#tokyo autumn session

[haniprecards]

[mik0is0bored]

Chapter One

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Contents page

Small note: I plan on having more than one Megumi x Reader, but it's not going to be a multi chapter fic, just a bunch of different scenarios I guess. I might do this in chronological order of the series (this starts off as all of them thinking Yuji Itadori dies, but I'll also add in non-canon-based things too, don't worry:3)

Description:(Megumi x fem!reader)

After Megumi watched Sukuna rip out Yuji's heart, everyone began claiming the newest student at the Tokyo Jujutsu School had passed away, even the Staff, such as Gojo, etc. Even you believed it, because why would Megumi lie about something like this? That's just it, he wouldn't.

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Of course, how cliché. It was rather annoying, really. But naturally, it was nearing Autumn.

The leaves were changing from green to orange, and in the mornings, it was more foggy out, which meant the winter uniforms were going to be used soon, which should cause excitement, for the most part.

But it didn't.

Not even a week ago, the newest first year, Yuji Itadori, had his body taken over by the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna. He had eaten his finger, so of course Sukuna could take over his body.

But that wasn't the problem. Sure, Yuji's body being taken over was problematic, but he would come back, eventually.

Not this time.

You had heard from Megumi that when Sukuna took over Yuji's body, he watched Sukuna rip out the pink-haired boys heart, and when Yuji took control of his body, he had seen Yuji fall to the ground, deceased.

Of course, since it was late September, it was raining. Raining hard. So, all classes and training sessions had been canceled for the day. Like the first years would've wanted to do training without their wide-smiling friend.

You knew Megumi since grade school, so you knew he was naturally closed off and emotionally distant, as were you (to an extent). But you knew when something was bothering him. The emotions that danced in his eyes every so often when something affected him, it broke your heart, most times.

You started to worry a little too much so you sat up and opened your messages.

You looked at your messages over the past few minutes. His dry responses were usual for him, so you didn't mind it. But what did bother you was the messages themselves.

The responses you got reminded you too much of when Tsumiki went into a coma. You remember how short or long the messages were, all of them telling you that he was fine, or to not worry about him, or in the case Tsumiki went into the coma, you were lucky if he texted you at all.

You weren't that close to Tsumiki, but you two talked sometimes, like when you and Megumi were studying for that math test in middle school, and Tsumiki was trying to make conversation. But the two of you swore you could do the study sheet on your own. Maybe you two should've listened to her, because you both got a 69% on the test.

You smiled slightly to yourself. You had felt slight pain to Tsumiki falling into a coma, but you knew it impacted Megumi the most.

No matter how much he claimed "I hate her! I hate Tsumiki!", you knew that she was the person who had been with him damn near his entire life, even before Gojo met them, Tsumiki was always with him.

Then you met him in fifth grade, and due to both of your rather antisocial and pessimistic attitudes, the both of you naturally became friends.

While thinking about everything that'd happened since grade school when the two of you met, you began to space off and stare out the window of your dorm.

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After realizing how long you've been spacing out, you eventually grow bored. You remember how Megumi suggested you reading, but you really couldn't read with a ton on your mind.

Although you weren't there when they first met, you still were decently close to the pink haired boy.

Yuji seemed to have a effect on both you and Megumi, as if a change of course in your usually antisocial and quiet lives.

You decided to read through the group chat you were apart of with Megumi, Yuji, and Nobara. Although you four weren't close as the second years, you'd he that close, sooner or later, but Yuji wouldn't be there.

You chuckled slightly at the messages you guys had shared in the last few days, but your soft laughter eventually faded when the messages ended, reminding you that Yuji wouldn't be in the group chat anymore.

Well, his phone number and messages remain, but he'll never be able to respond again.

You sigh. You figure you could read, like Megumi suggested, but you couldn't. You tried reading a page but couldn't focus on a single sentence on a page, let alone a whole chapter.

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You sigh. You grow frustrated with yourself. You wanted to talk to someone, despite your distant nature.

You give up on reasoning and text Megumi.

You began to worry about what was happening. Did his phone die? What was he doing? Your thoughts began to spiral before you shake your head slightly as you stood up from your bed and slipped on your shoes.

Since missions classes and training had been canceled, everyone was in their rooms, it's not like they could do much of anything due to the downpour outside anyway.

You were wearing grey sweatpants and a white baggy t-shirt, nothing too extravagant, then again, as a jujutsu sorcerer— a student rather— you, as well as the other students, were never really in the place nor had the luxury of having too much nice things.

One wrong move on a mission always leads to your death, another sorcerer's death, or a bystanders death; and always, you were linked with either of those three.

You shake your head and run your fingers through your messy hair, setting your mind to one thing: talking to Megumi.

Your door opens with a slight squeaking sound, and you walk into the hallway of the dormitory.

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As you walked through the halls, your mind began wandering, but after a little bit, a roll of thunder tugged you out of your thoughts. You were rather thankful, since your thoughts had been derailing you from what you had in mind.

You shook your head and continued walking, running your fingers through your hair.

You eventually made your way to his door. Your hands in the pockets of your sweatpants. You pulled out one of your hands of the pockets.

You clench a fist and keep it hovering near Megumi's door. You kept your position like that for who knows how long.

Well, long enough for your arm to start to hurt. You pull out your phone one more time to see if he responded to any of your messages. When you seen he hadn't, you sighed and shoved your phone back into your pocket.

You then run your fingers through your hair again, and sigh.

You knock on the door.

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You know what? Screw it. This is gonna be a multi chapter fic too. I gotta create a table of contents post rq but that's cool🙂👍

[putschki1969]

FC-Exclusive Event "Join Wakana! Houseboat Full-Course Tour"

An exclusive event will be held for Botanical Land members. The event will take place on a houseboat which will go on an autumnal Sumida River cruise! Fan club member can spend a special two and a half hours on a rented houseboat, enjoying the views of Asakusa and Tokyo Bay from the boat and have a fantastic full-course meal with Wakana.

《Event Overview》 Title "Join Wakana! Houseboat Full-Course Tour" Date September 22 (Sun), evening session from 18:00 September 23 (Mon), day session from 12:00 Departure point Asakusa, Tokyo (departure and arrival) Participation fee (incl. full-course Japanese meal)] 25,000 yen Lottery application August 19 12:00~

2024/08/09 Instagram post by Wakana

Today, we announced some fun news!!🥳🎉 Next month, I will be holding a special FC-exclusive event🤗✨

The title is "Join Wakana! Houseboat Full-Course Tour!"!!🛶🎶 Together, we will board a chartered houseboat departing from Asakusa. We will eat a full-course Japanese meal while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Tokyo Bay😻💕I am also planning various other activities to make this tour truly fulfilling for your body and soul!☺️ For details on the schedule, please check the FC site🌟

Let's all eat some delicious tempura!!🤤🍤🐟️🍚💕

Btw, this photo is a Ghibli exhibition, it has nothing to do with the upcoming tour😂(Source)

[sleepflower93]

Who did the artwork [for Gold Against the Soul]?

"Mitch (Ikeda). One of the last photo sessions of Mishima was, basically, Mishima naked in lots of different poses with roses strangling him round the neck and Mitch was taught by the photographer that took that photo session and we were talking one night and we thought the cover should be along that theme. There is another famous photo by somebody called William Klein with a man with a mask over his head and all these people in the street screaming. It's taken in Tokyo in the late sixties and we thought maybe we should mix those two images. So we organised a photo session and that was an okay picture."

-Richey, Catharsis Fanzine Autumn 1993

Gold Against the Soul album cover / Yukio Mishima, ‘Ordeal by Roses’ #32 by Eikoh Hosoe / Tokyo 1961 by William Klein / Ordeal by Roses #38 / Gold Against the Soul back cover / Ordeal by Roses #6

[sinfulsachi]

Hiiii. How about some thigh fucking? It's knows that Shinichi loves Ran's legs, so it has got to happen. He can't stop staring and Ran shouldn't really feel this hot and bothered about the way he looks at her but she does. The make-out sessions are no longer enough now, they need more, so they go for it.

