#hikaris daily life

[tokyo-tower-symbolism]

What does Karen mean when she says "I am Reborn"?

Revue Starlight takes place in a time loop. 

For over 60 years, eight students from Seisho’s acting class continue to audition to be the lead in the Starlight Gatherer, each hoping to use the brilliance awarded to the top star to fulfill their wish to perform on the Stage of Fate. And in each of those loops, very little changes. The same leads are chosen, the same wish is made, and Aijou Karen is at the bottom of the rankings every time. 

Nothing changes until one loop where Kagura Hikari transfers to their school from London and replaces Karen as one of the eight participants in the audition, and suddenly everything is changing.

Hikari’s return lights a spark in Karen. The childhood promise they made to perform on stage together is the closest it’s ever been to happening, and Karen refuses to waste this chance.

In the first episode, we don’t get a very flattering picture of Karen. Her roommate struggles to wake her up to get to morning practice, Karen is stiff as a board while stretching, she’s not taken seriously by her classmates at all, and she can’t even picture herself ever beating Maya or Claudine for the lead roles in the play. Don’t get me wrong, her classmates all like her and honestly she’s really funny to watch, but everyone is here because they want to be the star, not to fool around.

It comes to a head when the giraffe who runs the underground auditions points it out. She’s not desperate like the other girls so she has no chance of winning. He says that there is no place for someone like Karen to have a chance at that dream stage. 

But Karen doesn’t care. She ignores the giraffe entirely and jumps on stage to join Hikari. And as she falls, she undergoes a transformation, going from her school uniform to the revue outfit.

There’s a lot to be said about the transformation sequence, like how quick and mechanical and impersonal everything is. Machines sew the costumes and get everything ready and makeup is briefly applied. It’s all the work that would usually be given to the school’s Class B, which works on all the backstage stuff, like the props and the sets and the costumes. They’re out of focus a lot of the time and we only really focus on two characters from Class B, but they still exist! They’re friends with the main class A actors and in the movie it’s because of a speech the director of the play gives that the main characters decide to stand up on stage again. But they don’t matter to the audition. It only cares about the top star.

There’s also how the uniforms are mass manufactured and the very important star buttons, which signify victory or defeat so basically life or death, are unceremoniously tossed in a box, showing how disposable the rest of the stage girls are in creating the top star. Honestly the whole thing is kind of sinister in hindsight once you understand the true nature of the auditions.

But the part that’s all Karen is when she jumps and in the background it says: I am reborn.

Because Karen completely reinvents herself. She goes from getting sweeped in a low dip by Junna in their daily life to doing the same to her in the revue. In the following episodes, she starts waking up early, taking practice seriously, she changes her classmates' worldviews after defeating them, and she even beats Claudine and Maya to earn a lead role in the Starlight Gatherer. Nana specifically says that all the changes in this loop stemmed from Karen, despite Hikari’s appearance being the first major difference.

And in the climactic final revue of the show, Karen is only able to reach Hikari by stating that she will constantly be reborn if it means she can stand on stage with her. That Karen doesn’t mind getting her brilliance stolen or being trapped in the stage of fate or whatever terrible fate might befall her if she sticks with Hikari since each time she will get back on stage, born anew.

But what exactly does it mean to be reborn as a stage girl?

Well first, in order to be reborn you need to die, so let’s start there. And in the show, we see two dead stage girls.

The first is Hikari after she lost the audition in London and had her brilliance stolen. As a result, she loses all interest in the stage and can hardly remember why she bothered trying so hard to become the lead in her school’s play. But what snaps her out of this is remembering her promise to stand on stage with Karen, and how disgusted she is in herself that she almost forgot it. In a desperate attempt to reclaim what she lost, she goes to participate in the Tokyo audition since the winner will steal the brilliance of all the participants to make the stage of fate and become the untouchable top star. Unfortunately the one flaw in her plan is that Karen is also in the audition, so even if Hikari did win, she would also be stealing Karen’s brilliance, making it so their promise could never be kept regardless.

Hikari continues to be dead as a stage girl despite being a participant in the Tokyo Auditions. Although her technical skills are perfect, Maya in the first episode mentions that her heart’s not in it, which we later find out is because Hikari had lost her brilliance. This can be seen in her revue outfit in London compared to now. Over there, she had a sword and a red cape just like everyone else. But now her blade is shortened to a dagger’s length and her cloak is blue, the color of her promise which is her true desire here instead of the red of the top star that everyone else desires.

But Hikari is eventually reborn. By the time of her revue with Nana, Hikari has changed. She’s no longer pushing everyone away and has actually started to make friends with everyone and told Karen how dear their promise is to her as well. Even though Hikari only came here as a step on her path to become a top star and one day fulfill her promise with Karen, she’s instead inspired by Karen that the two of them could shine as top stars together here. Her entire worldview is completely changed, and in this Revue against someone who is in the audition not for a love of acting, but to instead use it as a stepping stone for her own ambitions, just like Hikari, her brilliance is reborn. Hikari’s weapon transforms, not back into the sword from before, but into a new dagger with a string that Hikari can use to maneuver herself and a star shaped hilt, similar to her hairpin, a symbol of her promise with Karen.

She’s not the same as she was before she died as a stage girl, but she’s reborn as someone new with a brand new outlook on life.

And the next dead stage girl we see in the show is Karen herself.

After Hikari wins the audition, she refuses to use the brilliance of the other participants to create the stage of fate, and instead offers to create it herself. This doesn’t really work and Hikari is trapped there for months in a Sisyphean effort where she attempts to build the Starlight Tower but it is destroyed over and over again because it’s impossible to put on a play alone.

But outside the Stage of Fate, no one knows what happened to her. Life goes on, but Karen is constantly searching for Hikari but has no luck. In the meantime Karen has lost the motivation she had back when Hikari transferred in. Even though she can say her lines perfectly during practice, there is something missing that everyone can tell. Her heart’s just not in it anymore. Karen even wonders why she’s been trying so hard all this time. It’s the spitting image of Hikari in London after she lost her brilliance. Even though no one stole it from her this time, without Hikari out there, Karen has no motivation to stand on stage.

But with no clues left to find where Hikari has gone, Karen instead has to understand Hikari. She reads Hikari’s Starlight Gatherer book in the original English like Hikari did. It’s hard and she needs a dictionary to translate it, but she puts in the effort to understand Hikari and why she left.

And on her way to confront Hikari once more with this new understanding, she is guided by her classmates. In the background the song “Knowledge of a Stage Girl” is played as each of them tells Karen what being on stage means to them.

Karen is reborn and ready to face Hikari after being dead as a stage girl, and it’s only because her worldview changed after understanding everyone else. Karen at the end of episode 10 couldn’t have convinced Hikari, she was absolutely blindsided then and had no idea what Hikari was doing. But now Karen was ready after having understood a variety of perspectives.

Because that’s what being reborn is, to change yourself. You will never be anyone other than yourself. But every time you understand someone, learn from someone, or get inspired by someone, you are reborn. You suddenly see a path someone else took that you hadn’t thought of before. You’re suddenly given a whole new way of life to live. You can be reborn as someone brand new. And even if you choose to stay exactly the same, you’ve still grown since you now know they exist.

When the stage is reborn in the final revue of the show, it’s only because Karen offered a new ending: that after falling, Flora ascended up the tower once more to meet the trapped Claire. Karen couldn’t change the past, she can’t make it so Flora and Claire never ascended the tower in the first place, she can’t make it so the two of them never took part in these auditions, but she can change what's gonna happen next.

This is also seen in the movie. Throughout the movie, Karen is wandering along a train track and reminiscing on how she became a stage girl. We see Hikari and Karen’s first meeting and the first play they saw with each other. We see how Karen had been the lead in her middle school plays and took dancing and singing lessons ever since elementary school. We see how she had to give up video games and hanging out with her friends so she could get into one of the best acting schools in the world. We see how scared she was that Hikari might have forgotten their promise. 

And once Karen arrived at the end of the tracks, she decides to give up on the stage, having realized that she had fulfilled her dream to shine as the lead with Hikari and now there is nothing left for her future on the stage. So Karen dies as a stage girl, for real this time. It’s still a metaphor but it’s real, her body goes limp in front of Hikari and there is tomato juice everywhere.

