deal with, and then he does everything he can to help them attain their peace. Ishigami is unbelievably supportive. He works quietly and diligently within the system to get his subordinates to where they need to be and I LOVE THAT SO MUCH.

Okay with all this said, I cross referenced between Goto’s Episode 0 and Soma’s Episode 0 and found some timeline discrepancies? Right after Kazuki’s death, we know Goto spends a while completely depressed until Subaru drags him up to go to Kazuki’s funeral. Then after her funeral, he becomes obsessed with working independently to try to avenge her death. This goes on for long enough (weeks) that Soma has to corner him in a back alley to lecture him (which by the way happens surprisingly often with Soma lol). Goto transfers to Public Safety soon after Kazuki’s funeral. We know this because he transfers and we see him start doing work for Ishigami but when he goes to see her grave and Subaru says that he’s transferring to SP department, this happens on the monthiversary of Kazuki’s death (not even her funeral). Then, it says that Soma transfers to Public Safety a few weeks after Goto’s transfer (meaning it would have happened within a couple months at most after Kazuki’s death).

In Soma’s route, we know that he goes to see Goto a few weeks after Iijima (Kazuki)’s funeral with the bananas. This occurs while Goto is still at Criminal Affairs because Soma references “the other day” when Soma lectures him about his personal life getting in the way of his job. I’m assuming this happens after the back alley lecture when Goto has returned to normal life for that one week before he gets called to transfer to Public Safety. However, later Soma, still working in Criminal Affairs, says “Years have passed, but the one responsible for [Kazuki’s] case wasn’t caught”. This suggests that Soma was still at Criminal Affairs for years after Goto’s transfer to Public Safety rather than weeks? So what’s the TRUTH?

I also just briefly want to gush about how much I love the CG. We see those typical important Soma elements (his hair and the bonsai) but I just love the look on his face. I mean he looks impossibly handsome, but he looks so serious and determined while at the same time still lacking the warmth that we see in later CGs that he only develops after meeting his MC. Am I reading too much into this? Maybe, but let me PRETEND.

Finally, I want to end my thoughts on how this relates to his relationship with his MC. Soma says that she’s helped him to face the future. As I previously discussed, I genuinely believe that part of this is because his MC lets him see glimpses of what Kurume could have been. Soma is attracted to her brightness, her bravery, her diligence, her conviction and her optimism. (He also starts enjoying everyday life with her when they pose as a married couple and let’s not forget that he does find her physically attractive even before he falls in love/realises he’s in love lol). But more significantly, I feel like this is because of how important he is to her.

Soma has previously said that he doesn’t trust Public Safety, but for some reason they seem to trust him. This reveals that he’s not sure of what his value is to his department or to his colleagues. While he has moved forward, he’s still working towards being that “someone who pushes you to face the future” and “helps people without trying”. Even though Goto basically implies that Soma is the one who has helped him face his future, Soma sort of interrupts so he doesn’t explicitly voice it. However, when his MC confesses how important he is to her with that unwavering conviction of hers, I believe in that moment he suddenly realises his own worth. His MC, who in some ways is a vicarious symbol of Kurume’s potential, helps him see that he has already been a “hero” to those he has saved through his Public Safety work and to his colleagues. This, combined with her trust in his colleagues and them actually coming to the rescue, is what makes Soma able to trust his colleagues. Because he finally knows his own worth, he can finally see how significant he is to his colleagues and how far they would go for him. I think this is also what makes him believe in Public Safety as an institution. For years, he’s been unable to trust or forgive Public Safety because of what happened to Kurume, but now he can finally see that they as an institution have actually helped people and saved people’s lives, and this is partially due to his own involvement.

Finally, the last facet of his relationship with his MC that I want to talk about is how mutually important their relationship is. I’ve already discussed how his MC sees him as a hero by those guidelines that Goto helped him set down, but by those same guidelines, his MC is also his hero. I mean first off, he first became conscious of her as a woman when she gave a ridiculous display of bravery. But more importantly, if a hero is someone who helps people without trying and someone who pushes you to face the future, she has done both of those for him. He says so himself: “With her, I think I can focus on the future and moving forward”. And she has helped him just by being herself. This theme really comes to a head when she literally throws away her own future to help him finally get closure. When he decides to cut his hair, he says this:

“I’ll make the cut, draw the distinction between the past and the future, because I love them both.

I have to let go of what I’ve lost and look to what I can still gain.”

He learns this because of her.

Soma: Who I Once Was is an incredible story that really helped me to understand my favourite character’s psyche, history and relationships just a little bit more. For that, I’m so thrilled and so grateful. I’m so pleased at the quality of this content and all the insight it provides, and I’m excited to see how Soma and his relationships continue to grow and develop in the future.

#shusuke soma #seiji goto #hideki ishigami #subaru ichiyanagi #her love in the force #hlitf #voltage #voltage inc #voltage otome #otome game #otome blog #otome romance #love 365 #love 365 find your story #snow writes #review

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sugarandspice-games · 4 years ago

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I guess this is becoming a trend... I’m popping in before the actual intro to clarify-- if the text is in italic, it is me (Sugar) talking and regular is Spice. Alright? Cool. And so--

So, one night I’m going through youtube and I come upon this one shitposty video about some random anime that I’ve never even heard of. After doing some research, I discover that it’s actually based on a dating sim that I’ve also never heard of. As a joke I was like “Hey Sugar wanna watch this as a joke, it might be funny” and so we did. And uhm. Well.

Today we’re gonna be reviewing Brothers Conflict, aka Sweet Home Alabama 2: Electric Anime Boogaloo aka the anime that ruined our lives. [Again, disclaimer: neither Sugar nor I condone incest and/or pedophilia, two themes which are uh, very rampant in this anime which is why I cannot recommend it in good faith. It’s not good, don’t get me wrong. I can’t really say that I liked it even if watching it and ragging on it was kind of enjoyable, and I did get attached to some of the characters because that’s the kind of idiot I am. Also, we’re not shirking our duties to write I swear please don’t kill me--] Anyway, an obligatory SPOILER WARNING though this probably isn’t going in the main tag bc I do not want the fans to publicly stone me. Why are we reviewing this? Bc we need to talk about it somewhere. Though I say review lightly bc this... is really more of a critique.

ALSO we only watched the anime, idk if things are different in the game. There is no full english translation for the games and most of the LP channels have been copyright striked, so please don’t come at us for not knowing anything. I also know that otome games and dating sims don’t tend to translate well to anime, and I will be addressing this later.

So, dear god, where do I begin.

Where do we begin indeed? How about the fact that her name is Ema and I had to google to remember the heroine’s name? Also, she is seventeen.

Our plot, or well... what you COULD call a plot, I guess, if you REALLY wanted to give this anime that much credit, focuses on the aforementioned seventeen year old Hinata Ema, who has an absent father who apparently FOUND THE TIME TO FALL IN LOVE AND GET MARRIED BUT NEVER HAS A SECOND TO SPARE FOR HIS ONLY CHILD, RINTARO I SWEAR TO GOD I AM TAKING CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD. HAND HER OVER-- Anyway. He’s getting married to a woman who has 13 sons (jesus christ ma’am have you ever heard of a condom?) and he decides to move her in with them because... I guess he has less braincells than I have balls, which is to say, zero. Hi, I’m trans.

So, Ema moves in with them... along with her talking grey squirrel, Juli. Juli is... interesting and by interesting, I mean-- ABSOLUTELY PUZZLING. He, apparently, has seen the majority of Ema’s life from babyhood to teenagerhood and can talk but is only understood by Ema (who he calls Chii) and Louis, the eighth son in the Asahina family. It is never explained why, or how Chii came across him or how in an episode, a single episode, he becomes human because why the hell not, I guess??? (Also, he is pretty. YES. I said it. Fight me.) [Quick Spice intervention, this squirrel can talk to people, transform into a human, enter dreams, and live way longer than a squirrel should since the average lifespan of a squirrel is like 6 years in the wild. Juli is apparently a god as none of this is EVER explained.]

And when she meets the Asahina family, it’s pretty much immediately chaos because these heterosexual (I guess? They look like a bunch of twinks to me but there goes anime trying to convince me that straight people are real and not a lie made up by Trump) men have NEVER and I mean NEVER known a woman in their entire lives, since they seem to want to bang their stepsister immediately. And most of them are GROWN ASS ADULTS. Only three of them are actually minors (though Iori is 18 and only one year older so I guess??? It’s okay??? But still weird) and one of them is a 13 year old who looks and acts like he’s 8.

Oh, and did I mention that out of these boys, only the adult triplets and the abusive asshole 16 year old get any kind of characterization AND character development? I mean, Subaru gets an “arc” if you can call it that, but really, they don’t give him much... personality. You could replace him with a cardboard cutout and it’d be the same. I feel bad for him (but not really because dude you are 20 and she is your sister, what the fuck--)

But if there’s anything good about this anime, it is the characters themselves. Several of the boys have redeeming qualities and interesting personalities and quirks, as well as interesting relationships and dynamics with each other. Yes, some of them are lacking in the plotline department while others may have decent plotlines and lack personality, and then some of them are just given absolutely nothing (COUGH Masaomi COUGH Ukyo COUGHCOUGHCOUGH Iori, and by the way, what the fuck is that game plotline bc I read the wiki since I wanted to know more about him. We don’t have time to unpack the mento illness luv. But you’re telling me they had all this meat to work with and they threw it in the trash and gave him nothing? What the hell?) And if anything, I feel as if the characters themselves are crippled by the plotline. If given a different story, perhaps, they may have room to shine, because a lot of them are compelling if not lovable (though some may not be... lovable. COUGHFuuto, at least not for me.) If you want to see our review on the characters, we’ll put out another post.

Iori... Iori has a hell of a plot in the game, according to the Wiki but I can’t blame the writers for not exploring all of it because whoa. It is dark and not in a good way. But back to the subject at hand... I agree with Spice. I do/did like quite a lot of the characters... provided the entire romantic plot is taken away but we will go into more of why the plot is problematic below. All I can really add is: There is a baby in this dumpster and canon has been taken out back to be shot like a lame horse.

This brings me to a point in which I would like to pause the character discussion and bring up a glaring flaw with this anime in general (aside from the... plot. Look, I’m not a huge fan of weird stepsibling stuff but I think that if you want to do something like that, there are ways to do it and ways not to do it. This was the way not to do it, which I’m getting to). The biggest thing that made this anime so uncomfortable was the imbalance of power dynamics. Why is the protagonist 17 when most of the love interests are 18 and older, and I mean much, much older? And she’s not any 17 year old... she’s a lonely, neglected girl who is starved for the love of a family. This makes her easily manipulated by the brothers, who clearly desire her for less than wholesome reasons, and that makes it skeevy. I’m not sure why there’s such a fetishization of nonconsent in media, as if it’s fine for as many men to lust after female protagonists as the writer desires BUT the woman can’t want a single one of them in return. It’s creepy, and quite frankly, I am very much over it. I also get that the age thing is probably a product of the protagonist of a teenager oriented dating sim not translating well to an anime (because really, all otome game MCs are meant to be a neat little pair of shoes for the player to imagine themselves in), but why are we fetishizing a teenager being groomed by adults anyway? Especially adults who have this much power over her to begin with? The power dynamics bring this plot from “Oh, this might be kinda trashy but it could be entertaining” to “This is extremely creepy and rapey and kind of a dumpster fire.”

This is also true. If we were to take age into consideration, Fuuto, Yusuke, and Iori would be the three candidates left for Chii. This is taking out the youngest as well, who is... thirteen, I think? But anyway, (I know I am probably going to get some hate for this but go for it), I am into stories that explore the stepsibling thing and it can make a good narrative-- but before everyone gets uppity: There is a line between FICTION and REALITY and I do not condone real life incest but a story is a story and there are ways to frame it that make it clear that it is not a romantic thing, or acceptable. This anime does not do that in it’s dynamics because some of the brothers do start off in that very firm caregiving, family role and it is a sharp turn into romance that makes you go, “?” or in Fuuto case, a blending that does lean into fetishization.