The timestamp of this ask is April 10, 2021 I am laughing as I type this. Please anon appreciate me, I tried after 3.5 years HAHAHA Couldn't get this request out of my head from the moment it entered my inbox three (3) years ago lmao. I labeled this post as mature, for obvious reasons :)

 絶対領域 || Absolute Territory (ShinRan)

.

.

Kudou Shinichi has a tendency of blaming the universe for things beyond his control.

It only happens rarely, for Kudou Shinichi doesn’t bow down to fate, fate bows down to Kudou Shinichi. He’ll carve a solution against all odds. How many times has he cheated death?

But at this very moment, he is resigned to the thought that the universe is to blame for everything that led to here.

He blames the universe for having been born Japanese, lived in the same neighborhood, entered the same kindergarten as this girl turned girlfriend a good twelve years later.

He blames the universe for the abnormal surge of cases in Tokyo that consequently robs the girlfriend’s father’s time in the apartment, leaving him and her alone ‘til sunset.

Blames the universe for spring, because flowy skirts.

Blames the universe for summer for limiting her wardrobe choice to nothing but shorts, shorts, and short shorts.

Blames the universe for autumn, because thigh-high stockings.

Blames the universe or whoever created it for creating teenage hormones so rebellious, so perilously out of his control especially when he gets so much a peek of her skin. Just skin, the fuck. How else if more than that.

All these and more run in his mind while the girlfriend nestles between his legs doing homework under the kotatsu.

Naturally, he blames the universe for this moment.

Winter is a bitch, sweaters and heater aren’t enough. Mouri Ran suggests huddling. Now he levels with her nape, long hair conveniently let on one side. She scribbles notes with no care in the world while he inwardly chants a prayer. This is it. This is his demise.

He blames the universe for the aching hard-on in his pants.

But he is Kudou Shinichi, and while he’ll flip the universe off, he'll make absolutely sure to do something about the situation he’s presented. Else, he dies.

There are many ways to deal with this without hurting anybody’s feelings. He can excuse himself and let the rage subside in the toilet. He can request they sit side by side instead. He can offer to get them a takeout snack from Poirot. Literally those ways.

But not pull her closer by the waist.

He really isn’t helping himself. It’s dumb, but at the same time it seems it’s all he can manage to do. He clears his throat, a harmless statement whispered in her ear, “Ran, can we please, uh. Take a break.”

Amidst the impatient rush of blood southwards, he maintains a safe distance, not too close she could hear the erratic beating in his chest, and not too far that when her head swivels sideways their noses brush. Distance still matters to him, lest this - whatever he's doing - startles her.

“Hm? But we just took one fifteen minutes ago.”

Ran catches Shinichi’s eyes drift to the direction of the bed and back. She can't read if that gesture intentionally hints on something, or just a slip of his guilty thoughts. His eyes are so near she catches the details of his blues, blended with a certain kind of struggle.

Her body becomes aware of a bulge against her lower back. Ran's pulse kicks up a step.

“Let’s keep warm over there, please,” Shinichi requests, a hint of mild desperation in his tone.

When it takes her a while to reply, he notices his mistake. So much for devising ways to deal with hormones without offending anyone's feelings. With his last sane braincell, he wills himself to scoot further back, "No worries if you don't wanna! Though I k-kinda need to lie down a bit, Ran, haha, so—"

The disentanglement is halted when she holds his arms firm around her waist. Ran refuses to budge under the kotatsu. Instead, she clings onto the cuffs of his sleeve, startling him.

"Shinichi, um. But we're already quite comfortable here, don't you think?"

Like hell it is. Shinichi needs to break away. He can already sense himself growing by the second, exponentially so with the way she tilts her chin to face him fully, something he hasn’t seen before dancing in her eyes. Half mast, dilated, cozy and— and almost bedroomy.

What! Is she doing!

Shinichi's hands slide down her hips involuntarily. They stay in the kotatsu, plane of her back resting against his pecs through the hoodie. Everything is dangerously still. He gives her hips a light squeeze, she doesn't protest. He inches close, she presses near. "The hell, Ran..." He skims the line of her shoulder with his lips.

What! Is he doing!

He's acting on pure impulse now, the set of sane braincells in his head overpowered by the braincells of another one. A total defeat. God he's such a man.

And it maddens him so because not one bit does Ran seem to mind, whispering a light ‘should be fine here, right?’ when they're eye to eye. Shinichi nods in complete obedience. He swallows his nerves away, then closes the distance between their lips in one swift motion.

Inside his brain, the little Shinichi with pitchforks rejoices.

Perhaps the liplock is too earnest that a few minutes in, Ran finds her hips moving on its own, attention brought once more to the press of that bulge against her back. They part only for Ran to surge in again, denying them a moment to breathe.

Her hand creeps up behind, feeling the stiffness. She squeezes lightly. Shinichi groans in her mouth. No words are said, yet they seem to understand exactly what the other wants to do. She tugs on the garter of his joggers. His hands travel down her skirt, up her thigh. Shinichi loses his mind.

I'm going to hell, he thinks, as he finds his fingers trailing to the most heated part of her body. This isn't the first time. That's why he desires to get away at the earliest opportunity the moment he feels about to succumb to the universe's temptations, certain the day will end with his fingers buried in her, and she gasping in his arms. Exactly right now. Him stroking her above cotton, before slipping past it and slowly sliding in.

It frustrates him to feel this good hearing her moan his name, and it's only ever third base.

Only ever third base.

Shinichi blames the universe that he isn't yet married to Mouri Ran. Dear god, how the universe knows he's dying to fu—

He freezes at the cold touch of her hand slinking inside his boxers. Something inside him stirred. This is a first time. His fingers pause, his breath gets heavy. Ran breaks the kiss to look him in the eye, panting as she pulls his garments further down, "let's do it?"

Fuck.

Surprisingly, it's Shinichi who comes to senses first. "Do what exactly?", genuine inquiry seemingly asked in jest following a heated french in response to her straightforward request. Though clearly aware of what she’s insinuating, he needs to be absolutely certain of what stage they are about to do. Instead of giving verbal confirmation however, Ran doesn't stop stroking him, and Shinichi feels himself about to short circuit, making it worse when she adjusts the way she's seated to give her hand - and his fingers - more working space.

They are about to do it under the kotatsu.

Shinichi should be thanking the heavens right now, yet a part of him screams to save the end for a later time when they're older, readier. The sane side of him awakens, like a dying star in its last bursts of energy before imploding in on itself, just enough seconds to remind himself that he intends to take this step by step. There must be a way they can do it without doing it.

Hoisting Ran by the waist, Shinichi deposits her body slightly below his torso and leans back a bit. "Maybe we can..." The slight shift in position allows Ran to perch snug above him, legs between his outstretched ones. "Like this."

Ran appears reluctant to let go of her grasp, but in the new adjustment, she feels him against the underside of her thighs, rock hard. It only occurs to her what she just requested, and she flushes, suddenly hyperaware of the wild drumbeat inside her chest, the zero personal space. Her skin sensitive to the squeeze of his hand on her hip underneath her hoodie. His twitch beneath when his other hand finds purchase on the area between her skirt and overknee socks and begs her to 'open up a bit' and he groans her name, "Ran."

Dazed, Ran creates an opening. Shinichi slides himself in. Ran tightens the grip of her thighs. Shinichi moves.

It's like all the air is robbed out of his lungs.

How does he describe this sensation? He feels like a present, she the wrapper. "Been wondering 'bout this for a long time," is what he doesn't say aloud, as he looks over at the way her knees linked close, her upper thighs clamp. There is something sacred in the place where he enters her, an absolute territory he's actually been waiting to explore beyond sight. He's only ever stared in loaded silence, when she walks ahead, or climbs the stairs, or gets a book atop the shelf on tiptoes and skirt hiking up. Thoughts spurring in his subconscious going, what does it feel like to be trapped in there.

Unbeknownst to Shinichi, it's the singular best place to ever be. An absolutely fucking addicting territory to be in.