It’s real bad. Hikari starts crying and cradling Karen in her arms, which is a big departure from how stoic she usually is. But Hikari is finally truthful about why she left, having been symbolically reborn herself, and she tells Karen her true feelings, that she wants Karen to come back to the stage where she is waiting.

Karen falls again, and just like the first time she transformed, it even has the sign behind her that says I am reborn.

Her body rides down the tracks on a train, reliving the memories and burning up everything she already gave up before. But this time when she returns to the end, she is alive and reborn. The circumstances are all the same as before, she still fulfilled her dream and has nothing left. As she later says, she’s the emptiest she’s ever been. But she’s here now, all because Hikari said she was waiting for her, and that’s enough of a reason to stand on stage.

This is just like the first episode, where the only difference from all the other loops was that Hikari was there, and that’s all Karen needed to change and be reborn.

Because Karen can’t redo her whole life. Even within the time loop everything happened more or less the same each time. Karen already gave everything she had into acting and fulfilling her promise. Like the song playing in the background says, “I would be reborn as myself.” 

It’s not like she ever acted differently to try and become the top star, she doesn’t imitate Maya or Claudine or any other top star. She is unabashedly herself, always kind and energetic. The only difference is that she’s just more focused and motivated and understanding with each rebirth because the only thing she can change is what she is going to do right now, and that’s what it means to be reborn. 

Karen is transformed over the course of the revue, her sword snaps and her future is changed. She gains a better understanding of herself and why she stands on stage. And instead of desiring to stand beside Hikari on stage again, or longing for the stage that had already passed, she finds a new ambition, and chooses to stand against her as rivals who won’t lose to each other. And as established in a previous revue (that Karen wasn’t there for), the revue of rivals never ends, no matter how far apart their stages are. So instead of giving up on the stage like she said prior, we see the reborn Karen auditioning for a brand new role during the credits.

Revue Starlight is all about these little transformations. As the stage girls take part in each of the revues, they learn a little bit more about each other, which helps them learn more about themselves. They grow and change because they clash with each other, and become stronger for it. The giraffe changes from the proctor to becoming a bunch of fruits and vegetables, symbolically the fuel they need to ascend to the next stage instead of using each other’s brilliance. The revues themselves change from being part of an audition to being entirely for the girl’s satisfaction, with previous win conditions such as cutting the brooch or claiming position zero becoming worthless as they move on to bigger things.

And all of this was a choice. The first choice was that Hikari didn’t want to give up on her dream with Karen, so she got back on stage. The next choice was that Karen wanted to stand on stage with Hikari, even if she wasn’t part of the auditions. In the movie, everyone else gets the chance to see themselves as a dead stage girl. At first they are in shock, but then they hear a speech from the director about how they are all scared together. And after that, each of them chooses to get back on stage despite the risk, because they aren’t facing it alone.

In the final revue of the show, Karen said that every time she gets on stage, she is reborn. And we saw that! Before every revue, Karen had her “I am Reborn” transformation sequence. And it’s not just her, in the recap movie, the other stage girls didn’t get the full transformation sequence, but they did get an “I am Reborn” card before their revues. Because everytime a stage girl chooses to stand on stage, someone else is there. Someone else is going to be facing them in the revue. Someone else will be acting across from them, or will be supporting them off the stage. And even when they are apart, they are going to be thinking of each other.

Even from the very beginning, the reason that any of them chose to stand on stage was because of someone else. Maybe they were inspired like Karen, Hikari, or Junna. Maybe it was expected of them like Maya, Kaoruko, or Mahiru. Or maybe it was because someone else was already there, like with Futaba, Claudine, or Nana. And sometimes it’s a mix because people are complex and have so many different reasons for doing anything they do. 

But still, they chose to do it, to change and to take a risk and put it all out there and accept whatever comes with it.

And that is what it means to be reborn.

#karen aijou #hikari kagura #revue starlight #analyzing starlight

[ecargmura]

Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 Review - The Fujiyoshi Family

It’s here! It’s here! Ah! My most anticipated show for this season is finally here! It’s the first ever omegaverse anime! Before I get into the review, I’ll inform you of two things:

If this reminds you of Gakuen Babysitters, you are perceptive! The character designer for this anime, Mina Owada, did the character designs for Gakuen Babysitters. The three kids in this anime are all voiced by voice actresses who were in the anime too with Hikari, the black-haired baby being voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki who voiced Kazuma Mamizuka and Kirin’s mother, Yayoi Kumatsuka, Michiru, the brown haired boy being voiced by Kaede Hondo, who voiced the infant Midori and Ryuichi’s classmate Yuki, and Hinata, the infant girl, voiced by Konomi Kohara who voiced Kirin.

What is Omegaverse? It’s a universe where male and females can be impregnated by those of the same genders, but there are additional sub-genders, alpha, beta and omega. Alpha are the elites, the ones on top of the hierarchy. They excel in anything they do and are considered the favored species in the universe. Beta are ordinary people. Omegas are usually considered inferior because they go into heat cycles, which causes their pheromones to become stronger in order to attract mates, specifically alphas. Males can impregnate other males, females can impregnate females, and in some cases, females can impregnate males in this universe. So yes, Hikari is biologically Masaki and Hiromu’s child and he’s not adopted or born from surrogacy.

Now that you understand the basics, here’s my review of the premiere!

The premiere of the very first omegaverse anime is adorable as heck! You can see there is a soft, sweet and domestic atmosphere in the Fujiyoshi family with Hiromu, the black-haired husband and an alpha, and Masaki, the brown-haired husband and an omega, being the sweetest and happiest couple with their equally adorable son Hikari. The story is just about their daily lives as they deal with being an alpha-omega couple in a world where different sex couples are looked upon unfavorably compared to marriages of the same sex.

The first episode shows the type of world Hiromu and Masaki live in and details of how they dealt with prejudices from how the previous home they lived in discriminated against Masaki to Hiromu’s subordinate being shocked that his boss married someone of a different sex. It can be shown in their behavior too with Masaki being rather self-degrading and timid when these topics are brought up and Hiromu being rather protective of his mate and child because of this. There isn’t a lot of gender drama in this first episode, fortunately. It’s mainly a set-up to how future conflicts will come to them.

Hiromu and Masaki are written to be a couple that has been together for a long time, but still act like newlyweds and it’s adorable. Individually, a lot can be said for both of them too. Hiromu is extremely doting towards Masaki and Hikari and is pretty much Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist if he was put in a domestic omegaverse setting. Masaki’s personality shows that while he is living a happy life, he still has his fair shares of insecurities and self-doubt due to him being an omega; I can tell that he’s someone who dealt with a lot growing up. Actually, I read the manga (and many times at that), so I know how the story goes!

Hikari is adorable and is a boy growing up with loving parents. As he’s almost two, he’s just a toddler. He’s still blind to the world of omegaverse, but that doesn’t matter as long as his parents, an alpha and omega, are happy. I can tell he will grow up to be a kind and sweet child just from how his parents talk to him and how he behaves around them. He’s legitimately so adorable. I was legit acting like Hiromu during some of his cutest moments here.

Other than the main three characters, there are a few other characters introduced. There’s Matsuo, who is Hiromu’s co-worker and childhood friend who’s like an older brother. He’s the biggest victim of Hiromu’s love life as he’s the one Hiromu shows off his family to the most in picture and video form. There’s the Hirai family who lives next door with the mother who treats Masaki and his family kindly by giving them flowers after complimenting her garden and going along with Hikari’s cute antics. Her son is introduced towards the end, but he won’t be formally introduced until the next episode, so I can’t say much other than he’s not a source of conflict, as you can tell by the opening that he’s going to be involved with Matsuo. There are also Hiromu’s subordinates whose names I don’t know, but the female one with red hair is super cool.

This anime is animated by Studio DEEN, who is practically the go-to studio for BL anime at this point. They animated Junjou Romantica, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi (a personal favorite of mine), Hybrid Child, Sasaki and Miyano and now Tadaima Okaeri. While the studio does get some flack for non-BL anime, you cannot deny their BL animes are some of the visually prettiest of their works by far. I think the animation in general is a step up from their previous works. Look at the scene where Masaki kisses Hiromu’s mole. The way he brushes his hair back was really smoothly animated.