All in all I think the plot maybe could have been okay? I’m not saying it isn’t problematic, because we all know it is, who are we kidding? But I don’t think it’s wrong per se to explore family dynamics with romance and to understand where the line should be drawn, and maybe exploring the definition of family itself. I have seen fanfictions with similar tropes ask those questions and explore the concept beautifully without romanticizing or fetishizing incest and unhealthy power dynamics. It could have been good, and I get that perhaps I’m barking up the wrong tree by expecting mature themes in an anime based on an otome game, but it also could have been a lot less... creepy (I have used that word so much that it looks wrong now) even if it wasn’t the greatest thing ever. But again, what was I expecting? I watched this whole thing as a joke and ended up attached to the characters like a fool... That tends to be a trend here, and this is why we are so salty all the time. So anyway, stay tuned for our review of the characters! We may not cover all of them since some of them don’t really get anything, but we’ll cover what we found interesting.

#spice talks #sugar speaks #anime and game reviews #sweet home alabama: the anime #not putting this in main tag

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saezutte · 4 years ago

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yuletide letter 2020

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Oh, hello again. I didn’t see you there.

This year, I have transcended earthly desires and struggled to find any fandoms to request. I want nothing. I wish my cat was nominated as a Yuletide fandom so we could all write stories about her life.

Nonetheless, I have some small requests!!!! I believe you can make me happy in ways I’ve never been happy before. I trust you. Happy end of 2020, the cursed year, I hope you are blessed with rest.

My AO3: saezutte

My public twitter: juncassis

My tumblr: here but I do not use tumblr much anymore, sorry.

Do Not Wants

[note: I have no actual triggers, nothing you can write for me will make me any more depressed or anxious than I already am]

Death (of major/important/beloved characters)

Suicide attempts, self-harm

Rape (outright; OK with dub con, manipulation, noncon short of violent-rape-for-violence-only)

Eating disorders, body shaming

Angst without a happy ending, really too much angst at all

Established relationship

Cheating

Actual Unrequited Feelings

Pregnancy (the actual process; breeding kink is fine)

Scat or watersports

Hard BDSM or any kink complicated enough that the characters would have to discuss it ahead of time

Homophobia as a plot device

Excessive attention to identity or politics, sometimes known as “issue fic”

Note on AUs: I am ok with the usual popular AU tropes but I do not want them combined, e.g. A/B/O is fine and coffeeshop is fine, but I don’t want an omega barista getting his scent all over the lattes he makes for some alpha lawyer who comes in every morning. (Ridiculous example, but you get the point.) For AU/modern settings of fandoms with magic, I often like it when the magic is still there in the AU setting. I also like AUs which maintain the general outlines of the character’s relationships, like if the characters are childhood friends in canon, I like to keep that intact.

General preferences:

I am a pretty basic bitch when it comes to fanfic: I like it when two clueless boys pine for each other through some shenanigans and then lock eyes/lips/dicks.

If you fed a neural net every fanfic written in Stargate Atlantis fandom between 2005 and 2010, the result would probably be some nonsense I’d enjoy.

I love many tropes. Tropes! Bed-sharing. Sharing an umbrella. WASHING EACH OTHER’S HAIR? Confessions where they are having an argument and then one of them yells “Because I love you!”

I love situations where characters are forced to spend time in close proximity and find themselves with feelings.

I love fakeness: fake dating, fake marriage, arranged marriage, marriage of convenience, fake lust induced by sex pollen or heats, aliens make them have sex, whatever.

I love porn, if you want to just write me some quick porn, that’s great. I do prefer (per the established relationship DNW above) that it be first time or get together porn. I know that can make it hard to just write porn, but I don’t need much to be convinced of sex.

Nirvana in Fire (TV)

Requested characters: Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan

Note: I also love Lin Chen so if you want to write some MCS/LC or LC/Fei Liu or LC/MCS/JINGYAN OT3??? go for it. I am also a Nihuang/Xia Dong shipper so if you want to put that in… somehow… my gay little heart would be happy. I also like Nihuang/MCS/XJY or MNH/MCS + MCS/XJY but I’d like the focus on the men in that case!

I watched this show because someone recommended this show to me as, like, Chinese Game of Thrones but good. I think it’s genuinely one of the best TV shows I’ve ever seen. I love plots and revenge and good people doing bad things for justice. Even the ending is good for me though obviously it left me unsatisfied on several points.

I am deeply into sickly doomed genius MCS and every time he got even more deeply ill, I fell deeper in love. Every time he coughs up blood, my heart would race. I love his terrible schemes and stupid self-sacrificing choices. I find watching this show very soothing because I knew he would always come out on top in his schemes. I trust him. I love handsome clueless Jingyan and how he’s just so good (it’s terrible.) I love his mom and how much he cares for her. I love him but he is useless, he needs his Xiao Shu and I need fanfic to restore him to him.

Note: So my limited research on this says that male/male sex practices were accepted and well-known in this time period in history, so I really don’t want them thinking “oh no what are these weird gay feelings.” There are other barriers to them being together, like a ruler or official being overly attached to one person was considered very bad. I am also a big supporter of the socially-approved polygamy of this time period, so I don’t need Jingyan to refuse to sleep with his wife or something out of loyalty to MCS—he has to do it! Or all their plans are ruined! And he can enjoy spending time with her or the concubines without affecting his feelings for MCS—you could explore that complexity in fic if you like.Prompts:

Mei Changsu isn’t dead, he’s hiding again, Jingyan searches for him

They start having sex during the series, the ending is averted [somehow]

Post-canon, MCS is alive and Jingyan hides him in the palace with his consort/concubines to keep him on as an advisor without anyone objecting

omega verse where MCS was an alpha before he “died" but an omega after he came back.

AU where male/male marriage is customary (maybe aristocratic men are expected to have one male and one female consort?) and so MCS decides the best way to influence and help Jingyan in the capital is by becoming his wife or one of his concubines

anything just get them together and happy.

Tokyo Babylon

Characters: Subaru, Seishiro

I read Tokyo Babylon as a child and I imprinted on it deeply, now I love politics, ghosts, stalking, age differences, magic. Within the CLAMP canon, I love TB for its episodic focus on smaller stories, the commentary on contemporary society, and Seishiro being an outright creep. I love onmyojutsu and exorcism and Subaru’s innocence getting ruined. I love the city of Tokyo (where I currently live! but do not be intimidated, I don’t know the city well because we’ve been in quarantine most of the time I’ve been here and won’t judge you for details.) I’m open to fics that comply with X canon or not.

With Seishiro/Subaru: It’s bad but I love that predator/prey dynamic where the predator ends up being hopelessly entranced/obsessed/in love with the prey. My read was always that Seishiro lost the bet and couldn’t admit it—he’s just, you know, killing twins to avoid dealing with his feelings! Relatable! (?!?!) Subaru, I love particularly in his evolution from innocent to adult in love to betrayed. I’d prefer post-TB fic to during-TB fic (so Subaru knows Seishiro’s deal and loves him anyway.) I am also a fan of Hokuto and you should feel free to bring her back to life to troll if you desire.

Prompts:

AU or reincarnation plot where they are Heian period rival onmyoji

Because this is such a heavily place-based series, if you are a writer who likes to play with details of real life locations, I’d be interested in versions of different “Babylons” if you have an idea for it.

Tragic first times post-TB lol

Seishiro is a virgin the first time they have sex

I’d probably love some fucked up dub con for this, however you want to play it

Honestly, do whatever you want as long as you don’t fuck me over like CLAMP did.

プリティーリズム | Pretty Rhythm

Characters: Hiro, Koji

Pretty Rhythm came to me at a weird time in my life. I lived in a house of spiders in Yokohama and did nothing for eight weeks. King of Prism cheer screening transformed my life and I didn’t even know what it was. Then I got weirdly deep into Rainbow Live and the Pretty Rhythm franchise overall. I am a scientist of prism theory. Idk why I like it, it’s just wholesome and crazy and there are penguins and DJ Koo. I love every TRF song because I’m a 90s gay at heart. It’s truly the end point of all media development. The prism world represents the fearsome power of virtual/digital+real hybrid life. Yes, I know I’ve lost my mind. I went to one of the real Prism Stone stores, the one in Harajuku.

Hiro Hayami: one time a fujoshi asked me to describe what types of anime boys I like and the first type I listed was “prince but bad” and my example was Hiro. Hiro is the crazy gay stalker disaster of my heart. He overcomes great hardship to achieve his dreams and foolishly falls in love along the way and he does everything wrong and Koji keeps leaving him. The moment when Hiro is crowned King of Prism in Pride the Hero was one of the top ten moments of my life. I made friends who don’t even know Japanese watch the movie unsubtitled with me on my birthday.

With Koji, I’m a bit guilty of “I want to give the character I love the most the character he loves the most” so I do like him less (it would be impossible to like him equal to how much I love Hiro). But he has many good points that make him perfect, like how he also sucks underneath his chill exterior. I love to see him go apeshit.

I also love everyone else in Rainbow Live, no exceptions. I love all the girls. If you do write the girls, I would prefer they not be paired with the OTR boys. I would prefer they be paired with each other, any combo is good.

Prompts:

this is the sort of pairing where I love fic where they split up and then 15 years later meet again as washed up has-beens but there’s still time for them to find each other

Canon-compliant companion piece showing the “background” of them getting together romantically over the course of the series.

AU where Koji is a prism world fairy sent to inspire Hiro but Hiro is kind of a mess

dirty, dirty porn… let Hiro get fucked

I have a lot of doujinshi with multiple copies of Hiro (a la the Mugen Hug jump) but I’d like something where Hiro gets overwhelmed by many Kojis

They start fake dating as a publicity stunt and have to keep doing it… especially good if it starts when Koji is at max hating Hiro level

Ring Fit Adventure

Characters: Dragaux, Ring

Keeping this one simple: I like to be encouraged to exercise by a storyline and a trainer that never mentions weight loss, lol. The world is fun and pretty and I love that buff dragon.

AND THEN THE PAIRING. I’m sure Nintendo has some market research that told them a certain subset of users are very motivated by enemies who seemed to once be lovers or best friends. I am that user.

What is up with these two? They were so in love! Now Dragaux is a horrible swole bro (not in a good bro way) and Ring is training me instead? I can’t compete with their love. It’s the only time the game makes me feel inadequate.

You can keep Dragaux and Ring as dragon/ring-like as you like. Obviously I’m down with dragon fucking but you can also make him a human fucker too. I play with Ring on the masculine voice setting for maximum BL vibes as I exercise, but, you know, it’s a ring, I don’t think it has gender. Feel free to incorporate the player or other random characters too.

Prompts:

AU where Dragaux and Ring owned a gym together and Dragaux sold out to a big chain of gyms

What happened between them when Dragaux was still captured, pre-game? Bondage… literally??

Ring is always bossing me to train, but I’m really doing all the work. Why doesn’t he fight Dragaux on his own for once?? (because the sexual tension is too powerful.)

Tragic flashback to their dramatic break-up ending with their present day reconciliation.

Player/Dragaux/Ring threesome??? I’ve unlocked the sexercises???

With all fandoms, you are free to disregard the prompts and do your own thing. If you’re not sure about me, you can probably dm seriesera on twitter, she knows what I’m into.

Well, I suppose that’s all for now. Please stalk me online to get more details on my bullshit. I hope you have a nice time.

Best,

Caitlin

#yuletide

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natsspammityspamspamham · 5 years ago

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Dino Watches Anime (Jan 13)

With the snow outside and cancellations everywhere, I have more time to kick back, relax, and not do anything. Seriously, playing out in the snow and being an absolute bum is my specialty.

Dropped

Darwin's Game

It just seemed like Mirai Nikki but updated to smartphones instead of flip phones and with a new interface and system. Seriously, it’s like someone watched Mirai Nikki and went “I can remake this and rake in the money”. The animation wasn’t good (according to our local sakuga geek, there were less than 10 animators who worked on the 40 min premiere because of the inhumane conditions of the studio which adds to the yikes), the soundtrack was great (but I won’t watch a show just for the soundtrack/seiyuu cast), and overall, I felt like I didn’t want to put myself through a show like this.