Ran squirms in place, unable to stray her eyes away from the rise and fall happening beneath her skirt. She needs to confirm that this strange hot activity with Shinichi is real. With shaky hands she lifts the hem of her skirt up and sees him. Wet on the tip. Protruding then disappearing. Rhythm synchronizing with the labored breath by her nape.

Overwhelmed by the budding heat in that area they create friction, she begins rolling her hips, matching his timing.

They are doing it under the kotatsu.

It drives Shinichi crazier when Ran requests to rise up to a kneeling position, her palms flat on the tabletop. They stay connected below, allowing him a more comfortable grip, a more open view of him thrusting between her thighs. Ran tips her head back and breathes the cutest moan when he picks up the pace. If he closes his eyes, he may actually believe they're doing it from behind, the sensation perhaps nearly tantamount to fucking her. And he might really seriously get to fuck her. Except that what they're doing now is already so damn hot neither wants to stop.

"Ah. You're—" something wet oozes slowly over him as he continues sliding in and out her thighs. Understanding what it is and what it means for his girlfriend is about enough to give him a heart attack. His hands enclose hers atop the kotatsu, sheathing and unsheathing faster, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he croaks out, "fucking warm, Ran".

He hasn't hung out in her room intending to do anything of this sort with Ran. It's just suddenly happened. And now he's afraid that once he finishes, he'll end up wanting more. The heat in him builds up, ever concentrated at the nerve ends of his shaft, desperately looking for where he can possibly do the unloading in the most respectful way. On the table. The fabric of her skirt. Her socks. Her thighs. He grits his teeth and inwardly curses.

Whatever the case is, he'll make a mess of her.

He blames the universe for how badly that turns him on.

Closing in, he warns Ran by the ear. "S'll be a lot," he says, and Ran, tongue-tied and keening, nods frantically. In a split second, Shinichi makes a decision - spilling over the table will ruin Ran's notes. So the final blow he does, painting the back of Ran's thighs, dribbling down the seam of her socks as he spurts out more, and more, and more, then sliding back again between her thighs, calming himself down with one hand on her hip and the other squeezing her breasts beneath the hoodie.

For Shinichi, everything burns.

"Can I..." Ran speaks first, over quiet gasps of air, "Can I um, remove my socks, I'm..."

"Shit," Shinichi rasps, unable to even out his breathing. "Hold on." Still in a bit of a haze, he slowly releases his grip on Ran's breast, sliding down to join his other hand on her hips. Even in his high, he tries his best to hold her ever so gently. He tries his best, despite the wave of shame that has begun to wash over him.

"Sorry, I couldn't—"

Before Shinichi can finish, Ran turns her head to look at him, and Shinichi knows. The lines of sweat, the slow ragged breaths, the gentle stoke of fire in her eyes, all tell him that for Ran, everything burns, too.

They fall silent for a brief second, holding each other's gaze. Until Ran giggles first. 

It surprises him so because she’s giggling. She rolls the socks down one leg and Shinichi assists her in the other, thinking, if only he foresaw the positive feedback he'd get from this, he would’ve done this ages earlier.

“I think,” she begins, after she lets him clean her up with the dry portion of her discarded socks, the pair obviously going straight to the laundry. “That’s such a perverted thing to do.”

“Hey. Tha – !” Shinichi gives his retort a second thought, unable to control the red of his cheeks as he tucks himself inside his joggers. At least he accepts there is no use denying a fact.

“Don’t blame me,” he mutters, abashed, turning her around so she can see him pout. Maybe Shinichi will have to clean himself up too, later, alone, in the shower.

However, he notices that the fire in her eyes hasn’t disappeared.

“Whose fault is it then? Mine?” Ran asks, coy.

Fuck, not again.

Shinichi is supposedly mature enough to own up to his weakness, but until the end, even as he lays sprawled on the bedroom floor drowning in her kisses twice the intensity, even as he finds his hands roaming her backside to flip her so he comes on top, even as he lets her pull him free of his pants the second time that afternoon, the answer that leaves his smirking lips is, ‘definitely the universe’s.’

[rewordthis]

Without saying ‘I love you’

SouHaru 1507 words Yamazaki Sousuke, Nanase Haruka + SFW

This is for the Day 1: Open-air cinema & language prompt for SouHaru Week 2024.

Super duper late and unedited. SUMiMASEN!!! m(_ _)m

It’s all Rin’s fault.

All—

The foreign language movie that is currently giving him a headache.

The chill that bites in his bones on this early September night.

The rumble of his empty stomach— protesting.

He’s the reason why he’s ended up here.

A nearly empty open air cinema save for the 3 school-kids whispering and giggling on the far back, the elderly couple right in the front rows holding hands and… Haru beside him.

If Sousuke knew that both Rin and Makoto would bail on them like that, he’d never had agreed to this…

Never!

The movie was a two, maybe three, hell, it could have been even more hours long — long — rerelease of an American romance film with cheesy plot and even cheesier character lines that made Sousuke roll his eyes in incredulity whenever he happened to catch some subtitles in between yawns and half dozing in boredom…

This wasn't what he had been promised.

He can perfectly recall Rin saying that they would be seeing a fantasy story, with enough action and interesting messages about the human experience to even keep him awake…

Well, that wasn't how it turned out. Sure, Rin was right about him staying awake, although not entirely...

As autumn slowly creeped its way in, the final days of summer would always be marked with bone-seeping humidity and in combination with the nippy gusts that smacked him in the face, sleeping his boredom away simply wasn’t a viable option.

And he really should have known.

This was Rin we’re talking about, after all…

Rin was supposed to drive to the Training Center Makoto worked to pick him up after his shift, so they could — at last — all meet after two whole months.

Their work and training schedules were keeping them busy and apart — mostly apart — for days or even weeks, without time for even a quick chat over coffee together.

But for all four of them to hang out, now that was the real challenge.

As such, each had even more things they did on their own and the one to always have a new weird hobby to report was none other than Haruka with Rin a close second simply because no one of them could get over that one bungee jumping session he had from over 2 years ago.

Slowly, they all changed into the people they were supposed to be and Sousuke was no exception.

These past few years… Sousuke had calmed down significantly; he had grown more accustomed to having a day completely off from swimming every couple weeks, without feeling anxious that he would lag behind. 

Besides reading new articles about anything related to swimming, new practice techniques and training, he had to also care for his deportment as an athlete. No matter how he ended up with an old publishing of Savoir Vivre and how he actually even opened it up, the one thing he has decided to ignore is anything he read about food. The empty plate of his tonkatsu and even a second one, is nonnegotiable. In all this, he even read a variety of books, just to keep up with the trends Rin would bring up in their conversations.

He found himself enjoying things he cloud never even imagine before, like reading literature or watching wild animal documentaries or go to karaoke; much more, still, when he had someone to call a partner in crime…

So an old movie rerun-screening in one of Tokyo's back alley Theaters with his best friend, chill as it was, was actually something he looked forward to.

That’s why he felt his mood light that evening. And for one other reason, but that isn’t of the time—

And apparently, he wasn't the only one… 

Haru was excited, Sousuke noted when they first met up in front of the Station square; even though he already knew that this was to be expected since he’d be finally in the company of his most treasured friends — so naturally his mood would be lifted — it still surprised him. The one truly odd thing, however was that this small bliss emanating from Haru hadn't wane in the slightest by the time they arrived at the front gate of the Theater.

‘Isn’t Haru like really sour and guarded whenever he has to be alone with him?’

Sousuke was so certain that at some point his moodiness would eventually kick in if it was just the two of them, that he inwardly prayed it wouldn’t take too long for Makoto and Rin to come.

Poor soul; little did he know how this evening would actually play out…

The place in turn, was an old, semi-rundown open-air cinema, that as far as Sousuke could tell from the extreme contrast between the pristine pamphlets and posters and the dusty scratched up and flaked wooden case they rested in, it also hadn't open in quite some time…

If this place was haunted or cursed, he would make Rin spit blood—

He and Haruka exchanged a look in silence then before he asked; “Check what plays?” and Haruka nodding back in affirmation, pivoted towards the case next to the tickets booth with Sousuke following suit.