The music is really cute! I am listening to the opening song on repeat! The song is sung by MADKID, a J-pop boy band. I do wonder if they were influenced by K-pop in a way because their song does have a K-pop feel. It reminds me of Seventeen in their rookie days with the refreshing concept. The ending song is also nice to listen to! The froggies being the Fujiyoshi family is a nice little detail!

The voice cast is very strong. Did you know that before the anime, there was a drama CD of Tadaima Okaeri? Well, the cast in the anime have been reprised from the drama CD. Masaki is voiced by Atsushi Tamaru. He’s a BL regular. For non-BL roles, he voices Kunimi from Haikyuu and voiced the stalker dude who stabbed Ai in Oshi no Ko. I love how his voice is so gentle when voicing Masaki. Hiromu is voiced by the one and only BL emperor Toshiyuki Morikawa. He’s practically a household name in the BL world. I love how silly he can be with Hiromu, especially the scenes where he’s gushing over his family. Hikari is voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki. If you’re not familiar with the name, her roles may be familiar to you. She is the voice actress of Anya Forger from Spy x Family and Frieren from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. Shocking, right? She did voice Hikari in the drama CD and reprised the role! Tanezaki is seriously a versatile actress as she can voice babies to immortal old elves. Another big name in this cast is Kosuke Toriumi who voices Matsuo. If you’re not aware, Toriumi used to be super active in BL in the past, but not as much recently. Some of his roles in BL includes Haruhiko Usami from Junjou Romantic and Akira from Togainu no Chi. Some of his non-BL roles include Yuri Lowell from Tales of Vesperia, Imaizumi from Yowamushi Pedal and Gilbert from Pandora Hearts. During the drama CD era, I thought Toriumi was a bit of a miscast at first, but now, I think he suits Matsuo well as he gives off the aura of a handsome elite. He doesn’t have to be deep-voiced; instead, the voice makes him sound caring, which he is. Also, the boy introduced at the end of the episode, Yuuki, is voiced by Taku Yashiro. He’s also a regular in BL in recent times. His non-BL roles include Friede from Pokemon Horizons and Spitz from Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective. In all honesty, the voice cast is super strong and they all do an amazing job.

I can’t believe I can look forward to Mondays thanks to Tadaima Okaeri! I just hope the animation stays consistent as well as the cuteness. I can’t wait for Mondays to be my happy days—shocking, I know! If you’re watching this anime, what are your thoughts on the premiere?

#tadaima okaeri #welcome home #masaki fujiyoshi #Hiromu fujiyoshi #hikari fujiyoshi #Tomohiro Matsuo #Yuuki Hirai #review #anime #anime review #bl anime #omegaverse #ecargmura #arum journal

[minna-egao-ultra-happy]

Roleplay starter!

You are just going around your daily life. Suddenly, you spot in the sky what appears to be...

...A wolf???

"Hmm... What do we have here..?"

@trying-my-best-always @ask-shelby-and-her-kitty-cats @hoshi-neko-hikari @ask-paradox-and-friends

And anyone else who wants to do this!

[invisible-storyteller]

Home is a person

For @kirayukimuraappreciation. Day 1: You Came Back. Pairing: Malia Tate/Kira Yukimura Rating: General Words: 1628 Tags: Post-Canon, Post-Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023), Kira-centric, Kira Yukimura Returns, Derek Hale & Kira Yukimura Friendship, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary:  Kira returns to Beacon Hills just in time to save Derek. With everyone alive and the Nogitsune gone, happy end is due, right? Well, Kira needs a bit more convincing to realize why she's come back at all. (Read it on AO3).

It doesn’t take long to understand the situation. It takes even less time to tackle Derek off the Nemeton.

She makes sure to stand guard around the tree stump with another, younger kitsune as Parrish’s arms wrap around the mutant evil spirit and they both go up in flames. The only thing left in the Nogitsune’s wake is silence and bad memories.

Then the illusion is gone and Kira can breathe again. They are all standing on a stadium field, safe, shaken and once again victorious, surrounded by friends she hasn’t seen in over a decade. It just figures that another life-and-death scenario would bring them back together.

“Dad!”

A werewolf boy barely in his teens rushes towards Derek and buries himself into his arms, and as Kira does a 360-degree turn, she notices that everyone's celebrating in varying forms of an embrace while she’s standing on the side. Alone.

A lean body sags onto hers suddenly and she startles by the unexpectedly tight hug. “You saved my dad,” The boy says against her shoulder, relief heavy in his voice. “Thank you.”

From a short distance, Derek smiles at her and walks closer to the pair. “Amazing timing,” He compliments.

Kira smiles but can’t help looking around and thinking: “Actually, I might be too late.”

Derek invites her to dinner as an expression of his gratitude and then follows up with a dozen ‘thanks yous’ throughout the evening. His son, Eli, has a million questions about the Skinwalkers and her powers and he breaks down crying halfway through. It’s a lot, but Kira still feels better on the drive home.

It’s definitely nicer than the nothing that follows.

For every single thing that hasn’t changed in Beacon Hills, there are at least three more that have. Derek, apparently, doesn’t know much about the others since most of them haven’t kept in touch after an allegedly glorious defeat against an army of hunters. Kira hasn’t been there for the war, but she supposes that the pack would have sought her out if she was truly needed.

Reuniting with Scott is awkward, seeing him hold hands with Allison is even more so. It’s not like Kira had much hope for her and Scott, but it still hurts. It doesn’t sting like a heartache but more like another proof that life went on without her.

She talks with Hikari and Liam before they leave for Japan because that’s their home now, not Beacon Hills. Kira has no idea where her home is anymore.

Half of her life has been dedicated to fighting for control with the Skinwalkers, so readjusting to the changes and modern life should be easy, and yet, Kira finds herself debating on a daily basis the idea of simply going back. What is keeping me here? - it’s a question that echoes too often in her head.

Derek is attentive, but more than that, he understands. He invites her over for more dinners and movie marathons (to help her “catch up on what she’s missed”, and he cringes right after saying it), and talks about his travels proceeding the events in Mexico. She realizes by the second-hour mark that the similarities of their experiences are overshadowed by their unbridgeable differences.

Because Derek returned when his friends were in need, but Kira didn’t.

He shows her the garage, the preserve and the school. Coach doesn’t recognize her but asks whether she’s good at lacrosse and if she would like to join, anyway. This leads to Kira practising with Eli on Mondays, since Derek claims he’s always been more gifted in basketball.

Kira knows what Derek’s doing, really, and she appreciates it. She just doesn’t know how to tell him that the issue isn’t with the place. It’s with her.

It’s 12:14 pm on a Friday when Kira walks into the auto shop. It’s been five weeks since her return and as she enters the shop (instead of waiting outside like usual), the realization hits her of how weird it is that she hasn’t talked to Malia in all that time.

“Hey,” Malia greets, like they've just spoken yesterday (they didn't, not in 14 years), kicking her feet off the counter and plucking the earbuds out of her ear.

Kira is ashamed that she can’t come up with a better reply than “Hi”, accompanied by a not-quite smile to make up for the lack of contact. Not that Malia couldn’t have reached out, Kira reminds herself, and feels a dull pang in her heart. It’s an everyday occurrence.

“What are you doing here?” Malia asks as she stands up, soft sweater bunching up at one of her sides. Derek’s been either rubbing off on her or pestering the woman into warmer clothes as the season turned chilly. It’s an adorable sight, nevertheless.

Kira looks behind herself, wondering for a moment if she should wait outside after all. Then she remembers Malia has always been confrontational and feels her nerves settle at the small glimpse of familiarity.

“Derek promised to buy me lunch,” Kira finally says, glancing around for good measure. Derek’s most likely in the back, though, immersed in grease and work.

Malia nods, looks away, pats down her jeans.

“What if I buy you lunch?”

The question catches Kira off guard and her wide eyes are probably telling since Malia immediately shoves her hands into her jeans and plunges into an explanation.

“Derek’s busy with a demanding asshole’s car and sitting here is getting seriously boring. So please? Put me out of my misery?”

Oh. Well. Kira can roll with that.

“Yeah, sure, if Derek doesn’t mind.”

“Wait here,” Malia instructs before disappearing through the backdoor. Three minutes later, Malia is back with car keys dangling from her fingers and a familiar-looking credit card in her hand. “He doesn’t mind. Now, let’s go. I’m fucking starving.”