Uta no Prince-sama

I couldn’t do it fam. I watched two episodes and nearly cried on the inside because it felt like Kiniro no Corda but with a new bland face with new bland characters. I never watched either of these fully. I tried to watch just for the seiyuu (*ahem* Miyuki Sawashiro), but imagine having your life hobbies made into an absolute joke by a character who can’t even read music and is in the composition department while her main song of choice is “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and the ikemen around her and swooning over it and writing their own songs for her. The guys all have the same faces too! They’re triangle heads that can only be differentiated by colour palette. I’m telling the difference based on voices at this point. I don’t want the ikemen, but I would like people to be into my music too ya know! You may think that I’m dropping this anime purely out of spite for the story and characters, and you’re damn right I am.

Seasonal Stuff

Pet

This is this close to being dropped, and I don’t mean for the strong BL vibes. It’s a little cringy but not that bad (I’ve watched a lot of cringe straight romance and to me it’s all the same). It just feels so poorly constructed right now. The universe just hangs by a thread with characters I feel ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for. Everything in this anime feels so cheap. I’m giving this one more week before I give it the axe.

Rikei ga Koi ni Ochita no de Shoumei shitemita

Okay, this anime is stupid, but we all went in knowing it was going to be very stupid. You’ve seen the screencaps. You’ve seen the cliches. Now get ready to have a pretentious science spin on it as if you haven’t seen these scenes a million times before elsewhere, and the characters (at least one of them) know it. The art... it’s present. I mean, character designs are giving the guys of Reddit what they want (especially with Sora Amamiya being really popular and singing the OP along with voicing the main character). Yuuma Uchida is also there. Nothing really worth noting here except “stay in school kids so you can become a pretentious science kid with no people skills!”

Dorohedoro

I might just watch this anime in place of “Pet” because this anime has a much brighter outlook and despite being CG genuinely looks better anyway. It’s the horror that I wanted to fill the void with (since Pet genuinely isn’t scary or innovative). Everything was pretty good with the first episode! I’m looking forward to seeing more!

From here on out, the rest of the seasonal list are the ones I look forward to the most! Get that head lizardman!

Runway de Waratte

At first, this doesn’t seem like something that would come out of Shonen Weekly, but it inspires a good message about being who you want to be even with limitations if front of you. You have a girl too short to be considered a model and a guy who designs fashion without having the money to pursue it further. I know nothing about style, but I do know things about being short! Maybe that’s why I have such a soft spot for it...

ID:Invaded

This anime gets more interesting as we go along. I’m all into murder mysteries and things like that, and with the sci-fi mixed it, I checked to make sure I was up-to-date with this one. Each episode gives a new mystery with more details outline our jaded and imprisoned detective’s motives and backstory. I wasn’t sold on the character designs at first, but once you get over that hurdle, it’s all good. I like the psychological aspects of it too!

Kyokou Suiri

Ever wish you had a female protagonist who was upfront about her romantic motives? Ever wanted to watch a show involving youkai? Here’s the show for you! Plus, her character design is so cute. Mamo sang the ED for this anime too. The animation is great, the story looks amazing (read ahead a few chapters in the manga), and this is one of my most highest anticipated anime for the season!

Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun

Here’s one of my favourite pilot episodes! This anime left such a strong impression on me that I went straight to my non-otaku friends going, “You’ve gotta see this guys”. The art style is consistent with the manga, and according to the not-so-quiet manga readers, we’re in for a really good anime.

All the characters in this anime are also adorable and really simple-minded on the surface. Hanako-kun being a boy is a really funny twist on the local urban legend (I’m one of those kids who never dared to say “Bloody Mary” in the washroom so what can I say?)

Recently Completed

Hana to Alice: Satsujin Jiken

Remember Aku no Hana? This is what happens when rotoscoping has a bit more budget. This anime was slow, a little cringy, but it felt really real. The voices felt real, the characters felt real, and the story felt... mostly real. I don’t regret watching this movie art style and all because I think it captures a bit of the exaggerations of being a teenager (rumours blow up like balloons)

Sennen Joyuu

Satoshi Kon really has a certain way of telling stories. I’ve watched Perfect Blue, Paranoia Agent, and Tokyo Godfathers, and while this didn’t have as strong of a punch as the latter, this film was still strong. It shows a story of a young maiden’s resilience, perseverance, and undying love... all things I can’t relate to... but it was good!

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo

This show was a trip. You thought it was a fanservice anime until things got really heavy. This anime was funny, it made me feel things with the themes it took on, and it made me remember that the best girl doesn’t always have to win to be a good anime. The art was cute and sweet, the voice acting was so fricking funny (according to the cast, the improv wasn’t always included but the ones that were left along with the dialogue were pure gold), and the story was exceptional for an anime which seemed to have no base whatsoever. And plus, this had something a lot of anime don’t... A CONCLUSIVE ENDING. Give this anime a watch if you haven’t. It’s melodramatic comedic romantic teen drama at its finest.

Orange

Speaking of melodramatic romantic teen dramas, here’s another one that fits that bill! Minus the comedy, more suicide, and far less cohesive plot. Imagine throwing letters into the Bermuda Triangle and having your 16-year-old selves really reading those letters. I was wondering how they were going to explain sending their letters to the past, but they should’ve come up with better BS than that. Aside from really bad plot holes, this anime was alright. It was slow... really slow. I finished this whole 13 episodes plus the movie in about 2.5 hours after trimming the slow recaps.

The art was alright. The story was slow, but near the end (excluding the last episode and the movie) it got really heavy. It hit close to home. I struggled with suicide for years, and I felt what this character felt. Certain lines of that dialogue just hit hard. It was depicted in a way that didn’t feel as romanticized. He wasn’t saved by just one person, his trauma didn’t go away just like that, it took a group of friends and planning to help him realize that there was more to life then just regrets.

Would I recommend this? I mean, it was recommended to me, but I’m not forcing this anime on anyone... not because of the themes but because it was darn boring and cliche 70% of the time.

Still Watching

Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha

Same things apply as previous entries

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

My brother expected me to finish this a while ago but I put it on the back-burner because the number of episodes seemed daunting. Everything else is good though.

Sousei no Onmyouji

I only watched the first episode.

Boku no Hero Academia Season Four

Same things apply as previous entries. It seems like the Overhaul arc will end in the next episode or two (depending on how much they milk this).

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Groundhog Day but isekai. Seriously, this is a pretty big staple in terms of big isekai. Everyone’s fighting over who’s the best girl meanwhile Subaru is trying his best not to die every five minutes. Seriously, Subaru is a champ and what I’d want out of a Mary Sue isekai protagonist. Get em Subaru. Prove to me you’re not a car.

This will be me for the next few days because it’s getting colder where I am so watch me slip on the ice and die!

#dino watches anime

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drlauralwalsh · 5 years ago

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The Lusty World of Lesbian Widows

I’m really frustrated that COVID has gotten in the way of my grief achievements. I figured 3 months in, I’d be doing the television talk show circuit, sold my book, and set up a non-profit foundation. If only this pandemic hadn’t gotten in my way.

In my life before, if I spent too much time alone (like, over 4 hours), I’d start texting my sister-in-law that I was unsupervised and feral. Uh oh. I’d start going down rabbit holes and come up with weird stuff like how buff male kangaroos get. Or questioning if my parents were really married since I couldn’t find a record of their union in the limited online databases. I could have paid for real records but I’m cheap. I know, sounds crazy.

But now, I’m alone for long stretches of time. I’ve managed to channel some of this agitated energy into writing essays that speak to weirdos like me (shout out to my fellow weirdos!). I spend hours researching (me-searching as we said in grad school) and discovering overachieving methods to dam the waters of my new spouse-less life.

I’m not just your average widow. Oh no no no. Of course, I have to be special so allow me to tack on some extra layers - lesbian, stepmom, and young (-ish, right?). At 45, I have finally found a way to inch back towards the youth and relevance lost as you enter the fourth decade of life. Today, I’d like to let you into the wonders of lesbianism.

I’m going to assume you’re not submerged in this subculture so I’ll tell you some secrets. People are fascinated by lesbians. To be fair, we live pretty mysterious lives. We leave you hanging on profound questions like who takes out the trash and how do they have sex without a woody woodpecker? Sometimes, other communities get lumped in with us but they are actually quite different. Of these witches, spinsters, and women who wear comfortable shoes, I only belong to only one of those so far. I’m working on my stovetop skills and hope to someday conjure a penis. Not a real one; that would be weird.

Amazon’s book market best represents the variable interests of our fan club members. Right after my wife died, I launched a search for books on “lesbian widows.” You’d think the algorithms would have pegged me by now (ha ha). I was dismayed yet amused by the grand interpretation of what Amazon thought I meant. The following is an unedited list of the top books recommended for me to purchase under these auspicious terms:

Lesbian Widows: Invisible Grief

by Victoria Whipple (Kindle $25.98, Paperback $46.95, Hardcover $907.71)

I’m impressed that the first one actually included my search terms but dang, it’s expensive to be a lesbian widow. To be fair, you can rent it for $9.21 a month. It’s also terribly niche within an already small niche - invisible lesbian widows? Published in 2014, you’d think it would be a little more hip. Maybe it’s because I live in Chicago but even as an introvert, I’m decently visible. Still, glad it exists and appeals to all eight people who each gave it a 5-star rating.

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows: Feminine Pursuits

by Olivia Waite (Kindle $3.99, Paperback $6.99)

I must quote the basic plot description for you to get the full impact of this novel: “The last thing the widow wants is to be the victim of a thousand bees. But when a beautiful beekeeper arrives to take care of the pests, Agatha may be in danger of being stung by something far more dangerous…” The cover depicts said wapish widow sit/leaning against her handsome, pants suit-clad beekeeper. At the much less expensive price for kindle and paperback, I’m only slightly put off by labeling bees as pests.

Odd women?: Spinsters, lesbians and widows in British women's fiction, 1850s–1930s

by Emma Liggins (Kindle $73.24, Hardcover $95.00)

The period is a little off but at least it includes diverse, international women. I was looking for a self help book but this seems slightly more academic. Not sure why there’s a question mark in the title as there’s no question about our oddity. The description reads, “Women outside heterosexual marriage in this period were seen as abnormal, superfluous, incomplete and threatening, yet were also hailed as ‘women of the future’.” Aw shucks, I *am* ahead of my time. Dang that price tag! No renting option for this one.

The Grass Widow

by Nanci Little (Kindle $0.00, Paperback $14.95)

It’s unclear where we’ll find the lesbian widow in this 2010 novel but the description yields some mild foreshadowing: “As a familiar civilization fades into the distance, she is nineteen, unmarried and pregnant, and has no reason to think that the year 1876 won't be her last...Joss, in her brother's clothes and severely lacking in social graces, has no time to mollycoddle a pampered, pregnant New England lady. It's work or starve, literally. There are no servants, no laborers - just a failing farm, impending winter and the two of them to face it together.” It sounds like the shameless Joss needs her own dose of mollycoddling (wink, wink) to get through the chilly nights.

Her Widow

by Joan Alden (Paperback $18.00)

More popular with 10 people giving it an almost stellar rating, this tomb’s immodest summary insists it belongs on every bookshelf. YOU WILL PAY ATTENTION TO US! That’s how I read it. Seriously, of all the books this one comes the closest to what I actually wanted. Waiting for the kindle unlimited edition….(having no man money makes us frugal).

Made For You 3

by K. Shantel (Kindle $4.99)

Apparently, Made For You 1 and 2 were not as popular. Despite the fair price, this tale omits widows opting for the groundbreaking combination of lesbian romance and football. While tragedy surely threads through this plot, it falls short of crossing the threshold from football to death (it probably does). Shocker, I defy the sporty lesbian trope and instead prefer to spend time among my vast, treasured collection of power tools. Just to be clear, I mean the ones for home repair (get your mind out of the gutter!) If the lady protagonists of this book had been thrown together building a Habitat for Humanity house with their 10 dogs using only their Subaru to transport lumber, I might be more captivated.