“Do you have the tickets?” Haru asked and Sousuke patted at his jacket’s chest pocket in response, as they both looked closer to the pinned program on the board; the program was a plain A4 photocopy paper that only listed two hours and the fairs for adults and kids and nothing more. They looked at each other and settled to at least check the film titles; there were 5 different movie posters among which they found a splatter, a Rambo and to their horror a romantic drama— which they decidedly ignored, hopping their tickets weren’t for that one.

Unfortunately for them, they got proven wrong.

The sole movie playing that evening was the Romance one, as the movies were projected on a rotating schedule 2 times a day.

“There is no way he planned it, right?” Haruka said horrified.

 “Knowing Rin— he must have.” Sousuke replied, rubbing at his temple; this was easy to predict and yet…

He never expected to be roped into this chick flic, about how a lover’s longing is so powerful that can bent logic and fate will always unite the unmatched, but only after the deepest, truest, most absolutely embarrassing words have been clearly relayed to the other.

‘See? I did understood what the ‘message’ was!’, he thought angrily. Mentally noting how he should plot a way to take his revenge.

He actually knew why Rin would be setting him up like this, he just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

The whole poetry of the old place— the never changing essence of life and love under the scenic moon glow, the elderly lovey-dovey couple at the front serving as the past, the kids in the back as the future— oh, Sousuke understood the themes and the lessons all too well in this assignment Rin had put out for him.

He had made him learn about this in one of their previous conversations…

‘The language of love, huh?’ he snorted at himself remembering it.

It was as if Rin was urging him: ‘Tell him. Tell him now—’

This was hell… 

Looking up the screen as the words ‘End’ were rolled out and over it the glittering full moon etched in the clear Autumn sky, Sousuke made up his mind…

From the corner of his eye, he looked at the man sitting next to him, that absently gazed as the screen gradually turned completely black and the bulbs on the gravel-covered pathways slowly lit up, again.

God, why? Why—

But for whatever reason, there was one truth and one truth only and this was as good a time to admit it as any, so he resolved to hook his eyes back on the bright moon overhead, his chest swelling with an intake of the chilly night air and his heart chocking momentarily on a throb as he said softly: “Say, Haru..”

“Hm?” Haruka, turned to look at him questioningly, but Sousuke din’t met his gaze. Not yet.

And without missing a beat he said with a sweetness that had never left his lips before; “… the moon is beautiful, ain't it.”

<<月🌕がきれいだよね>>

The look on Haruka’s face, when he finally turned to him, was a mixture of surprise and quizzical incredulity, as if he was asking ‘why are you saying that?’ and of course he would make that face— ‘corny’ was Rin’s job, after all. But Sousuke merely smiled.

Their eyes locking, as they truly saw each-other for the first time in their long acquaintance.

And he may not know how tender he had looked like at that moment, but he saw Haru’s expression shift from one of puzzlement, to realisation, to anxiousness before his gaze finally broke off in a flurry of lashes only to instantly come back again— this time gentle and steady...

“Indeed— so much it hurts…”

_____________________

~*~

A.N.: I can’t believe how many times I had to save this thing in order to have something to post! _(:3 」∠)_ SouHaru save meee!!!

[gunkbaby]

Heyyyy party people. It is now September, meaning the intended start for the little Tokyo Ghoul re-read I am still hoping to host will start (hopefully) next month!

College starts again for me on Monday, i was able to get my timetable so i know roughly how much free time i will have + over the coming weeks will be working on adjusting to that - i have to do an extra course to guarantee a uni offer too, so this could be subject to change. It’s…a lot lol. As soon as I have my routine in order, and feel i have enough free time, i will be starting the re-read. I am still praying to start the re-read in October. personally i think aiming to start it on Halloween would be sick af - and it takes more pressure off me lmao. I know not setting a set date for the start of the re-read is probably very annoying, and all my updates are basically - ooooh maybe October guys idk yet - but hopefully my next update will be more exciting.

I have the Discord server to host the re-read in basically all set up already, as well as scheduling for the re-read. I’d hope the next update is the link to the server. I am still in dire need of moderators for the server. I’m not good with technology and I’m a busy little bee, so if anyone would be interested in helping out with moderating the discord server, etc - please drop me a message to discuss it (warning that my reply time is quite slow in advance). I will also be making a side blog to host the re-read on tumblr - featuring weekly discussion posts and the like - for those who would prefer not to use Discord. As I said, hopefully all that will be in my next update.

I know I am not very active at the moment, but I have a few exciting things planned to post. Hopefully a short fic oneshot, new analysis post, and I’m hoping to post my ghoul biology headcanons soon too. My new course is lots of report writing and essays and research, so I was hoping in my free time I could build on those skills by making things related to TG (Shuu) - so hopefully a lot of long-winded TG posts in the near future. Also, of course, @shuutism will be coming back soon. I had to stop posting on there for a bit bc being online is hard.

Sorry I’m so boring in this update - girl who gaf lol 😭 Idk. Just wanted to yap i guess. Hopefully more exciting things on the horizon. Things are a lot currently; like i think I’m reverting back to Christianity and heterosexuality - or maybe it’s just pre-autumnal depression - and my adoration of horses has become very powerful, and now I have braces. Which is great because it’s really helped my ED recovery, but in the process I think it’s also sent me back into a different relapse. Like I say - a lot of stuff, none of it to be online. Idk. Yap session over. See u soon party ppl 🫡 🙏💜❤️

[loosesodamarble]

🎶✨when u get this, list 5 songs u like to listen to, publish. then, send this ask to 10 of your favourite followers (positivity is cool)🎶✨

WKDHYCJEVDIWNQGXIDNEHEIE! GUYS?! HELLO?! 😂

@lyranova @kalolasfantasyworld @vilandel @thoughtfullyrainynightmare

I got the same ask from 5 people before I ever got a chance to answer for one of y'all, so looks like I'm gonna throw out a playlist of 25 songs that I really like to listen to!

Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon

Burial Mound of Arms by Avu-chan (there is a lot missing without seeing it within the movie it comes from [Inu-Oh] and having a translation of the song, but the VIBES!)

Kaze ni Naru by Ayano Tsuji

Clear Blue Departure by STYLE FIVE

I Do Adore by Mindy Gledhill

All About Your Heart by Mindy Gledhill (what can I say, both songs are my vibe)

Haruka by YOASOBI

Shinzou Houei by Kenshi Yonezu

Suzume by RADWIMPS

Would You Be So Kind by Dodie

Click by Claris

Invisible Sensation by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN

Someone You Like by The Girl and the Dreamcatcher

A Walk by Gakuto Kajiwara (obligatory Black Clover song...)

Ashiato by the peggies

Orange by 7!!

Spot the Difference by Masaki Suda (Kenshi Yonezu's cover is also beautiful)

Life if Beautiful by ReoNa

Style. by Kana Nishino

Mephisto by QUEEN BEE

SIXTEEN by Suemitsu & the Suemith

Yoake to hotaru by n-buna

That's How You Know by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz

Tokyo Autumn Session by HoneyWorks

One Step Closer by Alan Menkin, Howard Ashman, and Glenn Slater

There is no sense of direction with these songs. But I really wanted to avoid an "oops, all Yonezu" situation because his discography is just INCREDIBLE! Still an overwhelming number of J-pop tunes though... Hm...

[yllonaaa]

2023 Achievements and Remarkable Memories!

January

- First beach trip with my best friend in Boracay and stayed at Discovery Shores 🤍

- First time in Tagaytay Highlands for business planning!

February

- Simple celebration with fam and relatives on the 65th bday of my dad!

- Went to Baguio twice in the same month! 😂

- Wedding Pamamanhikan to my sister in law

March

- Celebrated my 27th bday in our dream country with my best friend! Japan - Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto. In love with the cherry blossoms! 🌸 Enjoyyyeeed Harry Potter in USJ so much and was able to discover our fave (so far) ramen place in Osaka.