The lunch is better than Kira expects. Malia's questions are straightforward but her answers to Kira’s inquires are equally frank. It’s refreshing to finally pour out all the feelings Kira's had bottled up for over a month now. It's also the first time she laughs honestly.

“We should meet up again,” Malia suggests while they're pulling up to Kira's home. Or, well, to her parents’ house.

“Yeah,” Kira agrees readily.

Then, she promptly forgets about wanting to leave for a full week.

“Don’t you want to have your own apartment?” Malia asks with her bare feet trudging in the shallow part of the lake.

Kira pulls her knees up to hug them closer as well as to support her chin as she shrugs noncommittally. “I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“Seriously?" Malia looks flummoxed. "Didn’t you make a comment about the absurdity of sleeping in your old bedroom? Right below your One Direction poster?"

Yeah, Kira spent an entire day mourning over that particular change.

“I know, I just never thought I would need a permanent place here.”

Malia freezes in the water at once and aimes her eyes at her submerged feet. Kira can't parse the emotion on her friend's face, and it makes the anxiety that she hasn't felt around Malia yet emerge with frightening intensity.

“You want to leave.”

There's no accusation behind the words but they aren't exactly warm in nature. Kira doesn't want to lie, not to Malia, so she settles on a shrug.

“But you just got back." And now the hurt is audible in Malia's voice.

“Why should I stay here?" Kira asks, pleading for her friend to understand. "Our friends aren’t here anymore, the pack isn’t here anymore, my life isn’t here-“

Kira bites her tongue. When she got back two months ago, she was filled with exhilaration to reunite with her family. Her mother made occasional visits to the Skinwalkers, but it was nothing compared to the almost forgotten scent of his father's cooking or the sound of her mother's singing as it floated through the house. There was no happier moment in Kira's life than when her mother had called about the Nogitsune's return and the Skinwalkers bid her farewell for good. Her training was over.

But Kira didn't live in Beacon Hills for long and she didn't have childhood memories to anchor her to the town. The only thing that was ever valuable in Beacon Hills were her friends and even they had left a long time ago. Kira has no reason to stay.

“I’m here,” Malia's words break through her thoughts, and Kira meets her eyes curiously.

“Why? What holds you back?”

Malia doesn't answer. She simply walks out of the lake and sits beside her in the grass. It's an unusually sunny day.

“Parrish?” Kira chances, and her heart soars when Malia shakes her head lightly.

“I guess... I was waiting for everyone to come back.”

Kira hasn't considered it yet - what it must have felt like to be left behind by all their friends. The worst is, though, that she doesn't remember if she ever said goodbye to Malia.

They listen to the forest while soaking in the pale light of the Sun, and at one point, Malia decides to lie down on her back and just watch the vagrant clouds as they swim past the treetops. Kira hasn't known this kind of peace in... 14 years.

“I guess..." Malia suddenly speaks, quieter but somehow braver, "I was waiting for you to come back.”

Kira looks at the other woman, at the challenge and hope in her eyes. At the evident fear that she bares open for only Kira to see.

She leans onto her side until she hovers above Malia, and slowly, tentatively, takes hold of her hand.

“Will you help me look for an apartment?”

Malia beams, and just like that, Kira no longer regrets coming back.

#kiraweek2023 #kira yukimura #malira #derek & kira #original: teen wolf fanfic

[dutchforstrangers]

Suit and tieTai - Taiora one-shot

For @taioraweek 2023 Day 4

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

A/N: Another WIP that finally sees the light of day. Because I will never get tired of making these two oblivious dorks kiss for the first time in every universe possible.

Summary: It was one simple kiss that turned their ignorance into awareness of what had already been there the entire time...

Day 4: First kiss | Characters: Taichi Yagami (POV) x Sora Takenouchi | Genre: Subconscious blooming romance | Rating: K+ | Wordcount: 1.344

7:47am. When he woke up this morning, he had told himself he would start early, so he was sure to leave Hikari and Sora’s apartment on time for a change. But it had already been eight whole minutes since he had started fighting the tie around his neck in front of the mirror.  

Frustrated with himself and that stupid string of fabric around his neck, Taichi growled. “I have this very important meeting at work I cannot mess up,” he said to no one in particular.

“You good?”

The female voice came from the kitchen and belonged to Sora, since Hikari had already left the house for her internship at the kindergarten. From the corner of his eyes, Taichi could see her peeking.

“Yes.” Taichi said, but didn’t sound to convincing. He decided to switch his answer. “No. This tie, I swear, these should be forbidden!”

Sora grinned, with her elbows she nonchalantly leant on the kitchen counter. “You’d think as someone working in suit and tie every day, you’re good at tying it by now.” She teased him.

“Except I’m not.” He was fully aware of his tone sounding annoyed. And he was, because somewhere deep down in him, he knew he would always struggle with it. “And never will be. Sor, can you help me one more time, please?”

He definitely needed her help. Like he had needed it all the other times he had stayed over these past couple of weeks.

Sora chuckled as she made her way over to him. “Come here.”

“Good thing I’m staying over.”

“You’re practically living here by now,” Sora joked while her hands prepared the two sides of the tie around his neck for the actual tying. Her eyes fixated on the accessory.

Sora’s joke was one with truth though. The girls’ apartment was closer to Taichi’s work than the loft where he lived with the three boys, plus, it had a more cozy atmosphere compared to the messy boys’ energy. He had lived with Yamato, Koushiro and Jyou during his entire time at university, but now that Taichi had started working, he was ready to go a different direction regarding his living space.

“I don’t want to be near Yamato and my cousin getting it on constantly.” Which was another big reason why he wasn’t at home right. He watched a blush forming on Sora’s cheeks, her hands still working on his tie, softly and with care.

“Too much information,” she said. “How about Koushiro-kun and Jyou-senpai?”

“Ugh, Jyou’s never at home, either in the hospital or with his girlfriend, and Koushiro is busy most of the time, hidden behind his desk and wall of computers. Different from me, the boy is resistant to Yamato and all of his bedroom shenanigans.”

Sora laughed. She spent a lot of time with Koushiro, her being one of those rare friends who could talk to him without any form of technology between them, and she was very much aware of Koushiro’s ability of radiating the ‘I’m not giving a shit’ energy.

“Jealous?”

“Please,” was Taichi’s answer.

He wasn’t jealous, it was just him being ready for a change of pace. And so he found himself crashing on the girls’ couch quite a few days per week. He had to admit though, it also came in very handy that Hikari or Sora –but mostly Sora—were always available to help him out with his daily outfit struggles. 

Maybe he was in need of a life partner to settle down with, who could match his changed needs and wants, Taichi thought to himself, knowing he couldn’t keep crashing the girls’ couch forever.

“I much rather stay here with my lovely little sister and incredible friend who is—”

Sora patted his chest lightly and Taichi shifted his attention towards her hands after returning from his thoughts.

“… great at tying your ties.” Sora finished for him. Her feminine fingers worked their magic once more and a perfectly knotted tie hung loosely around his neck. She carefully adjusted his collar and the tie itself, making it look sharp. “There, you’re all set.”

The softness and collected happiness in her voice made Taichi smile. He showed her his signature grin before turning himself to the mirror to look at himself. Behind him he saw Sora look at him too and his own heart weirdly skipped a beat.

“Thanks,” he quickly said to cover himself, still genuinely happy with Sora’s fashion knowledge and friendly help. He walked past her to get to his jacket and coat.

“Oh! There’s this dinner thing at my place tonight, will you be there too?” Taichi remembered as he put the jacket and coat on.

“Sure will be,” Sora answered while on her way back to the kitchen. Again, he felt a bolt of luck going through his body and warming his chest.

“Great! Looking forward to it.” He hastily slid into his shoes, his eyes checking out the time on the watch around his wrist. “Shit! Okay, gotta rush, see you toni—”

“Wait! Not yet.” Sora shouted from the kitchen. Taichi already had the door opened, doorknob in his hand, as he turned his head around to see Sora crossing the small living room towards in a rushed pace. In her hand she held his lunchbox and he instantly remembered it was what he not only forgot to grab, but forgot to prep and pack as well…

“You left this,” she said it as if he hadn’t seen what she was bringing him. He took the box from her, immediately feeling it wasn’t empty, meaning she had not only noticed he forgot, but had actually prepped and packed it for him. The heat from his chest slowly rose to his cheeks. “Have a good day at work.”