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, Book 1 of 1: Feminine Pursuits Series

by Olivia Waite (Kindle $3.99, Paperback $6.99)

I’ll give the author the benefit of believing there are more to come in the series. The title of this one intrigues me (I may steal it later) but sadly, it also defaults to worn stereotypes. This collection of lesbian tropes finds my kin scoring yet another toaster for the conversion of a hapless straight lady. Lesbians for the win! Lady Reads-A-Lot gave it 5 stars and commented, “This was poetic and lovely, full of beautiful descriptions that knew exactly how to leave you breathless and then stop just before tipping into tedious.” I’m guessing she means the sex scenes? If you’ve ever watched any real lesbian porn, you know that it’s far better for the participants than the viewers.

Erotica: The Forbidden Adventures Of A Grieving Widow (Seduction, Lust, Lesbian Sex, Interracial Sex, Bondage and More)

by Amy King (Kindle $0.00)

This one is hands down, my favorite title and you can’t beat the price. The author keeps the marketing short to sell you her novel: “All Ava wanted was to erase the memory of her recently departed husband. Little did she know that in trying to do so, she would experience mind-blowing adventures and lust across the globe. Ava would never be the same again as she ravenously eats up whatever adventure blows her way.” Even though it’s another toaster novel, as a grieving widow ‘ravenously eats up’ does resonate. I don’t think she means jars of cookie butter.

Of the eight masterpieces on the list, five are romance novels, one is academic, and two are in the ballpark (excuse the sports metaphor). Scrolling further only yields more erotica including another novel titled, “Football Widows (lesbian)” by Amanda Mann and Deadlier Than the Male Publications. Now I get it that we make up a small percentage of the population but this is some seriously messed up shit.

Removing the lesbian and searching only for ‘widow’ yields twenty pages of books. I know what you’re thinking - “C’mon Laura, what’s the big deal? Just get the standard widow book.” And believe me, I’ve amassed quite the collection and am waiting for just the right intersection of not too devastated but ready to sob. Bear with me for a sec - think about how we just want to be seen when we’re at our lowest. When I first typed those words into the search bar, I just wanted something that used wife instead of husband.

Every grief has specific salient elements and it’s too super niche to touch on all at the same time. It would be weird and/or maybe nice to find another lesbian widow stepmom psychologist who lost her cop wife of almost 5 years to a PTSD-induced psychotic break and suicide. That’s a Subaru full of identities. If this person did exist, I’d be suspicious we’re the target on Incel trolls, longing to read the words of more seductive, witchy lesbians. Instead, I plan on taking the high road. I’ll get my knowledge and support from those who accept me by the category. Obviously, one out of one lezzies agree there’s a market for lesbian widow self help guides - at the right price. I may still write that book but if I want to get rich, I’ll definitely have to add more sex scenes.

#lesbian #widow #amazon #books #humor

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mayphoenix · 5 years ago

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...with Long Intervals Of Horrible Sanity turned 9 today! Wow -- nine years! Where has the time gone? I should give an update. My life has taken on great changes. I am still living in the same apartment, still going through the same battles with housing and food assistance (they cut the latter and I’m getting $100/mo to buy groceries). My eldest cat has renal failure and pancreatitis and I have no idea how much longer he will be with me, so I am cherishing every day. Not to be outdone, two other cats decided they needed to have costly trips to the vet, one with a middle ear infection brought on by food allergy, which I’m now treating at home, and another who had to have all but four of her teeth extracted. I had to put my ghostwriting on hold for fear of losing rent assistance -- back in 2017, I was told it didn’t count as “regular” income, but then in 2018 I got a new caseworker who said all income counts, but now I’m back to the previous caseworker and she refuses to return my calls or answer my emails, and calling the main number is useless because it routes directly to a voicemail box that’s always full. Back in November 2017, I received Kona, a 2002 Subaru Impreza Sport from a friend who could no longer drive (medically). She knew I needed a car, so she just gave it to me. Original owner, she had put 38K miles on this vehicle. Mechanics everywhere have said, “That car will outlive you!” Yeah, well...unfortunately, this particular make/model/year of Subaru comes with what one website calls The Dreaded Head Gasket Problem. It is inevitable, and last winter I noticed a lot of odd-smelling exhaust coming from Kona that smelled of burning coolant. I had the radiator and thermostat replaced, and was told there was a leak somewhere. A few months ago, another mechanic found this tiny leak. I am told I can still drive as long as I watch the coolant level and temp gauge, and what to do if she overheats. Meanwhile, the Check Engine light is on because the O2 sensor has gone out, and now there is a squealing sound which I know means a bad belt somewhere. And the brakes are getting soft, too. I was quoted over $1800 for the head gasket repair and O2 sensor which entails taking out the engine, fixing it, and putting it back in. I’ve already had to replace two tires (and on an AWD, you have to have all tires matching -- come to find out, they have discontinued this tire so I got two of the last new ones in existence). This “free” car has already required over $1000 in work. And it’s all I’ve got so I have to do what I can to make sure she keeps going. Now, I don’t know if I’ve talked about this, before, but I do have a spiritual side to me. It’s not conventional by any means. I don’t subscribe to any one religion. But I always knew I was a natural healer (laying on of hands, energy work) and came from a long line of witches (going back to my Pictish ancestors and Native American roots; my great-great-grandfather was a medicine man). I used to do this for as long as I can remember, drawn to people in pain and using something inside me to take it away and make them better. I never knew there was a name for it, until one day someone saw me working on a friend’s migraine and asked, “Where did you learn Reiki?” My reply was, “What’s ‘Reiki?’” I had a very dark period in my life about 15 years or so ago where I shut down, though, withdrew into myself, because I was so depressed and suffering from undiagnosed PTSD and anxiety/panic disorder. I was so afraid I would pass my sickness on to someone else, so I stopped healing. Following the end of my marriage in 2010 and being on my own for the first time in my life, I went through several surgeries and was put on different medications for various ailments, some of which nearly killed me. I also had a few TIAs (mini-strokes). The only thing keeping me from ending my life was knowing my cats needed me around to care for them. Also, I found out my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but then six months later during a follow-up, the doctors at U of M Ann Arbor said, “It’s not Alzheimer’s, we don’t know what it is.” (Note: based on her behavior, it may be Vascular Dementia but that can’t be diagnosed until after death -- so for now, we just know it’s dementia.) And then right before Christmas 2017, I got fed up with the repeating cycle of being used and abused by my sister, prompting me to cut ties with her, and my eldest niece told me to go fuck myself, leaving me pretty much on my own. Well, Life has a way of making things fall into place whether you like it or not. After all the shit I was going through with the TIAs and getting my cholesterol under control (I’ve put myself on a low-carb diet), my chiropractor told me out of the blue, “You should go into Reiki.” Damn, there’s that word, again... He said there was a guy named Adam, a massage therapist and Reiki Master, who rented space from him twice a week; I should talk to him. Well, Adam was never in when I would go for my appointments. One day, my friend Keith who volunteers at the local Gilda’s Club said I should look into their free workshops for yoga, meditation, and tai chi. I figured this might be good to help with my stress levels, at the very least, so I checked their calendar -- and there was someone offering free Reiki at the end of the month. I went in and immediately felt something happen, just being in the room with this woman. It was like being inside a Tesla coil. I began telling her things -- about her, like her childhood, etc, that she confirmed. And I began to cry. Not out of sadness but release. She said when I walked into the room I had an entourage of spirits with me -- guides, angels, light beings -- more than she’d ever seen, before. She got me on the table and while she never once actually touched me, I could feel pain, like she was physically pulling on me. What she was doing was pulling things out of me. She found his large cord attached at my solar plexus chakra and said, “You are attached to past trauma.” Oh, yes...yes, indeed. I told her to cut the cord and I felt it. It made me cry out, it hurt so much, but then afterward...I felt different. Something had changed. A week or so later, I went to my next chiropractic appointment, and when I stepped out of the exam room, I turned and saw this young man standing in the hall, looking right at me. I just stopped and said, “You’re Adam.” He said yes. “You’re a Reiki Master.” He said yes. “We need to talk,” I said. And he showed me into his room, where we spent an hour talking. I noticed he seemed nervous. He said, “I’m always nervous in the presence of a great healer.” Who, me? He said he could ‘feel’ my energy. He then recommended I go to Jodi, the Reiki Master who taught him. I found her place of business online and saw that they did monthly “Open Reiki Shares” where people just get together and work on each other in a group, for free. One of these sessions was coming up. I decided to go and see what it was about. What happened that day...it was incredible. Not only was I healing but I was tapping into the minds of these other people, seeing what they were seeing. Then they got me on the table and the Master seated at my head began to shake. She said, “You’re not an Old Soul -- you’re ancient, and you come from a place across the universe.” Well, I already knew that...but no one else had ever acknowledged it, until that moment. Someone picked up on the fact that I’m a writer, and then another Master said, “She is a Storyteller, and she is going to help others with her words.” Cryptic! They also said they saw a mass of spirits around me, and one of them said that there was a guide who had yet to reveal itself to me but would do so soon. I signed up that day to take Jodi’s Reiki I & II course. When the time came, I found myself learning things I already knew, things I already did, and I understood after all these years why people thought I knew Reiki -- because I had been doing it, all along. Even my chiropractor, who is an empath and a healer, sensed it in me. During the attunement, as I had my eyes closed, I “saw” a dragon look down over my head at me while Jodi was behind me. I had been told she had a Dragon guide, so I figured that was him. I even looked up and said, “Hello!” I cannot begin to describe how it felt to be attuned, and how I have felt ever since. I called my friend Seth, a massage therapist and a powerful healer in her own right who is studying shamanism, and she said it sounded like I was tripping. I was seeing everything in such sharp focus, hearing things, aware on so many levels. Jodi had asked me if I experienced anything during the attunement and I mentioned seeing her dragon. She just grinned and said no, he was my Dragon. Now, please note: in the late 90′s, I attended a drumming circle class where we all went on an inner journey to meet different spirit guides, and the one that appeared to me was a Phoenix. Back then, I figured he represented that part of me that was always getting burned up and somehow rising from the ashes. I even got a tattoo of the bird on my back. Well, now I have a Phoenix and a Dragon -- in Chinese, these are the balance of Yin and Yang. Coincidentally, my first tattoo was a yin-yang, and one of the first rings I ever bought was a yin-yang with the OM symbol on either side. It would also explain why, after being attuned, I had a sudden craving for Chinese food... I have since learned the purpose of these guides. The Phoenix is used in long-distance healing when I send Reiki out to others, and the Dragon protects me while I do my work. He will also “encase” me or other people in eggs of protection. The Phoenix takes his duties very seriously, while the Dragon...is a bit of a diva. He’s also a shape-shifter because I’ve seen him in full reptilian form and in human form with wings. I have many other animal totems but these two are connected to my healing abilities and now that I’ve come back to that aspect of who I am, I find that they represent the dual sides of me -- Two-Spirit. The Phoenix is still me as I reinvent myself, refusing to be destroyed. I used to be so timid and when I screamed in anger I sounded like a wounded animal; now when I’m angry, my Dragon roars through me, refusing to take shit from anyone. Life has changed for me so much since this all happened. We are in a time of Awakening and Transition, and I’m seeing it all around me even as I, myself, am going through it. I have people asking for my help -- “Please send me Reiki!” from all over. And I do. I’ve been using it on my cats. I’ve used it on myself. It’s incredible. I have been changing the vibration in my home, making it brighter, more colorful, inspirational. I have been finding old jewelry and wearing it (that’s the Dragon, show-off that he is with his bling!). I have been pushing myself out of my comfort zone and spending more time at Gilda’s, where I hope to offer free Reiki once a month to those who need it. I am also hoping to get a portable massage table so I can do Reiki housecalls. I’ve even joined a local group of professional writers that gets together once a month. I have started to wean off of one of my medications (Klonopin) which has been rough but I knew I had to stop when I began to notice an occurrence of bad side effects and found that it could do a lot of long-term damage to other parts of my body. I am doing meditation, now, which helps. I am also preparing to set up a Patreon in order to fund my writing so I can get my first novel out -- somewhat autobiographical, it has been years in the works and deals with surviving narcissists and finding one’s path in life, it’s called The Dragon in the Garden. (I came up with the title ages ago; little did I know...) I have a sequel plotted, and then another book set in New Orleans with different characters. All of these are mine, not ghostwritten, but I can’t use my own name because two other authors have published under variations, so I’ve come up with something else that will serve. Bit by bit, things are falling into place. But you know the most important part of all of this? I am not stressing out, anymore. I have decided to live in the moment, and see anything ahead of me is positive. Yes, I am concerned about the state of the planet, about the children in concentration camps, about the madman running the country...I am aware. My head is not in the sand nor in the stars. I remain a realist. But I can do that and focus my energy on making things happen for the better. I am being the change I wish to see in the world. I am putting out what I want to receive; instead of calling negativity to me, I am sending out positive energy. I cannot deny the results, the changes that have happened since I started to do this. It’s good. Very good. Recently, I volunteered to make a journey to Mississippi, driving a rental car down to the Gulf of Mexico and back in three days (18 hours driving down, 21 hours driving back), to rescue some kittens that were about to be abandoned and bring them to a local foster group. I saw this as an opportunity to do a Medicine Walk/Spirit Journey. I saw so many signs along the way, received messages, and learned things about myself. I had my eyes opened to people around me, those who would deceive and manipulate. And I had a lot of time to think. I discovered new levels of forgiveness within me, and how to release what is no longer of use or importance. It makes things so much better, so much simpler. I have wasted too many years worrying about stuff and nonsense.