- Awarded a special award for hitting 2022 target. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend since I was in Japan.

- Had our first Karaoke session (me being dept head) with my CBLD fam as my advance bday celeb

April

- Swimming with Magno fam at Acop’s private pool after xxxx years of pandemic

- Celebrated Mama’s (my grandmother) 80th bday!

May

- Threw a bridal and groom’s shower for my Kuya and Sister in law! Magno cousins exclusive hehe

- My Kuya’s Wedding 🤍

June

- Cut my hair super short! For the frist time 😂

- Lost our adopted dog, Ampi 😢

July

- Promoted to Senior Assistant Manager

- First time in Manaoag, Pangasinan and my prayers came true!! 🥹

August

- Had a mini reunion with the Magno clan. Swimming in Antipolo 🤍

- Dad survived first batch of lab tests 🥺

- Lost another dog, Panda ☹️🐕

September

- My younger brother finally graduated in college. 🎓

- Back in Bohol even just for a short staycation. 🤍

- Adopted our newest furbaby, Yuki and survived Dengue for dogs 🥺

- HS best friend Ayeen got engaged 💍

October

- First time in Tacloban, Leyte and Samar!

November

- Reunited with my best friend after 8 months 🥺 last time we went out was during Japan trip

- First autumn 🍂🍁 Went back to Japan for the 2nd time with my best friend again 🥹 cant get enough with the beauty of Japan. Stayed in Mt. Fuji which was one of the best decisions we made! Enjoyed DisneySea.

December

- Went out with my CBLD team in the office. Went swimming for the first time after pandemic, got drunk with them and had various team lunch and dinner

2023 had been so much fun! Made me stronger and made me realize that both people and things are temporary. Cherish the moments and memories while they last. Thank you 2023!

[accelerandy15]

Which of the og Big 3 couples from gen 1 do you like the most? I know MidoSena counts as a gen 1 couple but my ask is for only out of those three (the spring, autumn and summer couples, if they're called that idk)

I don't have a fave but I personally don't like Natsuki and Yuu because every guy had a crush on Natsuki for some reason 🤔 And it has one of my most hated tropes 'tomboy becoming more girly for a boy she likes'. Ofc it's ok to go from tomboy to girly or vice versa, but not if its lying to who you are to impress someone. I think gen 3 does that much better with Hiyori, who gets dressed up by literal idols, but still gets told that she is wonderful no matter how she's dressed. And Natsuki in general is just...

Anyway, sorry for dumping my own opinion with the ask, im really interested in what your pick will be

My fav out of the gen 1 couples are Souta and Akari 💖 I think I'm just biased because 'Solution For Jealousy' was the first song to introduced me to Honeyworks. I was surprised how they kinda looked different in the anime because of the artstyle but I still enjoyed their moments. The reason I also like them was how 'sorta' realistic and cute their story and how their relationship formed and grew. I'm still salty that Honeyworks didn't give them an anime adaptation dabvsvsvdvab. And I was literally surprised to hear they got married in Tokyo Spring Session (since 10cmdatta or Tokyo autumn session didn't hint it or maybe I missed an MV on it) Anyways it's only thanks to the vomic and hanipre to get me content of them (idk if they had a novel I think they have I haven't read it). And that's why I love MochiAka they are underratedly a cute couple and they still need spotlight!

Okay, now if I were to give my opinion on NatsuYuu, I would just say... They're fine I don't have much of a problem. I just generally thought they were like the normal shoujou manga like couples. You know, the whole childhood friends to lovers, a love triangle, pinning and finally getting together and having a normal cute relationship with a few bumps in the road and tadah they're married. Well atleast their happy. I think honeyworks wanted to portray them as like the 'shoujou manga' like couples cuz they could have put more effort into making their relationship unique I can understand why you're not that quite of a fan of them. Let's just be happy that the Gen 1 couples are now living happily ever after 💙

[frostfall-matches]

[ hello autumn - paired ♡ ]

🦀 anon : spending fall with…

✧ Inumaki Toge

-> [ Inumaki has no complaints when hot, humid summers start to cool as fall approaches. ] It makes being outside that much more enjoyable, when you two don’t have to deal with sweating like crazy outside - however, he also gets the urge to stay inside and get all cozy with you. Cuddling up and taking naps with you during the afternoons sound absolutely amazing to him. He tends to keep a throw blanket around just for these little cuddle sessions with you.

-> [ When you two do enjoy the outdoors, you two usually engage in quiet activities like walks or picnics. ] The colors of the trees changing are always nice to see; you two usually head to nice little nature parks in Tokyo in order to really get a decent glimpse of nature going through its early cycle (though the Jujutsu High campus is surrounded by trees, too). It’s also the last opportunity to have a decent picnic before the weather really starts getting cold.

-> [ Inumaki likes to pick up the weird fall-themed snacks from the convenience stores. ] The weird things like the pumpkin spice Oreos. He honestly doesn’t think most of the seasonal snacks will be good, but sometimes there are some pleasant surprises! Of course, he insists that you try them with him - he sits down by you with an orange or yellow themed package with leaves, and he places a snack right in your hand. He also insists on getting at least one pumpkin spice beverage at some point in the season.

-> [ He tends to spend a decent amount of his free time on YouTube; he likes the influx of streamers playing scary games as Halloween approaches. ] If you want to watch with him, he’ll make sure to situate himself so you can both see his phone screen; or maybe he’ll cast it onto the TV. But if you prefer doing your own thing in his presence, that’s perfectly fine too - if you’re watching something else on his phone, he might scoot over towards you here and there to see what you’re up to.

-> [ Inumaki definitely gets you a few fun cat-themed things to spice up your space. ] These are probably going to be those silly Halloween black cat decorations - but sometimes they can actually look pretty cool or cute. Whichever your style tends to be, he’ll pick something out that’ll suit your preferences. He doesn’t really put a lot of emphasis on decorating depending on the season, but a few seasonal pieces here and there can be fun.

✧ Kirishima Eijiro

-> [ He invites you out to any big fall-related events that may be going on. ] Especially considering you don’t really celebrate fall where you live! Even in the city, there are fun little autumn festivals. Nothing too wild or exciting; and the only major holiday is Halloween. Speaking of which, Kirishima definitely has fun dressing up and putting on a little get-together with close friends, and he’d really love it if you participate.

-> [ Kirishima definitely likes summer, but he enjoys the cooler seasons too. ] Autumn and winter are a bit more comfortable (so long as winter isn’t frigid!), and you enjoy the cooler weather quite a bit anyways. He loves going out on walks with you, enjoying the combination of the warm sun and the chilly breeze. He seems the type to get you a cute hat or scarf before the weather gets too cold; matching scarves would be his guilty pleasure, honestly. It’s cheesy, but there’s just something he loves about matching couples’ items.

-> [ Please carve pumpkins with him! ] Definitely more of a Halloween activity, but it’s still super fun. Kirishima isn’t particularly artistic, so he’s probably not going to carve much more than a typical Jack-o-lantern face, but he cares more about the process than the end product anyway. A messy activity for sure, but he’s got enough sense to clean up decently afterwards. He never really thought about roasting the pumpkin seeds after, but he’d be down to try if you were interested.

-> [ Kirishima really enjoys spending time with you in the evenings, each of you doing your own thing. ] He absolutely has his moments where he’s a bit physically clingy and affectionate, but even he needs his own space and time to do what he wants. There are nights where you’re both dressed in cozy pajamas (themed, per his request; at the very least, it’s probably some thicker flannel type), you on your phone, sketching, or listening to music, while Kirishima is playing a game or watching a movie.

-> [ Speaking of movies, he insists on doing at least one horror movie binge. ] Kirishima insists that it’s a manly activity to participate in during the spooky season - you’re not sure you agree or not, but you’re willing to spend this time with him regardless. He’d also be open to playing scary video games if you happen to have any in your arsenal. Spoiler: he does, ultimately, get spooked enough that he has a hard time sleeping that night. You can’t help but find it a bit funny.