She smiled at him with her kindest and most genuine smile. It made him smile in return and for just the briefest of moments, time stood still.

“Thank you, you too,” he said, suddenly realizing he was in a hurry. With the lack of air between the two of them, he swiftly close the gap and planted a quick kiss on her lip—

Wait.

He did what? When— how?

Time seemed to stand still once more.

“Erm… sorry,” Sora spoke first, face completely red, chest high from all the gathered air inside of it. “That wasn’t supposed to happen…”

Taichi shook his head, with that trying to get him out of his daze. “Right… So much for all the accusations of us looking like a married couple huh?” He joked, automatically resolving to comedy to cover up his own redness.  

“Y-yeah, hehe…” Sora nodded as one hand moved itself nervously to her lips, her fingers touching the spot where he had pecked her like a husband kissing his spouse goodbye for the day.

Even though he had been unaware of his own feelings at first, apparently, his body had known what to do. The kiss blissfully happened by itself, showcasing both him and her what sparks had been exchanged. Not only during the time spent in this apartment together, but during their entire life by now.

It occurred to him that, rather than searching for someone to settle down with, perhaps he had already found that someone. Sleeping underneath the same roof, she tying his ties, bickering like only lovers could.

That it was just one simple kiss turning the ignorance into awareness.

The smile on his face grew bigger. As much as Taichi wanted to stay, especially now –to reflect a bit longer, to talk about his newfound excitement— he had to run.

“See you tonight, Sora.” Taichi said emphasizing her name as he took off.

He looked over his shoulder one more time, just to be met with the view of Sora waving him goodbye like they had indeed been married forever. To that, Taichi snickered to himself, in his securing Sora would be the one to untie his tie at the end of at least today.

Perhaps he could even steal another kiss from her…

#taioraweek2023 #taioraweek #taiora #taichi yagami #sora takenouchi #digimon fanfiction #taichi x sora #digimon #taichi #sora #tai x sora #tai kamiya #tai

[leixeclipse]

Hi, how are you?, I saw that the requests were open (sorry for my English if they are not)

could you do a yandere headcanon of some characters from "Litchi Hikari Club", it could be any character i'll settle for anything thanks for reading🧓🏻🙏🏻

Sorry for the long wait! I picked some of my favorites.

(Quick lil scenario reminder: reader is kidnapped and is held captive in the headquarters!)

Zera

-The biggest simp/worshipper ever.

-On one hand he’s pretty respectful and tries to give you privacy in the beginning but after a while he becomes forceful and impatient.

-He’d hurt you to make you stay in hell the litchi hikari club.

-If you disobey or act up he won't be afraid to order the other members to put you back in your place. He never has the actual guts to hurt you himself.

-Oh you want something? Jewelry? It's already on your body by the time you wake up.

-Is fucking insane and you're making his obsession worse everyday.

-Tries, Tries to act like he's not lovey-dovey all over you.

-A pathetic pissbaby if you ever mention that you're actually disgusted by him.

Tamiya

-Most tame out of all of the members, but he's not a saint.

-Definitely admires you a lot, he never expected that he’d actually worship a person, but here you are, sitting still and looking majestic in front of 9 boys.

-He’s still well aware that all of this is wrong and he has to help you escape, but why does it feel so good at the same time?

-He has this strange urge to protect you, to make sure you never leave this place without him or get hurt by the others.

-He's the closest to having a normal everyday interaction with you, as if everything was normal and you're just classmates hanging out with each other.

-He brings you your daily meals, and if he was lucky enough, he'd manage to sneak you in a quick snack.

Nico

-Not exactly kind. He's still stuck up on the fact that Zera values you more.

-But he's extra careful if he's the one who has to take care of you, he wouldn't want to disappoint Zera.

-If you tell him your back hurts, he'll give you a massage immediately. You tell him his cooking sucks? He apologizes and promises to improve next time. His hands get aggressive at random times when he touches your body? Well, he can't exactly hide the fact that he's blushing so hard because no one in his life has ever let him be this close to them.

-He then slowly recognizes his feelings and realizes that he finds comfort in your presence.

-For once, but hopefully more in the future, he gets to worry less about Zera.

#yandere litchi hikari club #litchi light club #lychee light club #litchi hikari club #yandere lychee light club #yandere #male yandere #yandere headcanons

[jinsei-pika-pika]

HIROMIX: SHAPING THE IDENTITY OF 90’S JAPANESE FEMALE YOUTH

A quick look into Japanese pop culture and they're everywhere. Representations of teenage women in paintings, album covers, graffiti, anime, manga, magazines, video games, commercial messages and a whole lot of cultural products.

Today, the image of the teenage student and the paraphernalia that surrounds her is synonymous with contemporary Japan, at least, the Japan that is massively known in the west.

However, when we look at these familiar and popular images of young Japanese women, we must ask ourselves if we really know the real people behind those media icons, if we really understand and are able to recognize their true identity over the one that the pop machinery built for them.

And no other was able to communicate this identity, this true identity of the Japanese youth better than the photographic work of "Hiromix", Hiromi Toshikawa.

Hiromix self-portrait from the book, Hikari (1997)

Hiromix self-portrait from the book, Girls Blue (1996)

Born in 1976, Hiromix is a Tokyo photographer who, along with Yurie Nagashima and Mika Ninagawa, is considered the main instigator of a photographic movement in which, fostered by a cultural shift, point & shoot cameras and the 'Purikura' (Print Club) culture, driven by kiosks and coin-operated photography machines, Japanese teenagers, and especially, teenage Japanese women from the early 90's, took center stage in a new visual language.

Photograph from Seventeen Girl Days (1995)

While still part of an underground movement, her breakthrough came through more traditional means, when she won the 1995 New Cosmos of Photography Award, sponsored by Canon and selected by Nobuyushi Araki, the icon of erotic photography and Japanese photo diary.

Her awarded, "Seventeen Girl Days", consisted of 50 pages of photographs from her daily life as a high school senior. Self-portraits in her underwear, objects in her room such as her television and stuffed animals, photographs of her half-eaten breakfast, blurred portraits of her friends and daily activities, images that helped to build a world of the intimately feminine, personal and unknown to a nation accustomed to overly sexualized representations of women, created, of course, by men.

Photograph from Seventeen Girl Days (1995)

In the same year, Studio Voice magazine, specialized in youth movements, but with a base of middle-aged photographers who had nothing to do with their readers, issued a volume dedicated to young photographers, trying to find a new platform.

Hiromix, then 18 years old, was one of those photographers who answered the call and her work reached a commercial milestone with the publication of volume 236, captivating an audience of youngsters, photography aficionados, critics and central figures of the medium alike like Takashi Homma. Such reception led to volume 243 of the magazine under the title "We Love Hiromix", dedicated entirely to her work, with a profile written by family, friends and Nobuyoshi Araki himself.

Excerpt from Studio Voice 243, "We Love Hiromix" (1996)

Hiromix's success and her influence on photographic culture was no coincidence. After the explosion of the economic bubble of the 80's, Japan, during the 90's, plunged into an economic crisis that shifted the focus on those who make and shape pop culture.

During the economic boom, men and the salaryman became the central figure on how entertainment and culture were consumed. The big companies that flourished during this time and the salaries they paid, helped the salaryman feed all commerce, from bars and restaurants, to art galleries and their exponents.

Consequently, women took on a secondary, traditionalist and almost ornamental role. The modeling industry and the growth of the idol phenomenon of merely "cute" idiosyncrasy, cemented how women were seen by their society.

Hiromix self-portrait, from the book Girls Blue (1996)

It is not surprising that most famous photographic expressions of that time followed this trend. Proof of that are the portraits of Nobuyushi Araki, Eikoh Hosoe and Shoji Ueda that, while being no less artistic, represented a masculine point of view.

When the economic bubble burst in the early 90's, the salaryman and his abundance stopped being the engine that drove the economy and the companies, shifted their  focus from him, to his sons and especially, his daughters, hoping to create an adolescent consumer culture while elevating them as trend makers and sexual icons.