Oh, I still have limitations -- physical and mental. As my Reiki Masters have all told me, every healer is damaged in some way. I envision myself as a work of kintsugi, the Japanese art of putting broken pottery back together with gold. I am not perfect and never will claim to be. But I know that I am One with the Divine, Source, Creator Energy, God/Goddess/All That Is. I am on the right path -- and maybe I always was. I just had to go through some dark and scary places along the way in order to be where I am, now. Namaste!

#tumblr birthday #tumblr milestone #my life #happy tumblr anniversary #reiki #self-discovery #healing

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momorabu · 8 years ago

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Ensemble Stars! Event Story - Baton Pass! Repayment Festival of Tears and Bonds / Climax (Part 1)

Sorry for the really really long hiatus since the last Ensemble Stars event story ><” I really wanted to finish reading and translating awhile ago, but even reading through all 23 chapters took a long time actually… (while juggling other stuff I have ongoing)

This story is one that’s close to my heart since it talks about separation and it’s the story of one of my favourite unit - Ryuseitai’s afterall~ There are parts that I really felt sad and almost teared up at one point…

As this event story is really long and I want to make it as detailed as possible this time, I’ll split the story into 2 posts. Also, similar to Valentine’s event, it’s recommended that you’ve read the last White Day event as some of the things they talked about may cross-reference to there. Anyway as always, the summary of the story can be found below. Translation may not be 100% accurate due to my poor Japanese skills~

Prologue

Kaoru actually went to the marine club one day, greeting Kanata that he’s here to play as he’s too free XD (I’ve never thought Kaoru will be a person who will bother to show up there, considering his record of skipping all the club activities in the past ^^;)

However, Kanata was not in a good mood to entertain him. He grumbled about the din that’s happening outside not far from the club room, complaining that it made him irritated. Kaoru mentioned that he had seen the basketball club organising a farewell party at the basketball club as he was walking past just now, and it was really lively and noisy since “Mori-chi” has a really loud voice.

Kanata noticed that Kaoru had used “Mori-chi” to refer to Chiaki actually, (nickname for his surname Morisawa), and Kaoru thought he was being jealous and said that he could also call Kanata “Kana-chi” too if he wants.

Kanata showed an angry face after hearing that though, and that made Kaoru panicked that perhaps he has unexpectedly stepped onto a sensitive area of Kanata and that Kanata may not like people calling him by a nickname. Turns out it was just Kanata playing a trick on him, as he breaks into a smile and called Kaoru “Kao-chi” instead XD

Kaoru was not used to getting in a really close friendship with guys though, and admitted he’ll prefer Kanata to just call him “Kaoru” instead, since even his family members don’t call him by a nickname that shortens his name. Even though in the past Kaoru used to be close with alot of girls and let them call him “Kaoru”, now he plans to “clean up” his relationships and stopped playing around with these girls gradually. For now, Kaoru is just glad to have Kanata and “me” by his side to “heal” him ^^

Talking about the farewell party outside, Kaoru predicted that Chiaki would be crying his eyes out, but Kanata confidently said that Chiaki would definitely not cry during the party instead. The topic then turns towards their remaining club member, Souma, who seems to be missing and Keito who was in the same class as Kaoru was getting worried about the whereabouts of his unit member. But even Kanata doesn’t know where he is and thus he got worried too.

Since Souma will be the only marine club member once Kanata and Kaoru graduate, Kanata hoped that Souma will be able to gather alot of new members for their club because if there are not enough members, the club might be closed and these sea creatures will be “gotten rid of”. Hearing about Kanata wanting to “get rid” of the sea creatures, Kaoru grimaced and yelled that it’s not a good idea to just kill lives that easily just because he wants to get rid of them, claiming that it’s scary that Kanata could just blurt it out so suddenly. (I didn’t know Kanata would be one to say things that’s so cold-blooded like it’s a matter of fact OAO”)

But for Kanata, it’s the natural thought that came to him as he felt that the sea creatures will cause “trouble” and be a burden if they are left behind when there's no more club existing anymore, but Kaoru stopped him and said that they’re similar to humans, since everyone’s the same that when they are living, they’ll definitely cause trouble to other people, and also might end up being a burden to others too…

Thinking that Souma would definitely have a hard time to clean up all these water tanks by himself, Kaoru mentioned that both Kanata and he could always show up to help him after graduation, as “shameless OB/alumni graduates” if there are no new members that could help him by then XD

(I really think Kaoru had gone through a huge change, from thinking that doing things with guys are annoying and troublesome, to even volunteering to come and show up at activities and gatherings ^^)

The Person Who Doesn’t Cry / 泣かな��人: Chapter 1

Over at the basketball court, Subaru sat next to Midori and strike up a conversation with him. Seems like Midori was already feeling tired when the day has set, explaining that usually, he would be getting ready for bed at this time actually, since he has to wake up early usually. (Wait… Midori slept that early actually?! The night hasn’t even begun OAO”)

Subaru was glad to find a similarity with Midori, saying that he wakes up early too, but in his case he has to take his dog - Daikichi for a morning walk. However for Midori’s case, since his family operates a vegetable stall, he has to wake up in the morning to help out his family. Subaru thought he’s being a really capable son and wanted to cheer him up by patting him on the head, but ended up giving Midori the impression that he’s trying to be like “that someone” doing skinship with him, even thinking that they could be brothers.(We all know that the “that someone” he’s referring to was Chiaki ^^;…)

Subaru laughed and said he didn’t want to be the same as Chiaki, as Subaru thinks he’s not as great as him being able to get along well with EVERYONE. (Subaru definitely has people that he finds it hard and difficult to get along with… *cough* Arashi *cough*)

Since the topic has turned onto Chiaki, they started to talk more about him, mentioning that he’s able to get along and talk with anybody, even people like Midori and Subaru, and always treat them nicely and was gentle with them as well, as noticed by Midori. However, Subaru seems to be offended being treated as the same group as Midori, being the “characters with no friends” group (This group’s name XD), saying that he doesn’t want to be the same as Midori. (Ouch Subaru, and you were happy about having a similarity with Midori and being the same a moment ago… And now you flat out reject him D:)

Midori was curious that Subaru wanted to talk to him actually since even though they were both in the same club, both of them didn’t really have the chance nor the desire to talk to each other much actually. Subaru answered that that’s just because Chiaki has always been taking care and around Midori all the time ever since he has enrolled and that he even get abit jealous. (Does that mean that this made Subaru feel that it’s hard to get close to Midori to talk to him? o.O)

Just then, Chiaki rushed up and hugged onto Midori, as he has noticed both Subaru and Midori talking (happily?) together, and wanted to join in as well. Midori complained that the way he rushed over (or say fly over) onto him almost made his bones crack though XD Even Subaru warned Chiaki that though they’ve already gotten used to his random hugs, if Chiaki went and hugged a stranger randomly like this, there’s a high possibility that he would get caught instead. (He even acted out this scene “Mr Policeman, this person is a hentai!” *points at Chiaki* XD)

Chiaki said that he felt cold wearing just a sports singlet, and wanted to share and get some warmth by hugging. (This guy… I thought he said he was going to get rid of his bad habit during the end of year party?!) Midori complained that he’s cold too and he doesn’t get why they are holding this farewell party outdoors at the basketball court since Midori felt stuffy to having so many people crowding around in a tiny basketball court.

Hearing that Midori was feeling stuffy, Chiaki joked to him that he could give him a “mouth-to-mouth” to try to save his life, saying that he has learnt (?) this from Kanata. (I… do not want to know how you guys teach and practise this though ><”) Obviously, Midori did not like it when Chiaki leaned so close to him and claimed that he might really end up calling the police at this rate ^^;

Subaru thought that Chiaki might have drunk and thus become drunk, but for Chiaki, it’s not possible as they’re not of age yet. He said that it’s just the whole atmosphere had made him abit too livelier than always, that he has to control himself if not he might end up even kissing someone OWO” (Welp… someone helps this guy please~)

Lastly, it was suggested that the graduating seniors shall have a last match with the remaining juniors, saying that it’ll be a waste to not use the basketball court and just sitting around and eating snacks like this. (But sitting around and eating snacks, and talking is fun too~ ^^;) Midori passed the chance to play, as expected of him, and Subaru ended up accepting Chiaki’s challenge.

Chiaki was just glad to have Midori to stay by the sidelines and cheer for him, reminding him that this may be the last time to see his “handsome” look in the sports uniform, and asked him to watch him till his eyes burn. Midori still manage to calmly replied that if his eyes start to burn and even ended up burning his retina, he would have difficulty even sleeping at night D:

The Person Who Doesn’t Cry / 泣かない人: Chapter 2 - 3

It was late by the time the farewell party has ended, and Midori was so tired that he wished he would go home soon to crash on his bed. He went to his classroom to retrieve his bag that he had left there, and thought to himself that he’s really bad at attending such parties. Though Midori had wanted to just stand on the sidelines, he still ended up being forced to participate in a couple of basketball matches in the end. Though Midori was glad that due to a large number of people in the basketball club, he was lucky not to be selected to participate in too many matches ^^; (And Midori really hates exercising though he finds basketball is still alright.)

Seems like every member of the basketball club wanted to grab this chance to play a match with Chiaki, and Midori noticed that Chiaki was actually quite popular among the juniors. Midori wondered if he should have taken the chance today to be nicer to Chiaki, since he felt like he seems to be the one hogging Chiaki’s attention when he has alot of other juniors who really like him. He wondered too why on earth Chiaki wants to bother with him by grabbing him to join the same club and unit as him. (Since Midori is in the same club and the same unit as Chiaki, the two of them are frequently together in school I guess?)

Midori found that the farewell party today isn’t as sad as he had expected initially, and the whole atmosphere was still happy and lively until the end. (He had expected there will be a grand speech + some huge emotional scene of people crying.)

Just then he noticed that the lights at the indoor sports hall are still on, and initially he thought that some of the basketball members might have stayed behind for another round of partying. But it was so quiet that there doesn’t seem to be anybody there. Midori decided to head there in case it’s just someone who had forgotten to off the lights and in case if he did meet someone there, he thought to ask the person to go home together as he was afraid of walking on the dark road alone. (Midori is actually a timid person too? OWO)

However, when Midori reached the sports hall and was heading towards the switch to turn off the lights, he saw someone standing in the middle of the sports hall and some strange sounds could be heard over there. (And that gave Midori a fright there, he had though that there might be a monster over there ^^;)

On closer look, he realised it was Chiaki… and he was crying, with his shoulders shaking as he controlled himself not to cry out loud. (Chiaki… TWT TWT) Midori wondered why Chiaki was hiding here in the night crying by himself and felt that he had seen something that he shouldn’t. He even thought about leaving before Chiaki discovered him, even though he felt ashamed for escaping like this when there’s someone crying in front of him, as that made him not seem like a hero at all.