[haniprecards]

[ymnkino]

KIZNAIVER

chidori takashiro [ cute · sad · op & ed ]

relationships [ katsudori ]

official art | other

CONFESSION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

i’ve always liked you

yu setoguchi [ cute · hot ]

natsuki enomoto [ cute · hot ]

yutsuki | full movie

the moment you fall in love

yu setoguchi [ cute · hot ]

natsuki enomoto [ cute · hot ]

yutsuki

our love has always been 10 centimeters apart

yu setoguchi [ cute · hot ]

natsuki enomoto [ cute · hot ]

yutsuki

vocaloids

confession rehearsal

byoumei koiwazurai 1

byoumei koiwazurai 2

tokyo autumn session

i’ll love you now

confession rival declaration

one minute, one second, you and me

tokyo spring session

tokyo winter session

tokyo summer session

one · two · three · four · five · six

extra

official art | other

DEATH NOTE

misa amane | naomi misora

FINAL FANTASY VII | XV

aerith gainsborough | tifa lockhart

NARUTO · SHIPPUDEN · BORUTO

relationships [ clerith ]

noctis lucis caelum [ noctluna ]

ino yamanaka

genin/kid [ naruto / shippuden ]

teen · war arc · blank period · movies

boruto [ kid · adult ]

rlahnp · games · official art

[putschki1969]

FC-Exclusive Event “Join Wakana! Houseboat Full-Course Tour” Ticket Details

An exclusive event will be held for Botanical Land members. The event will take place on a private houseboat which will go on an autumnal Sumida River cruise! Fan club member can spend a special two and a half hours on a rented houseboat, enjoying the views of Asakusa and Tokyo Bay from the boat and have a fantastic full-course Japanese meal (incl. tempura + sashimi) with Wakana. The event will also serve as a mini fan meeting with an extended talk session and some singing.

《Event Overview》 Title “Join Wakana! Houseboat Full-Course Tour” Date September 22 (Sun), evening session from 18:00 September 23 (Mon), day session from 12:00 Departure point Asakusa, Tokyo (departure and arrival) Participation fee (incl. full-course Japanese meal) 25,000 yen

♥Travel Terms♥

■Travel date: September 22 & September 23, 2024 ■Departure and arrival: Asakusa Port ■Minimum number of participants: 20 people ■Itinerary: See below

― Itinerary ―　 Departure @ Asakusa Port (~18:00/12:00) Boat Event (Dinner/Lunch) Arrival @ Asakusa Port (~20:30/14:30) ※Dates and times may change depending on traffic and weather conditions.

■What is included in the tour price Chartered boat fee, meal fee, admission fee, event fee, tour conductor expenses, tax, service fee, etc.

■What is not included in the tour price Transportation fees to/from the meeting location, drink fee, personal expenses, injury and illness expenses, optional insurance

Other ※Please refrain from taking photos or videos during the tour. ※Wearing a mask is at the individual's discretion. ※Seating for dinner is reserved. ※During the tour, everyone will be assigned a random tour number. ※Please enter food allergies in the application form.

＜FC Exclusive Tickets＞

■Number of tickets: Up to 4 per person (FC membership required) ■Participation fee: (incl. full-course Japanese meal): 25,000 yen ■Application period: August 19 to August 25 ■Results announced: August 27~ ■Payment deadline: ~September 5 ■Inquiries: Presence Co., Ltd. Fan Tour Desk Email address yoyaku@presence-tour.jp

[gaoau]

Friday 5th – Shattered Glass

The Girl Upstairs note — Inspired by Alec Benjamin's song "Must Have Been The Wind." warnings — none. word count — 1.0k

next.

Trees swayed in sync to the beat of the crickets' tune, the cold Autumn breeze taking the lead in a seasonal dance. It picked up and it slowed down, whistling loudly against the windowpane only to shrink into a gentle hum that kissed red noses. Protected by thick walls and the blessed central heating in Tokyo apartments, a group of friends chortled the night away on a couch, cracking jokes and chucking balled-up napkins at each other.

No such thing as an occasion to be celebrated or a spontaneous get-together to inflict emotional pain on the owner of the apartment. A simple Friday night gathering, in which they watched a movie for fifteen minutes while munching on popcorn, and later left it as background noise to engage in conversation. The usual. It had reached such a point that Akaashi knew better than to object.

Among all of his friends, only Akaashi's parents trusted their child enough to allow them an independent life. Said friends took advantage of an empty apartment to crash every single Friday and have the time of their lives. No matter the date, the weather, the season, or the bustling streets of Tokyo. Friday nights always meant sleeping over at Merciful Akaashi's — as his friends had dubbed him — cozy flat.

When exams loomed, chaotic group study sessions found themselves invading Akaashi's place. When snow fell, the comforting scent of hot cocoa wafted through Akaashi's place. When the summer sun scorched down on the city, the heat was beaten by the crisp air of the air conditioner unit, of course, at Akaashi's place.

With a heavy sigh and a ghost of a smile, Akaashi watched his friends trash his previously pristine apartment. Innocent bickering about the correct past tense of the word yeet quickly escalated when Kuroo dared yeet an empty plastic cup at Bokuto. For some, it was a simple piece of plastic that flew through the air and tapped Bokuto's chest. To Bokuto, it was a declaration of war.

He sprang to his feet with a gasp, his shins impacting against the coffee table Akaashi had bought with his own money. The pain, however, did not compare to the sting of betrayal. Various drinks spilled on the polished wood. Bokuto flailed his arms over his head, and turned to his underclassman. "Akaashi!" he whined like a toddler. "Did you see that?!"

Akaashi stared unamused at the puddles of sticky soda decorating the cheap wood made to look expensive. With the same exhausted eyes, he craned his neck to meet Bokuto's exasperated gaze. A simple nod and Bokuto had obtained the wanted reaction.

It took him less than a second to pick a cup of water and fling it at Kuroo. His clothes, his hair, Kenma's shirt — who sat next to him — the couch; Akaashi's couch, of course. Everything splashed with cold water. Kuroo also rose to his feet, brows furrowed in discomfort. "You just yeeted water at me!"

"I yote it!"

"Fuck you, you yeeted it!"

"Yote!"

"Yeeted!"

"Guys, guys!" Finally, a voice of reason among the chaos. Known as the Jack of All Trades, Master of None, Konoha waved his hands, wearing a relaxed smirk. The room fell silent, all eyes turned towards what they expected to be future words of wisdom. "Clearly, the correct term is yoted."

The word carried itself out of Konoha's mouth with such ease and smoothness that one would think truer words had never been spoken. However, Konoha held the most amount of bullshit bundled up in one body. In the blink of an eye, the attacks turned his way. Cups — empty, half-empty, and full — bottle caps, profanities, crumbled napkins, popcorn kernels, Bokuto's slipper. They zoomed in his direction, knocked anywhere on his body, and elicited grunts of pain from him.

The sound of glass shattering brought them to a halt. Every single body in the apartment froze, breaths got stuck in throats. Silence consumed the room. Their eyes darted around in search of whatever they had broken. Apart from the — hopefully not permanently — ruined coffee table and the littered rug, not a single thing seemed out of place.

"Wha— What was… that…?" Yaku had the courage to cut through the deafening silence. A collective sigh of relief resonated throughout the room, and shoulders relaxed.

Crunching followed. Not quite faint, but clearly distant. Impossible to pinpoint, but distinctly the sound of feet strolling calmly through broken glass. The piercing crunching which brought unwanted mental images; cringing and flinching and wincing.

"Where's that coming from…?"

Akaashi had an idea. Akaashi knew. A despicably familiar sound to his ears, not because he secretly walked on glass as a hobby. No. Familiar, but not entirely. He had heard similar things before, although they didn't include shattering and crunching glass. His eyes trailed to the white ceiling a few feet above him. He stared as if he could see through the cement; he wished he could see through the cement.