Portrait form the book, Girls Blue (1996)

Cultural shift in place, technology played a huge part building new forms of expression for teenage women, specifically photography. In 1990 point & shoot cameras, cheap, fast and easy to carry cameras were introduced and in 1995, Atlus Amusement Co. presented their “Print Club” (known as Purikura) machines, creative photo booths that became massively popular among youngsters.

In this environment, female Japanese teenagers began developing  a unique aesthetic and artistic personality, where representations of their bodies and life belonged to themselves and not to the media.

Hiromix, with a Konica Big Mini camera and photographs processed in local kiosks, was able to condense this feeling of independence and adolescent freedom that the establishment photographers (mostly middle-aged men) couldn't access. A new movement called “Onnanoko Shashin” (Girly Photography) started to gain traction.

Excerpt from Studio Voice 243, "We Love Hiromix" (1996)

The term Onnanoko Shashin, coined in 1996 by the photography critic, Kōtarō Iizawa and compiled in his 'Shutter & Love: Girls are Dancing On in Tokyo' of the same year, tries to explain why young women began to take photographs in the privacy of their world and far from the common places where they were regularly photographed, like familiar and school year photo books.

Kōtarō Iizawa, described the changing times in which the women of the movement grew up (mostly, born in the 70s): an environment characterized by superficiality, consumption, the weakening of the sense of space and even the typical patriarchal values of Japanese culture.

Snap from the book, Hikari (1997)

When the bubble burst, the overload of pop information developed an innate aesthetic vision in young urban women, empowered by a new revaluation of femininity, against the machismo culture that were perpetrated through the 80's. Fashion, music and photography were their main artistic expressions.

When it comes to the technique of these new photographers, Kōtarō Iizawa argued that women preferred the inspiration and opportunities related to point & shoot cameras, automatic and easy to use, in contrast to male photographers, who preferred methodology and structure, related to SLR cameras. This was called “the female principle”.

Snap from the book, Hikari (1997)

Onnanoko Shashin, has been widely criticized and even rejected by its members, such as Yurie Nagashima (who was the first photographer under this trend), who argues that the term suggests that women do not have the technical skill to handle professional equipment, which was obviously not true, they decided to use point & shoot cameras because they were effective for their work and expression.

That is why in 2000 when Hiromix, Mika Ninagawa and Yurie Nagashima as 'Onnanoko Shashin' won the Kimura Ihei Award, one of the most important photography awards in Japan, Yurie Nagashima considered rejecting it, since she believed their work (was seen among the photographic medium as one more representation of "cute", but ignoring its feminist message.

In that sense, it is important to note that, while Onnanoko Shashin, is a useful term to recognize the movement and its protagonists, it doesn’t express their intentions, nor meaning.

Hiromix, did not openly challenge the patriarchal structures of her society, but was indeed feminist. Her approach tries to recover the representations of the daily life of Japanese teenage women and build a real image of their identity, far from the cute, shallow and conformist agenda of the media.

Portrait from the book, Hiromix Works (2000)

Seeing through her photos is reaching a sense of daydreaming, a special feeling of living the moment. Their protagonists escape from reality and capture a vivid memory of momentary freedom that can materialize on the most mundane and familiar object but even when capturing a memory, there’s no space for nostalgia, everything is a flash, there’s no time to separate reality from the daydream. Before you realize, the world they built has melted away.

Hiromix, did not openly challenge the patriarchal structures of her society, but was indeed feminist. Her approach tries to recover the representations of the daily life of Japanese teenage women and build a real image of their identity, far from the cute, shallow and conformist agenda of the media.

Seeing through her photos is reaching a sense of daydreaming, a special feeling of living the moment. Their protagonists escape from reality and capture a vivid memory of momentary freedom that can materialize on the most mundane and familiar object but even when capturing a memory, there’s no space for nostalgia, everything is a flash, there’s no time to separate reality from the daydream. Before you realize, the world they built has melted away.

This world does not compare with the expectations for the future nor with what Japanese society, incredibly rigid with teenagers and their expectations.

"They are not interested in contributing to the Gross Domestic Product of Japan other than paying the restaurant bills," she declared before comments from people who positioned her (in her opinion, wrongly) as a spokesperson for her generation.

Portrait from the book, Hiromix Works (2000)

Hiromix self-portrait from the book, Girls Blue (1996)

In 1996, a year after her discovery, her first photobook, “Girls Blue” was edited, which consisted of 122 pages of photographs from a selection of more than 30,000, taken since she was 17 years old, including those previously seen in “Seventeen. Girl Days ".

Snapfrom the book, Girls Blue (1996)

At first, the book and her work were not received with much sympathy among the most recalcitrant part of the photographic community, calling it "amateurish", however, the visual language of Hiromix was not meant to praise perfection but to appreciate imperfection and, like her contemporaries, even though she was perfectly capable of use specialized equipment, she preferred her Konica Big Mini and the novel disposable cameras, in a disdain for the “smokescreen” of complex photographic processes.

Snap from the book, Girls Blue (1996)

Portrait from the book, Hiromix Works (2000)

Naturally, this form of photography that removed the barriers of technique and process, prompted teenagers across Japan to explore their own style of photography, unleashing a creative wave based on the ordinary, with exponents such as Maki Miyashita who expanded the concept of teenage girls and their spaces, Kayo Ume who explored the daily life of Japanese children and Tomoko Sawada, merging identity, essence, personality and social significance with her ID400 series.

During the years leading up to the 2000s, Hiromix expanded her creative spectrum into advertising, working with clients such as alternative radio station J.Wave and Sony Music, with her portraits of electronic vanguardists, Squarepusher and Aphex Twin, and model photography with the photobook , Japanese Beauty, despite being a vocal critic of this photographic genre.

Aphex Twin and Squarepusher by Hiromix, Sony Music (1997)

Aphex Twin and Squarepusher by Hiromix, Sony Music (1997)

In addition to her photographic work, she explored music with an album, Hiromix 99 '(1999) and three EP's with Kiwa Kagata as The Clovers, and two EPs on her own, "Oh My Lover" (1996) and "Hello I Love You!" (1999). All works aesthetically and sonically related to the Shibuya-kei, retropop and mod revival movement, popularized by musicians like Flipper’s Guitar and Pizzicato Five.

In 2000, Takashi Murakami founded SUPER FLAT, the artistic movement that ended up ruling Japanese aesthetic and psyche during the first decade of the 00 '. Hiromix's work were included in SUPER FLAT's presentation exhibition at Shibuya PARCO Gallery with artists like Masafumi Sanai, Chikashi Suzuki, Aya Takano, Katsushige Nakahashi and Murakami himself, solidifying her position as part of the vanguardist artistic generation for the end of the century.

In 2000, Takashi Murakami included Hiromix work as part of the SUPER FLAT exhibition at Shibuya PARCO Gallery together with artists like Masafumi Sanai, Chikashi Suzuki, Aya Takano, Katsushige Nakahashi and Murakami himself. Being part of SUPER FLAT, the artistic movement that shaped an entire generation of Japanese artists (and still does), Hiromix, solidified her position as part of the visual language that helped build Japan’s position as an artistic epicenter during the 00’s decade.

Portrait form the book, Hiromix Works (2000)

In line with the SUPER FLAT manifesto, which explains how Japanese visual culture is not taught in art schools, where art was taught from the Western point of view, Hiromix developed a distinctly Japanese body of work, “the 2D feeling", as Murakami names it, that pop products transmit, such as manga, video games and anime.

During the 2000s, Hiromix established herself as a cult figure with eight compilation books of her work, five national exhibitions, (including one at the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art) meanwhile her creativity embraced new frontiers: from design, creating album covers for The Cribs, to fashion, working with global brands like KENZO, and even acting, with a cameo in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation.

Snap from the book, Girls Blue (1996)

Much has been said about how Hiromix's work signified the selfie culture for the 90's before social media. Although there's some kind of resemblance, her current influence is much more noticeable in young Japanese photographers who, like her, take advantage of the technological facilities to tell their own perspective of the environment that shapes them.

Young photographers such as Yoshiyuki Okuyama, Sara Masuda, Ada Yasuya, the “emoi” movement and especially, Masumi Ishida, develop a new perspective, fostered by the expansion of social media, this time not telling a story of turbulent times, but a story of stability even opportunities.