Midori realised that Chiaki must be hiding here and cry because he wanted to act cool just now and not cry in front of everyone. Thinking of the always-smiling Chiaki, who always pulling along the people around him and causing trouble to them… and comparing to the Chiaki who is crying in front of him now, Midori felt like this isn’t like the usual Chiaki that he had known at all.

Suddenly, Chiaki turned back and talked to Midori, realising that he’s still around and hasn’t returned home yet. Because the change was too sudden, Midori thought he had misunderstood that Chiaki was crying, but he soon noticed the tears that are still by the side of his eyes even though he was still smiling like usual. He realised that Chiaki must have already known he was there and quickly stopped crying and try to act cheerful again.

Knowing that Midori was afraid of walking home by himself on the dark road, Chiaki offered to send him home, and also mentioned he was in the sports hall doing some clean up. (Since Chiaki has always been a regular in using the sports hall for practicing) Midori asked Chiaki whether he is fine, but Chiaki just continued smiling and answered he is of course. (Chiaki is definitely not going to admit he cried TWT TWT)

Somehow Midori felt angry that Chiaki is acting like this in front of him, smiling like everything’s alright, when on the inside he’s crying because he likes everyone so much that he feels lonely knowing that he’s going to graduate soon… Chiaki noticed him staring at him and wondered what was up with him, commenting that though he looks handsome (what XD), when he doesn’t talk and has a neutral face like this, it’s kind of scary.

(*Sigh* Reading this part was actually kind of depressing and sad to me, knowing that both of them probably realised what the other is thinking about, but no one is really speaking up about it… Since I don’t think Chiaki is that dense not to realise what Midori is thinking about his actions ><”) (If it was me, I’ll really want to run up and hug Chiaki when I realised he was crying though - that image + his voice is heartbreaking TWT)

The Person Who Doesn’t Cry / 泣かない人: Chapter 3

Mao had arrived late to the basketball court since by the time he came the party was long over. Subaru was waiting for him and Mao felt bad for missing the farewell party, but he couldn’t get over here in time due to having to process alot of paperwork over at the student council. On the student council side, it seems that it has now become the next era for the juniors to take over, and since Mao was supposedly to be the next student council leader, he’s feeling the stress of being in the middle, with the upperclassman not being satisfied with the quality of work he’s doing now (They’re strict!), and juniors feeling insecure and at a loss of what to do actually, (So Mao have to show them a good example to follow as a leader)

Hearing Mao’s side of story, and feeling bad for him, Subaru decided to go and pat his head to cheer him up.

For Trickstar though, they’re not affected by the 3rd years graduating soon since their unit only consists of 2nd-year members. However, for other units who have 3rd-year members, the unit would be facing lineup changes. Subaru wondered what will happen to Ryuseitai, as soon there won’t be five members saying their lines together anymore. He even noticed that Chiaki and Midori seem to be behaving abit awkward and weird today, and feeling worried about both of them, it’s why Subaru decided to chat with Midori earlier that day.

Mao smiled and said that this scenario is unavoidable and that the juniors will just have to buck up, smile and say “Good Bye” to their seniors. Subaru commented that it’ll be hard for Midori since he even has trouble smiling today, and besides Chiaki was smiling abit too much that Subaru just felt that both of them are similar in a way. (Mao just thinks that they are opposites instead though ^^;)

The two initially decided to go and choose presents actually, but since Mao was late, they didn’t get to do it. However, Subaru said that there’s still time before graduation to prepare it, and besides, today’s farewell party doesn't seem like the mood to give presents either, with the atmosphere being lively as per usual. However, soon this “usual” atmosphere will disappear, and Subaru found it hard to believe that it’s coming soon, as he admitted that he really dislikes graduation, since even Subaru found it hard to break into a smile at this situation.

Wishes And Compensation / 祝福と返礼: Chapter 1 - 2

On another day, Eichi had called upon Chiaki to come and visit him at the student council room and was surprised that Kanata had tagged along too. He commented that since he was used to seeing Kanata “submerging” himself at the fountain, now he finds it weird that Kanata is walking around normally XD (Eichi is being kind of mean saying that to Kanata =3=“)

Chiaki had a bad feeling of being called here by Eichi, thinking that he’s up to something again. (…guess Eichi brought that reputation upon himself for all the things he had done in the past =w=“) However, Eichi asked him not to worry and to hold out his hand. Chiaki did so and wondered if Eichi was going to give him a palm reading XD (If that’s exactly what Eichi asked Chiaki over to do, that’ll be hilarious XD Even though Eichi said he did have some knowledge on palm reading due to Tsumugi being a fan of it in the past~)

Eichi handed a letter to Chiaki, and also some candies, as the white day present from him. He talked about getting chocolates from Tori on Valentine’s day but he was too embarrassed to give it to Eichi in front of everybody, and ended up melting the chocolate by holding it too tightly in his hands~ (Aww imagine Tori flustered in that scenario~ So cute XD) And so, Eichi decided to do the same by giving gifts to others too, but Chiaki said bluntly that he feels scared when Eichi does the same XD (Perhaps when Eichi gives gifts to others, it feels that he has an agenda for it? =w=“)

Eichi also ended up giving some chocolates to Kanata, since he did receive chocolates from him on Valentine’s Day. (Eh? I didn’t know Kanata would be someone who would give chocolates around, and even to his enemies… OWO”) But then he added on that giving to Kanata was just an “extra”, (which means he didn’t plan to give him, but since Kanata is here, maybe he felt bad or impolite ignoring him =w=“) thanking him and the rest in the five oddballs for sacrificing themselves so that Eichi could start the next era. (Ahh! That sounds so sarcastic coming out from Eichi! D: I might end up punching him if I was Kanata… Orz)

Kanata was being nice about it and even gave him a soft toy he had to thank him that due to Eichi’s actions, Kanata was able to lead a normal high schoolers life. (That sounds sarcastic too coming out from Kanata) They started smiling at each other while Chiaki could feel the sparks shooting at each other from their eyes.

Eichi finally got to the main reason why he had called Chiaki to come, he wanted to ask them whether Ryuseitai would be participating in the upcoming White Day event, since the student council had not received their application form in wanting to join this event, and there hasn’t been any information that they seems to be preparing for it either. (Eichi just wanted to ask to make sure so as to predict the number of visitors or something, since if Ryuseitai isn’t goig to participate, some visitors may not come as they’re Ryuseitai’s fans ^^;)

Thinking that the event is the first event to be handled by the juniors, Chiaki admitted that he hasn’t heard anything from them about it either, as he was preparing for jobs and plans after his graduation. The envelope given by Eichi earlier was actually a job offer for Chiaki, as he knew that his passion lies in being a hero, and decided to give him a hand in that area in the entertainment field. (Since Chiaki was planning that he might start with another idol job if the jobscope for hero live stages are too hard to find)

Eichi looked forward to hoping that Ryuseitai would participate in the White Day event, as this is the time where the seniors take a step back from leading and the juniors will get to shine and make the unit to be what they “want to be” that’s different from the seniors.

Chiaki started to get worried for the first years after hearing from Eichi that there hasn’t been any movement from them at all recently regarding the white day event, and thus asked Kanata if he had heard anything from them. Kanata worried that the first years may have lost their “sun” (meaning Chiaki) to show them the path currently, and in front of them might be just pitch darkness, since Kanata still consider them “little kids” who are at lost of what to do. He suggested to Chiaki that perhaps they should go and check up on them to see how they’re doing, but Chiaki said that it’s too early for them to help them, saying that this is the time for them to start being independent since Kanata and him won’t always be around for them to rely on any much longer TWT TWT Therefore, for now, Chiaki decide to believe in the first years and let them decide things on their own, but if they start asking for help, Chiaki would be the first one to rush over and help them XD

Eichi started to talk about his own unit Fine - that they’re doing fine even though now that Eichi and Wataru had stepped back, it’s now Tori’s turn to shine as Eichi thought that he has been growing well and there’s also Fushimi by his side supporting him ^^ Akatsuki’s side was more worrying since there’s only Souma and currently he seems to be missing. (If you have read the last White Day event, you would know what Souma was doing all this while by the end of that story ^^ Keito was very worried about Souma at this time actually.)

Worries And Silence / 不安と沈默: Chapter 1

At this time, Shinobu was enjoying his “slightly early” white day present from Yuta, and turns out it was cookies with spicy powder (?) on it, which leads to Shinobu thinking that perhaps he was being disliked by Yuta to receive such a gift. (We all know that’s not true~ I guess Yuta gave this because it is delicious to him? OWO) The spicy cookies warmed him up though, so he was really grateful to Yuta actually~

Just as he was thinking what gift he should prepare to give to Yuta for the white day, Shinobu sensed someone approaching him quietly from behind and decided to throw a cookie at this suspicious intruder. The intruder turns out to be “me”, and “I” ended up at staring at Shinobu (ji~~~~) without saying anything, and that made him scared as he’s afraid that he had made “me” angry.

Seeing that “I” didn’t respond to him, Shinobu panicked and said that he would prefer that “I”teased/bullied him like how “I” did in the past, by pinching his cheeks, as he knew that “I” seems to like treating him that way. He admitted that since he’s in the wrong for throwing the cookie, he’s willing to suffer the “punishment”. (Erm… Shinobu was smiling when he said this, which made me think for a moment that he had become a DO-M OWO”)

Shinobu was more worried that “I’m” ignoring him actually, and thought that perhaps him being ignored might be his punishment (which I think it is…). Even though it’s definitely not painful being ignored than being pinched by “me”, Shinobu felt scary when “I” don’t talk at all ^^;

Finally “I” broke my silent treatment and was interested in why Shinobu was by himself in the classroom. (He was the one doing the duty roster today) Shinobu talked about how there’s actually a white day event gift exchange in class today, but he hasn’t prepared any gifts for his classmates so he felt bad being the one who just keeps receiving gifts from others, and thus planned to choose some gifts for his classmates after school today. (And of course, he assured “me” that he’ll give “me” a gift as well~)

The reason “I” was here was to ask about this, since “my” job was to ask around the various units that haven’t applied to participate in the white day event on their decision (whether they’re joining or not). And knowing that Mao was probably even busier with the preparations for the event now, Shinobu hopes that he will grow stronger to become someone that Mao could rely on (since he really admires Mao alot XD), and “I” ended up patting his head saying he’s a “good child” (though he doesn’t want me to do that, complaining that I would make his hair messy XD)~

Asking Shinobu about Ryuseitai’s activities led him to answer that there doesn’t seem to be any activities nor practices recently and that he knew that they didn’t hand in any application for the white day event. Shinobu thought that now it might be too late now to start preparing and practising for the event, even though he does want to participate to give a performance for his seniors as a thank you to them, and also to let them feel at ease knowing that Shinobu can be independent as a person.

However, Shinobu had no idea what the other two first-year members feel about it, since he doesn’t really have the chance to ask them, being in a different class and now that there isn’t any Ryuseitai’s practice, Shinobu found that he hardly had any chance to meet up with them, not even say to talk to them ><” Shinobu was also too shy and lacks the courage to call them on the phone, nor the chance to talk to them when they met in the corridor. Sensing that they might be avoiding him on purpose, Shinobu worried again that he might be disliked by them, and wondered what he might have done to press on their buttons and made them angry.

Worries And Silence / 不安と沈默: Chapter 2

In the end, Shinobu and “me” decided to head off in search for Tetora to ask him what does he thought about participating in the white day event. As we walked along the corridor, Shinobu commented about the decorations, and talked about the chocolates for the white day were made by the manufacturers whereas the chocolate for valentines was hand-made by the members, and that it was a mad rush at that time to prepare so many chocolates.