"It stopped…"

Hums of agreement replied to Bokuto's observation. Akaashi lowered his gaze, turning to his upperclassman. But nothing could prepare them for the loud thump that struck their eardrums. Shoulders jolted and eyes darted upwards in a split second. A lonely, single, empty thump; it sounded once and left only silence to fall upon the pristine ceiling.

"…That was weird. What the hell's going on up there…?"

"Dude, that scared me shitless."

"Hope they're fine. It sounded like they broke a window or something."

Chatter bubbled to life once more, completely disregarding previous nonsensical banter and unexpected fright. In the midst of hilarious puns and hyena-like laughter, an inaudible broken wail reached Akaashi's ears. He glanced up on instinct to listen closely.

The relentless whistling of the wind on his windowpane drowned out any signs of his neighbor upstairs.

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Kenny Barron - New York Attitude (1984) Jazz

Kenny Barron - New York Attitude (1984) Jazz Please, subscribe to our Library. Thank you!Tracks: Kenny Barron. "The poetry of the piano" (Jazz) Best Sheet Music download from our Library. A long and intense journey: musical biographyGenerous educator

Kenny Barron - New York Attitude (1984) Jazz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsxrr90ChPw Tracks: 1 New York Attitude 00:00 2 Embraceable You, Take 2 06:00 3 Joanne Julia 11:51 4 My One Sin 17:31 5 Bemsha Swing 22:56 6 Autumn In New York 29:49 7 Lemuria 37:51 8 You Don't Know What Love Is 43:03 9 Embraceable You, Take 1 49:32 Credits: Bass – Rufus Reid Drums – Frederick Waits Piano – Kenny Barron Recorded December 14, 1984 at Van Gelder Recording Studios, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Kenny Barron. "The poetry of the piano" (Jazz)

For a jazz pianist, facing the piano face to face is an intense exercise in reflection, a reckoning with his baggage in music, a profound internalization process and, above all, a conversation with himself or Conversations with Myself (Verve, 1963), the famous album by Bill Evans, the jazz impressionist, an experience that he would repeat on albums such as Further Conversations with Myself (Verve, 1967), Alone (Verve, 1968), Alone Again (Fantasy, 1975) or New Conversations (Warner, 1978).

Keith Jarrett, a great fan of this kind of face to face with the piano to the point that it could be said that it was his usual mode of expression, has left us excellent albums, among others, The Köln Concert (ECM, 1975), the monumental Sun Bear Concert (ECM, 1978) or the recent Budapest Concert (ECM, 2020) recorded in 2016.

But this tour de force in front of the piano has a rich tradition in the history of jazz and all the great pianists walked this solitary path that allows an inner exploration with infinite possibilities, a continuous process of improvisation in which the usual question / answer happens in the limitless imagination of the musician. Just a few examples of pianists who throughout the history of jazz plunged into the creative solitude of the solo piano. The recognized virtuoso and master of all those who came after Art Tatum in the compilation Piano Solo (Capitol, 1972) that includes various sessions from 1949 —memorable version of Dvořák's “Humoresque”—or in the series The Tatun Solo Masterpieces Vol 1 (Pablo , 1953). He also did numerous takes on the great Fats Waller collected on the Fats Waller Memorial 5 Lps Casket (RCA Victor, 1969). Bud Powell, seminal foundation of bebop and modern jazz on numerous tracks on The Genius of Bud Powell (Mercury, 1956). Another of the basic pillars of modernity like Thelonious Monk in albums like Solo Monk (Columbia, 1965) or Piano Solo (Vogue, 1954). Mainstream pianists ( also wanted to confront themselves in solo dialogue: Mal Waldron — Searching in Grenoble: The 1978 Solo Piano Tompkins Square, 2022) or All Alone (GTA Records, 1966) —, the elegant and lyrical Tommy Flanagan — Solo Piano (Storyville, 1974) or In His Own Sweet Time (Enja, 2020) recording rescued from a concert at the German town of Neubur in 1994; Kenny Drew, Everything I Love. Solo Piano (SteepleChase, 1973); Ray Bryant, Alone with the Blues (New Jazz, 1958); Errol Garner in the series for Decca, Errol Garner playing Piano Solos or Hank Jones, Have You Met Hank Jones (Savoy, 1956) are just a few examples. But also contemporary pianists like Paul Bley, Solo Piano (SteepleChase, 1988); Fred Hersch —the triple album Songs without Words (Nonesuch, 2001) and Solo Piano (Palmeto, 2015)—; Brad Mehldau, Solo piano. Live in Tokyo (Nonesuch, 2004); Marc Copland, John (Illusions Mirage, 2020), tribute to guitarist John Abercrombie who died during the pandemic or the historic German pianist Joachim Kühn, Touch the Light (ACT, 2021) reviewed his jazz musical influences but also classical and pop music and nationally pianists such as Tete Montoliou, Solo piano (Timeless, 1989) compilation of the albums Y yellow Dolphin Street (1977) and Catalonian Folksongs (1978) or the young and versatile Marco Mezquida, La hora fertile (Whatabout Music, 2013), among many others.

And the great Barry Harris, custodian and champion of the bop tradition, could not be missing from this brief account —some consider it a kind of compendium of three of the most influential representatives of modern jazz: Parker, Monk and Powell and a renowned educator of jazz. so many talents that in albums like Listen to Barry Harris: Solo Piano (Riverside, 1961) or the most recent Solo (September, 1990) recorded in the Dutch Studio 44 and in which he makes an extensive tour of the modern jazz tradition through 15 songs, three originals (That Secret Place, So Far, So Good and Tribute to the Duke), readings by Monk (Monks Mood, Ruby my Dear and Blue Monk), by Powell (Hallucinations) and well-known classics by Rodgers, Youmans, Kern or Noble. Harris precisely quoted Kenny Barron when asked about a young pianist he liked, they insisted on being young and reiterated, "Barron, of course!" Finding out soon after, Kenny was pleased that he will think of him as a young pianist, "even though I'm my years now, even though Barry is a lot older than me." Together they led the great album Confirmation (Candid, 1992) as a quartet with Ray Drummond and Ben Riley in the rhythm section, a gathering of teachers recorded at the Riverside Park Arts Festival on September 1, 1991. Facing the piano alone could well be that feeling of “feeling that you are in the zone , a special place where everything works, heart, mind and technique”, as Fred Hersch wrote in the Solo album liner notes . And, of course, Kenny Barron wanted and knew how to sink in front of the lacquered mirror of the piano, with all the respect that a dialogue of such magnitude implies: «The solo piano has always scared me. That is number one. But the only way to deal with it is to deal with it, you know! It's an opportunity for me to challenge myself at every concert and, at the same time, be aware that I'm not Art Tatum. Because sometimes that's in the back of your mind. At the human level. Maybe I'm not doing enough. Maybe I'm not bright enough. That's still on your mind. So I'm trying to get to the point where that's like a noise I can forget about. Don't even worry about it. Worrying about that kind of thing, or how to stop worrying about it. But then again, the only way to stop worrying about it is to face it all the time. Just tell my story, whatever it is. And I think people respond, if you're honest." Interview by Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen (06.20.2017)

An impressive number of recorded albums —“about 500 as accompanist, or maybe 400”, he once said, and fifty as leader or co-leader—… and yet it is surprising that he has only recorded two solo piano and forty years apart. The first, At the Piano (Xanadu, 1982), includes an excellent mixture of jazz classics and originals that, then, when he was in his forties, were part of his musical spirit baggage. Seven songs for his solo piano debut, three of his own —“Bud-Like” as a tribute to the seminal Bud Powell, the rapturous “Calypso”, perhaps a Rollian wink and a memorable “Enchanted Flower”— and the rest are a must. Fulfillment for any pianist, the timeless ballad “Body and Soul”, the necessary Ellington-Strayhorn path in “The Star-Crossed Lovers” and, of course, Monk, another of his great influences: “Misterioso” and “Rhythm-a-Ning”. ”. High point, then, in his recording career, Robert Taylor pointed out in Allmusic . Now, at eighty and forty years later and, perhaps, in a sort of reckoning or testimonial legacy, The Source (Artwork, 2023) leaves us, recorded in July 2022 at the Theater de L'Athénée Lousi Jovert from Paris. As in At the Piano, it includes well-known own compositions —“What If”, “Dolores Street”, “Sunshower” and “Phantoms”), readings by Monk (“Teo”, “Well You Needn't”), revisits the Ellington-Strayhorn duo (“Isfahan,” “Daydream”) and a Great American Songbook classic (“I'm Confessin'”). On both albums, Barron establishes a lively connection with the listener to offer a musical discourse that is not forced, oblivious to any sense of pretense, in order to navigate various stylistic currents with the utmost elegance and virtuosity —from straight ahead jazz, classics, blues , bossa nova and even free improvisation—which attest to why he is considered one of the masters of jazz in history. "Album that could have been titled Kenny Barron: All The Things You Are ", Ed Enright has written in Downbeat (January 2023)... Indeed, everything that is.