Although Japanese photographic culture and its female protagonists have existed since the invention of photography as a vehicle of expression. Hiromix and her peers brought a new point of view that broke with paradigms of how the identity of the teenage women should be understood, far from the pop icon and much closer to their own realities and most importantly, told from their own visual story.

#Hiromix #Tokyo #Sabukaru #Shibuya kei #90 #90s #2000 #y2k #Aphex Twin #Squarepusher #Photography #Photo #1997 #1998 #1996 #1999 #ヒロミックス #Takashi Murakami #Japan

[tinybed]

@troll-star atted (@‘d) me for this screeeee (mouse scree) so i will go ahead and @ some of my buddies/ppl i remember : @scalded @gooeykit @unrelenting-usurper @turin-et-geschwind @gelfling (thinking of your fraggle rock posts daily) @lemonmoonlimestar @1teeth @mosquitogirl and if i forgot anyone else its prob cuz your url just didnt come to mind but any1 who sees this can @ me and i’ll read theirs 🐼🎋

Relationship status: i have a boyfriend :)))))) his name is charlie i think some ppl know him already. this morning i was having a really complex nightmare where i was hiding under a chair, then the chair moved and i was like omg thats charlie, not a chair, and i woke up to him hugging me :)

Favourite colour: black, light pink, light blue, seafoam green… and every color that the sky makes

Song stuck in my head: Too Much by J Dilla but now its that song Regulate by Warren G Lol

Last song I listened to: Regulate by Warren G right now i just put it on heh

Three fav foods: strawberries, burger, soup, but recently i’ve been enjoying berries in plain yogurt a lot

Last thing I googled: “hikari name meaning”

Dream trip: i really want to visit japan and see many onsens which i have been wishing for since 2018 when i checked out a book called “onsens of japan” from the library. also i’d love to visit the colloseo in rome because i played assassins creed brotherhood a lot and i just want to see it in real life… haha ^_^

Anything I want right now: i want a puppy i cant stop thinking and talking about it x( and i want some new socks. and an apron. and lots of money to buy my bf shoes LOL (he has some already but i think if i could buy him any pair he wants then i’d be quite the Baller)

ok thanks ✅🎀👭

#@gelfling you might not have been the fraggle rock poster i cant remember but i still remembered U :)

[tokyo-tower-symbolism]

Day 3 Masterpost Top Star Audition Masterpost

Tsuyuzaki Mahiru - Despite the turmoil in her daily life, or perhaps because of it, Mahiru has been acting her heart out on stage. Pouring her frustrations about Karen's recent changes into her acting, she's been on a roll recently, crushing all her opponents! But can she keep this momentum against the current second seed?

Daiba Nana - Nana's curiosity about Hikari now extends to Mahiru too. What is with this unexpected improvement in her performance recently? For someone so on top of things, recently so many unknowns have entered her life. But these doubts didn't stop her before! But even though she has proven herself to be a fierce competitor so far, will it be enough to face the current top rank of the 99th class?

#day 3 #top star audition #nana daiba #mahiru tsuyuzaki #revue starlight

[detectiveichijouji]

02 Group’s profiles!!

Ken: A sophomore student from a High School in Tamachi, 16-17yo. He used to be the tyrant Digimon Kaiser, but thanks to Daisuke and the others he had been reformed and recovered his old, kind and true self. Lately he’s working with his friends as an “unofficial special unit” solving digimon cases and mysteries around Tokyo. Seems like he’s enjoying the role as the detective already!?

Miyako: A senior student from Hikarigamori High School, 17-18yo. She’s still helping everyone as she can, and still doing her best. She still has no idea what he wants to do when she graduates, but she likes to assist Koushiro on maintaining the Chosen Children Network. Currently working with her friends solving digi-cases around Tokyo.

Iori: A 3rd grade student from Odaiba Junior High School (Middle School), 14-15yo. One with excellent grades and who becomes a role model for younger children. He still practices Kendo, and works as the 02 group’s voice of reason. You could think he would turn Daisuke down on the idea of starting a “club to solve mysteries” but he found that an interesting way to spend time with them all.

Daisuke: A sophomore student from Amanogawa High School, 16-17yo. While he seems to struggle at a few curricular subjects, he’s still good at soccer and English. After watching a ton of detective movies and TV series to entertain himself after school activities, he decided to convince the group to form a “special detective club-or-unit” and go solving digimon cases around.

Hikari: A sophomore student from the same school Daisuke attends, 16-17yo. She’s still good at manipulating Daisuke, but never for selfish purposes (if anything, she enables his best and boosts his courage in order to make him accomplish missions), and she joins the school’s journal staff, in order to have a new experience and expand her horizons, as their photographer. Her role at the school’s journal staff becomes handy when the group decides to investigate digimon phenomenon around Tokyo.

Takeru: A sophomore student from the same school Daisuke and Hikari attend, 16-17yo. Takeru has been closer to Daisuke now and they tend to spend their school time together, alongside Hikari. He likes to write short stories in his notebook, about his daily life as a student and as Chosen Child. He was the first to jump into the wagon for Daisuke’s idea of forming a detective club. May-may-not be the group’s enabler.

#young prince detective ichijouji ken

[coconutnutmilk]

A priest that hounts my dreams.

His name is Hikari and since the day of birth he basically adored the god Raitoburu (im trying to write about him but im having few problems because my last savings werent really saved🤷).

He lives on the island of Andisoar, an island that out of nothing appeared in the middle of the ovean, where huge waves and a wind that could bend trees takes place on a daily basis.

Little did.the.other know was that a God made that island, the god Raitoburu, a kind god that saved hundreds of slaves from drowning when they were left to die in the ocean, a way to get rid of slaves that couldnt properly work.

He saw some tiny drowning humans and said "hell no" and just...picked them up, made an island and left them.on it, gave them knowledge to fish, blessed the entire population and one day Hikari was born.

Hikari wasnt always healthy, his mother had weak bones and when he was born he wouldnt breath, and the mother just didnt take it, she rushed to the God (he had the habit of stay sit on the surface of the water, napping from sit or just looking at the humans from distant) and begged him to save her child.

Of course he was like "oh yeah let me fix that" but many habitants, before he could talk, insisted it was the course of life and that she couldnt ask him to save a human life out of the blue, but when he talked, making everyone shut up and look up at him, many bowing, he just picked her up, blessed the child and let her on the ground, then a huge party happened and she died few months later.

Hikari got raised like a town son, kind and strong, but his being so strong among so many others that had weaknesses (remember thay all descended from slaves that because of diseases and more couldnt work) made others realise how efficiently he could work, and everyone started asking him to do things.

One day he had a melt down and rushed to a hill, he was still a child and he never spoke to Raitoburu, only saw him few days every three months (he liked to sleep underwater, so he did) from distant, he was a god, its not like he talked to the humans, plus he was huge.

Hutnhe prayed, at first it was more of a desperate attempt, a joke, but then he answered.

Hikare could hear a masculine voice in his head, his voice, so they started talking a lot, and he grew up devoting his life to him.

#ocs #original character #character design #cleric #medieval fantasy #god #fantasy priest #giant tiny #giant #tiny #gianttiny #macro #micro

[booksandchainmail]

So I've been rewatching the revue starlight relive arcana arcadia main story (I made it partway through the third one before I stopped playing, planning on watching all the way through this time), and noting down some thoughts on Part 1:

I like how much of this part is about Tamao, and how abruptly she's changed! Rinmeikan Downfall story was a hell of a time for her, and it's great to see her shed some of her helpful kind self-effacing senpai persona and lean into being a leader and a bit of a schemer. Also it seems to be doing wonders for her acting!

About the revues themself: on the one hand we have Rui vs. Yuyuko, two best friends with a love triangle tearing at them. On the other we have Junna vs. Kaoruko, who... are in the same class? Do they have any kind of beef? I'm not sure they've ever had a conversation. This also happened in the anime, though mainly as a background thing: whenever we saw other revues in the background of the focused one, it would just be random combinations since the auditions were pretty much a round robin.

Also, RIP Junna, whose role in Revue Starlight is mainly getting bodied in round one. I think this does help define her character though: person who is not naturally talented but works hard is pretty common in anime, but it's mostly undercut when they start winning as an underdog. Meanwhile Junna keeps getting beat, because basically everyone around her is both talented and hardworking. But she just keeps trying and working and aiming to improve.