But for Shinobu, it was very fun and enjoyable to make chocolates with the members at that time, as he remembered Tetora causing a little fire in the kitchen just as expected XD, and also of Kanata who keep wanting to put some weird stuff in the chocolate ^^; Thinking that there might won’t be another time like this where the five of them are gathered happily anymore, Shinobu can’t help but to feel lonely suddenly. But he knew he has to smile for the seniors, and that the remaining three of them will work hard to maintain the superhero team. (Aww~~ I just want to hug Shinobu when he started feeling lonely and sad regarding the seniors’ graduation TWT TWT)

We reached the training dojo and ended up surprising Tetora with our appearance that he accidentally called Shinobu “Shinobu” instead of his surname - Sengoku. However, he realised it and quickly corrected himself, but that made Shinobu mad instead as he actually prefer Tetora calling him by his name, and that it made him feel left out and lonely that both Tetora and Midori always call him by his surname. Shinobu thought he might have been disliked by his members and perhaps they wanted to maintain a distance from him instead. (Ahhh~~ Poor Shinobu hasn’t been feeling good about his relationships with his members now that they don’t meet up very often D:) Tetora decided to call Shinobu by his name from then on but still finds it hard to change suddenly as he’s already quite used to calling him “Sengoku” instead.

(Also the next part was cute too that Shinobu was jealous that Tetora has been becoming more and more mature recently, saying that it’s unfair that Tetora is becoming an adult at a faster rate than he is, when poor Shinobu is already having a complex feeling of always seeming like a child - being tiny and kind of childish/immature ^^;)

Knowing that “I’ve” came with Shinobu to ask regarding Ryuseitai’s participation in the white day event, Tetora was sorry to let “me” come all the way to the dojo to confirm on this, as he felt bad for not having activities for Ryuseitai recently. And feeling very sorry, Tetora announced that… unfortunately, Ryuseitai won’t be planning to participate in the white day event. (But why?!! And they haven’t even asked Midori for his opinion yet but the decision had already been made?! OAO)

The Bystanders / 旁觀者たち: Chapter 1

On Chiaki’s side, Kaoru had met up with him and asked him about what he was planning on doing when he graduated. Chiaki had planned to continue on being an idol and doing usual idol activities, but he doesn’t want to abandon his childhood dream of being a hero either, and thus wanted to act as a superhero in TV dramas (something like masked rider/power ranger), or to participate in educational programmes that could give out hope and dreams to children. (That sounds like a really good goal and dream to have, Chiaki! ^///^)

For Kaoru, he planned to become an idol officially as a job and thus will have to first go through the obstacle of convincing his parents and brother about wanting to fulfil his dream. The good thing is, he has an elder sister who fully supports him, even though Kaoru thought that the rest of his family are too realistic and they probably would want him to step up and take over the family business. Luckily for Kaoru, Rei will be joining him and they’ll form a unit together.

Chiaki was being very supportive of Kaoru, saying that he’ll definitely make it since he has alot of talent, and if Kaoru doesn’t make it as an idol, other people won’t be able to make it as well. (Weird way of Chiaki to say it like this, but I understood what he meant.)He asked Kaoru to work hard, and if he ever ran into any problems next time, Chiaki will always be there to help him ^^ (The power of friendship! +W+)

The topic then turns towards Kanata, as Kaoru mentioned that even Rei was interested to know what he’ll be doing after graduation. But Chiaki didn’t know either and that got Kaoru worried, as he thought Kanata might have discussed anything with Chiaki. (But Chiaki thought that Kanata might have talked to Kaoru about it, so they are both thinking about the same thing ^^;) Chiaki started to get worried and wondered if Kanata might just “disappear” like that after graduation.

Just then Kanata appeared, and hearing that Kaoru and Chiaki were talking bad about him, he pouted and asked whether they are talking behind him. Seeing that Kanata seems to be in a bad mood, Kaoru realised that he must be unhappy that he won’t be able to submerge himself in the fountain now that the school has decorated it with decorations. Chiaki tried to cheer Kanata up, saying that if he really wants to “submerge” in water, they could always go to the sento (bathhouse) together, but Kanata was still feeling angry about it, saying that the school hasn’t gotten his permission and decorated the fountain on their own and he won’t forgive them XD (But even Chiaki has to diss him on that he doesn’t have the authority to give permission, as the fountain doesn’t even belong to Kanata ^^;)

Chiaki asked Kanata if he has any plans after graduation, and if he doesn’t, Chiaki won’t mind pairing up with him and they can act as superheroes together XD But it seems like Kanata has things that he doesn’t want to talk about yet, so Chiaki decided to stop forcing him, and said that if he has any problems, call for him and he’ll even go to the end of the universe for Kanata’s sake +W+ (I love how Chiaki always speaks so dramatically when saying he’s willing to do anything to help his friends ^///^)

The Bystanders / 旁觀者たち: Chapter 2

The trio moved to the cafe and continued their conversations. Kanata was still feeling down, but this time he was feeling worried for the kids (the first years) after hearing what Eichi had mentioned about them earlier on. He was also worried about Souma too and asked Kaoru if he had known anything about his whereabouts. Kaoru said that he had called Souma to check up on him, but since the two of them didn’t have a good relationship before, it ended up Souma shouting that he’s annoying and blocked his calls/messages><” (Wah… did Souma really dislike Kaoru that much? But in the end, Kaoru did help out Souma to get over his problems for the white day event… OWO)

Kaoru was worried about his UNDEAD juniors too, but Chiaki said that they can’t help them with the preparations this time, as this is the first event that the juniors have to handle everything by themselves and be independent. Saying that it feels like being a parent and leaving their child alone, it’s a time period that they can’t do anything about it even though they feel lonely and worried too.

Kaoru had to head back to school in the midst of the conversation, as Rei had contacted him and wanted to talk to him about “DEADMANS” suddenly. Kaoru felt that it’s been a long time since he had heard this name, and couldn’t help but wonder why on earth does Rei wants to talk about this all of a sudden?

Just then, Shinobu rushed in with a panicked look on his face, Chiaki are Kanata were shocked that he had known that they were here, but turns out Shinobu was just running past when he saw them, but quickly corrected himself and convinced them that obviously it’s because of his “ninja skills” ^^;

Shinobu suddenly kneeled down in front of the two of them, and started crying, and that made Kanata and Chiaki worried.

With tears streaming down his face, Shinobu cried out that Midori and Tetora had gotten into a fight and even though both Shinobu and “me” tried to help, both of them aren’t listening. Shinobu felt helpless and thus quickly came here to beg Chiaki and Kanata to help him to stop both of them. (Looking at Shinobu crying here and begging them leads me to think that the situation must be very serious TWT TWT)

And… I’m so sorry that I chose to stop this post at a cliffhanger ><” What exactly happened to Midori and Tetora that made them got into a fight like that? All will be revealed in the next post which hopefully I’ll get it written up soon~ ^^;

#ensemble stars #event story #ryuseitai #summary #translation #otome game #es:event #es:translation

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ariadnasmtk · 7 years ago

Text

My story~

I will now share my story with DL (even if nobody asked me) Ok... Well... My story is quite funny (or at least I think so)

The rest is under the cut~

I was quite new in this world of animes and stuff.

I remember only watching cute animes, romance, school and magical girls. I also remember watching them at crunchy roll (long time ago xD)

It was a Friday night and I had just finished an anime called "Say I love you"(?) and I was like: "Well... What should I watch next?" And there's a small section on Crunchy Roll where are the recommendations "what other members watched" and in that section it appeared "Diabolik Lovers" and I read what was it about. Believe or not I thought it was an anime of lots of guys with lots of girls (like every boy gets his girl and so) and I was like: "It sounds good... Why not?"

Imagine the impression I got: I was used to cute school couples that were shy at first but very lovey-dovey as time goes by. I was shocked!! And mostly scared. Also angry with Yui like I was one of the people that thought she was useless and stupid because she didn't fight back! It was a creepy and terrible experience... I remember calling my best friend because I was alone, it was at night and it was raining (terrible combination to watch DL for the first time really). The fun thing is that I watched all the episodes till the end (a normal person would have stopped it the first second it scared them or crept them out) and I was like: "I don't want to know anything about this serie anymore!!"

The months past and I was into other animes. School was hard and back then vine still existed (😔). I had my account on vine and I followed many accounts that made anime edits. And you know how social apps work: they know what you like and recommend you something similar that you might like. So one day a savage DL edit appeared, BUT! It was from the second season (fun fact: I didn't know about this season to exist).

My first thoughts were: "Oh! That serie... I remember it! It was creepy!" "But wait! Now there are more people!" "Eh? What? Why does Shu dyed his hair black (Ruki) and why does Laito let his hair grow? (Yuma... Could you believe it?! I confused Yuma with Laito?!)" "Argh!! There are two Kanatos!! (Azusa)" I decided to ignore it but for strange circumstances more and more DL edits started to appear! Everyday I saw a new one! So many of them that I became fond of them and became interested and curious again. In a comment one person asked which anime was it and another answered it was "Diabolik Lovers: More Blood (second season)".

That was when all made sense and I looked for it! I saw again all the second season and even though the story was still confusing I enjoyed how Yui and Ayato were evolving!! (Guess that was the moment were they became my OTP). Still it wasn't enough for me to became a fan. Then a person (again in Vine) wrote that it was a terrible anime adaptation from the game! And I was like: "oh! So it is an adaptation from a game... How strange!" "Then I looked for the game and SURPRISE!! Is was only in Japanese! But another persons in Vine recommended to search for the translations on YouTube. I didn't waste a second and I looked for them. I found just the introduction from HDB and nothing more.

You thought I gave up? OF COURSE NOT!! Because I saw how different the story and mostly Yui were from the anime.

It took me WEEKS to finally gather a couple of channels in YouTube that uploaded the videos but most importantly the videos translated!

My first complete route I read was Laito's MB route (I gave up looking for the HDB) and soon followed Subaru's MB route as well! Then something magical happened and I found Pinkcase's channel in YouTube: she made translations of the game but in Spanish!! (Note: I was lucky I knew English but is way better in your mother language). Again another person (this time from YouTube) commented that many translations were available on Tumblr! And that's when I decided to open an account to look for the translations of DL!!

What a wonderful (hell) world I found!! I was so happy!! Once you found out about all the mysteries and backgrounds... It was impossible not to fell into this amazing story!! It's been 1 (almost 2) years since I've been here in the Tumblr fandom and 3 years since I've been a huge DL fan!!

Since the begging my favorite has been Laito (since the anime I loved his mysterious yet intriguing personality) and Subaru followed soon after I read his route. Then I loved Ruki's design but I was loyal to the Sakamakis (because for me they are the originals and the first ones that introduced (pull) me into this fandom (hell)). Then a miracle happened and I found Pink on Tumblr and later on she contacted me!! We became partners and I became a translator from Spanish to English from the game!! That's when I became also a fan from Shin (I hated him at first) when I carefully read his route in Dark Fate!!

And so that's how I'm standing here: a crazy fan in love with this small yet amazing fandom!!!

When people (my friends who knows about my love (obsession) to DL) ask me "why I love DL"? I always answer:

Because it has everything I was looking for in a serie:

It has pretty boys (xD)

You always learn something new about the serie but most importantly from the characters

The story is amazing!

It touches so many topics that it leaves you always thinking about many things you thought you knew or believed

Vampires that are original classical monsters and not the weird ones from today

All the stories and pasts in a certain point join together into a marvelous web of amazing events

The fandom (a little troublesome) small yet wonderful!

I've met and made good friends that have my same love from the serie!!

THE. FANARTS

The new CD dramas and games that have come (and are about to come)

The slowly revelations and answers that are being added/answered

KINO

And I can continue on and on~

The point is that DL is an amazing serie and fandom!! I love each one of the characters and I really hope that I'll stay here waaaayyy more in the future!! 😍😊 Thanks to this fandom I feel I belong and share something small in common with others!!

For the fandom I contribute by making translations and edits from time to time! I also answer to questions about the serie and also share translations from other people so more fans get informed and enjoy their time here in this small yet beautiful fandom!!

I know it is reeeeeallllyyy long and I'm sorry!!