A long and intense journey: musical biography

Eighty years old is Kenny Barron (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1943). He began playing the piano at the age of six — "it was compulsory at home and my mother made me study classical piano until I was 16" — among his teachers, Vera, the sister of Ray Bryant, also a pianist and a native of Philadelphia, a prodigal city in jazzmen : Benny Golson, Tommy Bryant, Philly Joe Jones, Bobby Timmons, Archie Shepp, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, among others. See the good ear or that he was good at it... «I became interested in jazz thanks to my brother Bill, a saxophonist, who had records by Charlie Parker, Dizzy, Dexter Gordon... And in Philadelphia there was also a 24-hour jazz station. My brother took me to my first concert with his band when he was 14 and we played standards and pieces from the big bands. Then I moved to New York in 1961, which was a fantastic place at the time. That's how it all started." While still in high school he worked with drummer Philly Joe Jones. And at the age of 19 he moved to New York starting a dizzying career as a freelance , accompanying musicians such as drummer Roy Haynes, trumpeter Lee Morgan or flutist and tenor sax player James Moody, after he heard him play at the Five Spot. Requested musician condition that he attributes: «They call me because I can play well, empathy and the interpretation that one makes of the musical intentions of others also influences, I try to make everything easy, or so I think» Key to his career was his entry in 1962 into trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's band on the recommendation of James Moody and without Dizzy hearing him play a single note. With Dizzy, in whose group he spent four years, he absorbed and developed a great knowledge and experience of the jazz language as well as an appreciation for Latin and Caribbean rhythms that he would later reflect on albums like Sambao or Canta Brasil . «I joined his band at the age of 19, what am I going to say, he was a great human being and one of the greatest learning experiences I have had . Foremost, Dizzy was very easy to get along with. He wasn't a dictatorial boss type, just a really nice guy. And he was very generous with his knowledge. He knew a lot about chords and harmony, and he was very generous. He always shared. 'Why don't you try expressing this chord this way?' He taught me things on the piano. And some nights, if the last set wasn't full, he'd get me off the piano and play a song or two with Moody. He wasn't a great soloist, but he did know the voices and things like that. And he also knew a lot about rhythms, especially Brazilian rhythms and Latin rhythms, and where they came from. What region of Cuba or what region of Brazil. And also nonmusical things about how to treat people. He always treated people with the utmost respect. In the four years that I was with him, I never saw him get angry. After leaving Gillespie's band, he worked with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson and Buddy Rich. In the early 1970s, Kenny worked with the great saxophonist Yusef Lateef, whom Kenny credits as a key influence on his improvisational art. I knew Lateef from before, when he was still living in Philadelphia and with whom he had just finished high school, he played several concerts and contributed, not as a performer but as a composer and arranger, to their album The Centaur and the Phoenix (Riverside, 1960) with the original “Revelation” and an arrangement of the standard “Ev'ry Day (I Fall in Love)”. It was Lateef who encouraged him to combine touring with a college education, earning a degree in music from Empire State College (New York). This is how Kenny spoke of Lateef: "He was honest. When he said something, you could believe it. Musically, it was open and very liberating. He was not specific with the instructions. Just be on time and no drugs." His recording debut took place with the album The Tenor Styling of Bill Barron (Savoy, 1961) directed by his brother Bill and which included also with the trumpeter Ted Carson, the bassist Jimmy Garrison and the drummer Frankie Dunlop who was followed by others along with his brother such as Modern Windows or Hot Line . About his brother (1927-1989): «My brother and I used to talk about music. He wasn't a pianist, so he couldn't teach me piano. But we talk a lot about music. We talked about some of the concepts of him and who he liked. He leaned a bit more to the left , in the sense that he liked Cecil Taylor, classical composers like Webern and Stockhausen. So he was into some experimental stuff. That was his musical inclination ». A year of great independent recording activity was 1967. He co-directed the album You Had Better Listen with trumpeter Jimmy Owens and participated in recordings with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and saxophonists Joe Henderson, Stanley Turrentine, Tyrone Washington, Booker Ervin and Eric Kloss. His ever-expanding discography continued to expand into the '70s, featuring sessions with saxophonists and flutists such as Moody and Lateef, bassists Ron Carter and Buster Williams as well as musicians such as Carl Grubbs, Marion Brown and Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson. Throughout the 1970s he continued to work regularly with prominent musicians, broadening the stylistic range of his collaborations—Stan Getz, Chico Freeman, violinist John Blake, trombonist and singer Ray Anderson, and drummer Elvin Jones.

It was also the decade that marked the beginning of his career as a leader. Sunset to Dawn (Muse, 1973) their album His debut as a leader featured, among others, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Freddie Waits and his own compositions such as “Sunset” or “Dolores Street”. It was followed by albums such as Peruvian Blue (Muse, 1974), Lucifer (Muse, 1975), Innocence (Wolf Records, 1978) or Togheter (Denon, 1979) in a duet with pianist Tommy Flanagan and in which both maestros interpret six jazz classics. with a language loaded with swing and moments of improvisational brilliance. For Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan (1930-2001) was one of his great influences: "My biggest influence was actually Tommy Flanagan, who I first heard during high school on a recording. What got me about Tommy was his touch and his lyricism, those two things. He had this very light, delicate touch, and when he touched it it was very, very logical. It was like speaking in sentences, with punctuation and all. That was my biggest influence. And then I discovered the influence of him, Hank Jones. So that particular style, that's what got me." During the eighties he maintained his intense activity, touring and collaborating with other musicians and publishing twenty albums in various formats, among others, his first recording on solo piano — At the Piano (Xanadu, 1982) —; a duet with bassist Buster Williams — Two As One. Live at Umbria Jazz (Red Record, 1987) and with Red Mitchell — The Red Barron Duo (Storyville, 1988)— Also a duo but alternating on double bass Ron Carter and Michael Moore — 1+1+1 (Blackhawk Records, 1986); a trio in Autumn in New York (Uptown, 1985) with Rufus Reid and Frederick Waits; in Scratch (Enja, 1985) with Dave Holland and Daniel Humair or in Landscape (Baystate, 1985) with Cecil McBee and Al Foster. In the excellent Whatat If? (Enja, 1986) he performed as a quintet with trumpeter Wallace Roney, tenor sax player John Stubblefield, and Cecil McBee and Victor Lewis in the rhythm section including originals like "Phantoms," "What If?" or "Voyage." He also founded the Sphere quartet with tenor saxophone Charlie Rouse, Buster Williams and Ben Riley, whose objective was to celebrate the music of Thelonius Monk and which remained active until Rouse's death in 1988, publishing albums such as Four in One (Elektra , 1982 ), whose recording coincided by chance with the day of Monk's death and therefore was not planned as a commemorative tribute and in which they perform outstanding readings of Monk's classics. It was followed by albums in which, although they do not cover Monk, their spirit is present, such as Flight Path , Sphere on Tour, Pumpkin's Delight , Four for All and Bird Songs released the same year as Charlie Rouse's death. The group met again with the alto sax Gary Bartz publishing the album Sphere (Verve, 1997). Read the full article