It sucks for Junna, but it's a good character note for Kaoruko: as soon as she takes things seriously, she starts winning. She just mostly doesn't put in that effort in daily life, and winds up slipping behind only to make up the ground all at once. This of course feels deeply unfair: we see her opponent clearly with the upper hand, and more deserving of the win, and then Kaoruko will put together some motivation in the second half and instantly curbstomp them. She is genuinely as good as she thinks she is!

For Rui and Yuyuko's revue: a good push for character growth for Rui, who this section points out has the potential to rocket into being one of the best actors like Nana did, but mostly lets herself fade into being a supporter. Absolutely heartbreaking for Yuyuko, who has spent the entire story falling in love with her best friend, who is blatantly in love with someone else. Please read some Sasameki Koto and experience emotions. A bit of (condensed) dialogue, from after Rui (as always) calls out for Tamao:

I'm the one who's standing on the stage with you right now. You see... I like your acting. It's clumsy and pure... But you always try your hardest and occasionally appear really big... Just like you love Tamao-senpai... I also love you on stage. Yet... You say you can no longer play those roles without Tamao-senpai. If those performances were all done for Tamao-senpai... those of "us" who have had our hearts stolen by the Stage Girl Rui Akikaze... how pathetic.

For the story segment, very funny that the evil religious authority is explicitly catholic (the vatican guard!), given that the story is mostly fairytale-like otherwise. I think there's also a continuation of the anime's themes there, in how the Hanged Man rejects the High Priestess's faith and miracles and embraces the curse of damnation in order to follow his principles and save lives. Reminds me of Karen refusing to accept that the ambition Hikari had was a sin.

And now that I've brought up Starlight, I'm wondering if there's a connection there with this amnesiac star girl searching for someone she made a promise with, kept away at the end of the moonlight... Starlight also uses lost memories, and the original ends with one of the two locked away high above, and the other cast out to wander blindly.

#revue starlight #revue starlight relive #shoujo kageki revue starlight #arcana arcadia

[fishingfordreams]

manga recommendations pt. 2

Wistful, wonder, and whimsical.

Sunny by Taiyo Matsumoto

A poignant and deeply personal story set in the Star Kids foster home in the 1970s. Based on Matsumoto's own experiences, the story documents the life of a group of children as they navigate through their feelings of insecurity, loneliness, and abandonment. Tenderly written and achingly authentic, Matsumoto captures the innocent optimism and imagination of children through beautiful brush work and subdued ink washes to create a mood of dreamy nostalgia.

Birdmen by Yellow Tanabe

A brilliant coming of age, sci fi/supernatural story that puts a unique spin on the super hero genre. It follows Eishi Karasuma, a pessimistic middle school student, and his friends who gain supernatural abilities after they were saved by the winged Birdman from an accident that left them on the verge of death. The story features some of the most intensely well-crafted and introspective character development, and touches on interesting questions on what it means to be human.

Yotsuba to! (Yotsuba&!) by Kiyohiko Azuma

A charming and vibrant slice-of-life story following the adventures of five-year old Yotsuba Koiwai and her father in a new neighborhood. The story focuses on Yotsuba’s daily voyage of discovery, from the joys of running through a rain storm to the restless excitement of a camping trip. Azuma captures Yotsuba’s chaotic energy, mischievous curiosity, and boundless imagination wonderfully, juxtaposed against an incredibly detailed and realistic urban environment.

Wondance by Coffee

Kotani Kaboku has always lived a monotonous and predictable school life, without standing out or going against the flow, until he meets Hikari Wanda, someone who freely expresses herself through hip-hop dance. What begins as a typical boy meets girl story, becomes an exploration of self-expression, connection, and identity. For Kaboku who has difficulty speaking, dance embodies a language without words. The author fluidly portrays the thrill of dance through sharp and dynamic line work, flowing fabric, and striking contrast, to create a sense of rhythm and movement.

Kono Oto Tomare! (Gather at This Sound!) by Amyuu Sakura

A heartwarming and emotional story following an eclectic group of students as they come together to revive the school’s koto club and challenge the national competition. Each character is written with such care and tenderness, and are given the space to naturally grow and change. In facing the koto seriously, they come to face their own insecurities and struggles, and their music becomes more vivid and whole as a result. The story is incredibly well-paced, and Sakura captures the emotional moments in beautiful, quiet panels.

Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia (Insomniacs After School) by Makoto Ojiro

A very sweet, wholesome romance story between two students who struggle with insomnia. They find refuge in the school’s abandoned observatory, and eventually join the astronomy club to occupy their sleepless nights. Ojiro’s lush art style captures the exuberance and innocence of youth perfectly, as the pair race under the starry sky and take photographs while the rest of the world sleeps.

#manga #manga recs #sunny #birdmen #yotsubato #wondance #kono oto tomare! #kimi wa houkago insomnia

[shackle-foes]

Thinking of Madness Sadness au. We need to have the present day cycle have at least one scene where some facts are just dropped awkwardly and everyone has to accept it.

(Temenos: It seems that something similar happened with the Book of Night about a hundred years ago.

Hikari: Oh yeah I remember that. That was the part where I kind of snapped and tried to kill you all right?

Ritsu: Yeah you won early but you kind of became a bit of a prick during that time.

Hikari: How much of a prick was I?

Oboro: Sazantos but less likely to remake the world. You were more of keeping everyone in walls and gaining an unhealthy attachment to everyone and then you got a bit of a god complex during that. Not a fun time.

Hikari: Yikes. Rai Mei hey who killed me during that cycle?

Rai Mei: Hikari I killed you in that cycle.

Hikari: REALLY!? I thought that was Ritsu!

Rai Mei: No we checked. Spear killed you first and then it was just sped up by the wind attack Ritsu sent your way.

Hikari: Yikes.

Temenos: Every single thing I learn about you four is incredibly concerning.)

those four just casually drop the worst most tragic Lore you've ever heard in your life and the others are forced to accept that as a part of daily life. at this point thronè and temenos have three notebooks dedicated entirely to just Ku Lore and that collection is steadily growing in an attempt to piece together the lives of these pathetic wet cats

#mav answers #madness sadness au

[digitalgate02]

“That AU setting for Hunters: Rewritten” extra stuff!! Part TWO!!

(I know y'all here asked for Masaru, but i made a poll on twit before asking here and Taichi won... So Masaru will be the next one to make everyone happy ok?)

Taichi, the Winged Courage | Codename "Sun"

⚠ No, i'm not doing a Kizuna retcon or something. Whoever knows me or at least follows this blog and my twit acc since July 2019 will realize i'm basically a "walking Kizuna propaganda" to the point I fear being too obnoxious about it. But this specific AU existed before Kizuna. So, i'm playing with the idea of Kizuna events happening differently OR not happening at all.

However i'll be borrowing bits of the canon because... Well, i'm a legit Kizuna apologist.

So the legally adult Taichi... The one Daisuke is searching desperately because one it's his friend and two because he's the lead of the group, is exactly like the Taichi you know. Charismatic and a walking mess.

He's perfectly fine! But clueless about his life. He does not know what he wants to do, so he's definitely forcing himself to act like an adult. Daisuke sees this poor man struggling with life and uni classes that he entrusts the goggles back to Taichi. Knowing this means Daisuke believes in him, Taichi getts a little better. Agumon also encourages him a lot... But cannot be at classes. Once Taichi brought him and he almost got expelled. Then, Agumon just hangs out with Hikari and Tailmon (or Daisuke and V-mon) during Taichi's classes.

Wanting to have his own space, he gets his own apartment where he and Agumon just do absolutely nothing on free hours. Since Taichi has also a part-time job, Agumon has to wait at the Yagami's residence with Taichi's mother until Taichi is back. Well, at least he sees his family on a daily basis.

On a very boring day, Taichi witnesses a weird glitch effect in the skies and some skeleton hand at the Rainbow Bridge. Daisuke and Koushiro call him, and by Koushiro's request they go investigate it. The bridge was... normal!? And they couldn't find the digimon who were battling there.

But something strange happens a year later. On his way to go meet with Yamato and Koushiro, Taichi and Agumon hears Hikari's voice asking for help. With no hesitation, they follow the voice and then find Hikari all alone, with no signal of Tailmon. Oddly, Agumon notices Hikari's eyes are red and glowing!?

#yagami taichi #legend xros wars AU