I'll close my emotional (long and boring) story by mentioning people that are now important for me in this fandom!!

@dialover-author-couples (she's my best friend in this small fandom with the plus that she's also from my beautiful country Mexico!)

@pinkcaseotakadl (she's the reason why I'm now helping the fandom with translations from time to time!)

@infernal-iris (she's so sweet and shares amazing stuff plus she tag me from time to time in tag games!!)

@vroom-vroom-sakamaki (one of my first followers and to whom I speak from time to time as well, plus she always send me beautiful images of DL!)

And!!

@whiterxses-16 (her/their blog I first send an ask and was answered!! They have a lot of talent!!)

That's all!!

Thank you all (for those who weren't that bored to get to the end) for reading and most importantly to all my followers (even though we have never talk to one another) that beard with me!!

Thanks and that's all!!!

#shareyourDLstory #my story #DL #DL FOREVER #i love you #AMAZING FANDOM

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gingersnapwolves · 8 years ago

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talesfromthechickpea said: Someone totaled my car yesterday >< I’d love to know what you test drove and why the Impreza, if you don’t mind sharing

Sure, no problem! Sorry about your car, that sucks.

So we had originally narrowed it down to Subaru, Honda, and Toyota models, mostly from online reviews and some friends/family - a lot of my friends drive Hondas, and in fact my last car was a Honda, and my family has had Subarus in the past. Plus if you go to any “Top 10 compact cars/SUVs/family sedans” list on the internet, they’ll be on there.

If you don’t know where to start, I would recommend edmunds.com - you can plug in any car model and it’ll give you online reviews, safety ratings, gas mileage, and an estimated price. It is a super helpful website. Truecar.com is also a really good website, especially for pricing, but beware - if you give them your phone/e-mail to look up local pricing, they forward it to every dealer in a 20 mile radius and you will get inundated with calls/emails from desperate salespeople.

We were looking for what’s called a subcompact - bigger than a compact, smaller than an SUV. We ruled out a lot of models because we absolutely require a hatchback. Anyone who does lengthy car trips should get a hatchback so they can get to the stuff in the back without having to pull over and open their trunk. We narrowed it down to the Impreza, Crosstrek, Honda HR-V, and Toyota Prius. To be fair another car that fits this category is the Kia Soul, but we ruled that out because we had one as a rental a couple years ago and it’s so much smaller than it looks and also super uncomfortable. Personal opinion there.

At Subaru we test drove both the Impreza and the Crosstrek, and they’re very similar. The Crosstrek has higher clearance so it’s better if you do any off-roading, but we don’t need that and it’s more expensive, so we ruled it out and focused on the Impreza, which is (obviously, since we bought it) a great car. Super smooth, great handling, good cargo space (though it’s shorter than we realized when the seats are folded down, the dog can’t sit up straight and he is irked at us, so now we have to get a dog hammock, LOL).

At Honda, we test drove the HR-V. I have to admit, as a lifelong Honda person, I was actually disappointed. We’ve driven the Fit, their compact car, for 11 years, and my dad has had their CR-V even longer. The HR-V is basically like you squished those two cars together - bigger than a compact, but not all the way up to an CR-V.

The HR-V had some good features, but the brakes weren’t as tight and the acceleration was surprisingly slow - like they gave it the power of the Fit but the body of the CR-V, making it very draggy. It’s also higher off the ground than the Impreza.

It’s ... probably a bit generous to say we test drove the Prius; because we looked inside and saw that it is a lot smaller than we would have expected, given the outside of it. Also, the way the back of the car is formed puts a horizontal bar across your rearview mirror, which drove me mad. We didn’t get out of the dealership with that one.

The actual factors that made us choose the Impreza were that it had all wheel drive - important for us since we are moving back to New England relatively soon, that it had great handling, and plenty of cargo space. It’s also super comfortable (and came in a snazzy color!). The only driving feature I liked better about the HR-V was that it’s turning radius was better, but not like, a lot better.

That being said, if you don’t need anything as big as the Impreza, the Honda Fit is a great little car. If you’re looking for something compact, I absolutely recommend it. Ours lasted 11 years and over 160K miles, and we drove it into the ground (seriously - the salesman actually tried not to laugh when he saw that they were going to give us $250 for the trade-in, it was like a pity trade-in). It doesn’t have a super powerful engine, but it handles well in all sorts of weather and it’s way bigger on the inside than you would think to see it from the outside - I remember my brother being stunned when I easily fit his and his kids’ luggage in my trunk without breaking a sweat. It’s like a Tardis car.

A few tips on buying, in case you never have before - walk in the door with the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) and the average sales price in your area already in hand. You can get that on Truecar without having to put in an email. Don’t let them talk about monthly payments or down payments until you have agreed on the out-the-door cost of the car. Otherwise they will throw numbers at you until you have no idea what they’re talking about or what you’re paying. Similarly, don’t talk about your trade-in - well, you personally can’t since your car was totaled, but advice for anyone else reading - until after you’ve nailed down the final price. Basically don’t let them talk to you about anything until they’ve told you what you will actually pay for the car, total. (And don’t let them add anything to the final price after they’ve told you that. This happened to me the first time - we’d finally nailed down the final price and they were like oh, it’s an extra $600 for the “auto butler” paint protection program. I was like, honey say what now?)

Fortunately there seems to be a lot less bullshit to buying cars now because most salespeople are aware that you can find all the costs on the internet and it’s much harder to swindle people. If you go in and just casually drop, “I saw on Truecar that the [x model] is selling for about 21K and I’d like to give it a test drive” that lets them know up front that you’ve done your research and are unlikely to be fooled by their chicanery.

#whew that was long #hope this helps!#good luck!#personal

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mercerislandbooks · 8 years ago

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SEABookstoreDay Road Trip

I know, I know--Independent Bookstore Day was weeks ago. So why are we still talking about it? Well, it was a pretty big deal. Our schedule for the day at Island Books was as overstuffed as it’s ever been, and the same was true at bookstores all over the region. Over 300 people rose to the #SEABookstoreDay challenge and made it to every one of the participating businesses, going from the islands in the Sound to the Eastside, from South Seattle to Mill Creek in the north, and everywhere in between. The members of this proud group were declared Indie Bookstore Champions and earned themselves a 25% discount at all those stores for the next year.

This was the third year in a row I’ve undertaken the challenge, but this time with a new passenger on board. I’d told James Taylor, a customer at Island Books, about the itinerary my friends and I were attempting, and intrigued, he wondered if we had room in our car. It so happened we did, and we arranged to meet at the downtown ferry terminal to launch our epic journey. Plans quickly went awry, though, and his championship dreams were dashed from the start. I’ll let him pick up the story from here.

--James

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

Despite the initial setback of missing the 7:55 a.m. ferry to Bainbridge, we decided (via text and a phone call) that the best course of action would be for me to hop on a bus north and meet the group--the ones who had made the ferry--at the Edmonds Bookshop. I could then hop in their car and we'd be back on track.

I had some time to melt in Edmonds, so I was flipping through a giant book called The Way Things Work, which I'd had as a kid. James and my mystery group walked into the bookstore and we had a good laugh about the ferry fiasco. I already knew James because he gives me science fiction recommendations at Island Books, and with him were Katie, a sales rep from Penguin Random House, and Emily, a well-read employee of Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. When we piled into Katie's blue Prius it dawned on me that 1) we were going to be parking like negligent maniacs at every bookstore, and 2) I was way out of my literary depth. This was a group that, as Steinbeck once wrote, could "eat stories like grapes." If we were choosing roles, I figured I'd be the customer--the everyman. Some weekend warrior of literature.

There's a fun bit of strategy that goes into visiting so many spread-out bookstores in a day. I recently moved to the Seattle area and thought visiting all these shops would be a fun tour of the neighborhoods. It was. It was also excessively easy to strike up conversations with people on the tour. You could tell they were doing it because they had a map (or "passport") in their hands and they were usually in a hurry. But never too much in a hurry to talk about the books they'd purchased and their plan of attack for the day.

The next few stores flew by in a hurry--the Neverending Bookshop in Bothell, BookTree in Kirkland, Third Place Books in Seward Park. The one that stands from that cluster is Fantagraphics, a comic book store in Georgetown. I was chatting with the owner after he stamped my passport. There was his face talking to me, and above and just to the left was was a cartoon rendering that looked exactly like him in the store front window.

I can't remember the order of everything, but here are some of the books I bought: Paintwork and Snow Crash from Island Books (my local spot). In Queen Anne I bought a nonfiction book called White Trash: The 400-Year Untold Story of Class in America. At probably three different stores I flipped through Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology and vowed to pick it up later. Katie showed me some children's books about female architects and female engineers she’d purchased at Island Books (Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist). I ended up buying those later in the day for my two little nieces in California. At some point in the car, when people discovered I was new to Seattle, they took to pointing out things along the drive and explaining the history of some of the neighborhoods. It was Seattle through a literary lens. Or at least through a reader's lens.

I'm such a sucker in bookstores. I go in to browse and end up coming out with a wheelbarrow full of books--perhaps imagining some future version of my self who has read these titles and memorized their contents. Or perhaps imagining the book hanging off the edge of my coffee table for some visitor to notice and flip through. And there were so many bookstores rolling by to tempt me--Seattle Mystery Bookshop, Queen Anne Book Company . . .

Back in the car we started talking about how bookstores are selling more and more toys and games, the onslaught of e-books, and other challenges for the smaller shops. James helps buy some of the books for Island Books. "The trick," he was saying, "is to find and promote the books that are worth reading even if you're not particularly interested in the topic. If I'm not interested in the Civil War, is the book still worth reading? Those are the books I look for."

At about 4 p.m., I got into conversation with a passport-carrying woman in line at Magnolia's Bookstore. She was explaining the route she’d taken over the course of the day, and I was explaining that I was doomed from the outset because I'd missed the ferry. She said that was where she was headed next, and we went our separate ways. As I made my way out to the Prius, it struck me that the lady I'd been talking to was on a route that would end near my car. My eyes grew wide for a moment and I chased her down and asked her for a ride. I ran back to the Prius, offered my perfect solution to the "how-do-I-get-home-problem," and they seemed to understand, despite the rush of it all.

I hopped into my new friend’s silver Subaru and we peeled out--no, we didn't peel out--but that's the sentiment anyway. She struck me as kind of a Melissa McCarthy type. Chatty--and kind to a fault. Smart in a way that people probably look past. She was pretty excited about the whole day. She had been drinking a lot of coffee, and I'd just taken a shot of espresso so we chatted it up, practically talking over each other.

Things slowed down as we waited to board the ferry. I realized the strategic sacrifice I'd made. My previous group would soon be arriving at a cookbook store called Book Larder. Supposedly they have deliciously glossy cookbooks and interesting visiting chef/author events. I traded that for a ride that would end closer to my car and a chance to see Eagle Harbor Books and the Traveler on Bainbridge and everything I'd missed in the morning. I was weighing it, but it was too late to do anything.

My new driving companion showed me a book she'd just bought, and said, "It's about decisions, it's about figuring out--when you get older--how you want to die. There's a whole medical industry that's focused on keeping people alive but they don't ask these important questions. It was written by a doctor." [Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, no doubt.] The topic seemed close to her, near enough that I didn't inquire further, but just nodded. It turned into quite a grave, but beautiful, conversation about the rights of the soon-to-be-dead.

One boat ride and two stamps later, we parted ways in Bainbridge. She headed north, and I ended my adventure after 11 bookstores, content to bow out. There were a few, like Book Larder, that I promised myself I would see next time I had a visitor in town.

I had a little time to reflect on the ferry ride back to my car. What a full day! What a nice way to see these neighborhoods. What a nice sense of camaraderie among these bookworms. What an amazing race!

Maybe next year I'll make it to all of them.

photo credit: K. Huntsberger/Shelf Awareness

#James Crossley #James Taylor #Snow Crash #Paintwork #SEABookstoreDay #Independent Bookstore Day #Island Books #Being Mortal #Way Things Work #Norse Mythology #neil gaiman #independent bookstores #Rosie Revere Engineer #Ada Twist Scientist

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