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addictedtojmanga · 3 years

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Shoujo manga recommendations - misunderstood yankee looking sweet guys

1. Ai Kara Hajimaru

Sakura Ai has always loved sunflowers, as they appear like the sun, which incidentally also was the name of her first crush, Taiyou, in the 3rd grade. From since then, Ai has never had another love and has also become quite introverted, but after meeting a guy with the same name, something’s will begin to change…

2. Akuma ga Kitarite

Ruiji is secretly in love with Wakatsuki. But how can he declare his love when this one is frightened to death every time she meets his eyes?

3. Beast Master

Leo Aoi looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes, and he goes berserk whenever he feels threatened and sees blood. That doesn't stop animal-lover Yuiko Kubozuka from befriending him, however. In fact, Yuiko is the only person Leo will listen to when he has one of his violent fits...

4. Boyfriend no Jouken

Arimura Rin, high school first year. The start of her idolized high school life. Or so she thought! But her class is filled with delinquents, so she only has days filled with fear. On top of that, she ended up pissing off Igarashi Chiaki, an eye-patched boy who snaps when provoked! It’s so not an atmosphere for romance! Even so, she promised her ex-classmates from middle school that she’ll introduce her boyfriend to them, so now she’s in a real pinch!

5. Hamuko to Gao-kun

Kimiko Mihoshi and Gao-kun, the rumored class delinquent, recently became class representatives. While searching for Gao-kun to invite him to a class gathering, she stumbles across him with two nerdy guys and immediately assumes that he is bullying them. She interferes, but only to find out that the three of them are actually close friends, and the rumored delinquent is actually a really nice guy. Furthermore, he even asks Kimiko to be his girlfriend?! What will Kimiko do? Thus begins a new romantic comedy!

6. Hapira Hajimaru

Asai Sachi's luck has always been considered dreadful. After becoming the class president, she meets Kurono Hyougo, a guy with a frightful face who bears various gruesome rumours behind his back. Hyougo had been living alone in an apartment; but when Sachi mistakenly reveals that Hyougo is a minor, he had to be kicked out. Fortunately, Sachi's father is a realtor, and suggested to have Hyougo live in their unused detached house. Would Sachi's bad luck turn upside down upon meeting Hyougo?

7. Haru No Ogawa Wa Dokidoki Suru Yo

When Fujii Nanami comes across a group of delinquents beating up another boy, her first instinct is to run away. But forgetting what she saw is harder than it seems, and when she goes back to treat his wounds, she finds her fear of him beginning to fade as an unlikely friendship springs up between them...

8. Heart Assassin

Shio deals with unwanted attention from a transfer student known as "The Assassin."

9. Honey Buddy

Being loved by a new era yankee and an old-style yankee, a love triangle. it's troublesome being popular (only among yankees though).

10. Honey Come Honey

Mitsu is a high schooler who looks cute and fluffy, but on the inside? The first day of her transfer, she meets a popular guy with a mysterious weapon. She's scared of him but she knows his secret?

11. Hyakujuu Kingdom

Taiga Shishio, the Student Council President, is a notorious tyrant. And yet, the only person that can stop him is his faithful Vice President Momoko. School, love, and trouble collide in this amazing story of student leadership.

! Lacks romance, but pretty good.

12. Kaibutsu-san ni, Rei!

At the Christmas training camp, Yuzuki was paired up with no other than... that guy?!

13. Kedamonozakari, Koizakari

Tsugumi is good with handling animals. One day, teacher suddenly asks her to take care of a problem, Shiro nicknamed "rampaging lion"...?

14. Kenka Bancho Otome - Koi no Battle Royale

For as long as she's been aware, the heroine, without a single relative, lived under care of the state. Both of her parents' faces were unknown to her. In front of this heroine, a young boy appeared. The young boy's name was "Hikaru." It appeared that he was the heroine's twin brother, separated at birth. He had a proposal for the heroine.

! Last chapter not translated. Available in spanish.

15. Kimi Ni Koishitei Desu Ka

Chigira Ruiji is a man born with the face of a demon. Trouble follows him wherever he goes. However, he just wants to live a normal high school life and make some friends, and even fall in love...

16. Kumori Nochi Saku

For a shy boy and an energetic girl, love starts at their part time job!

17. Life Is Short, Delinquent Youngster, Love!

An infamous delinquent is told that he would die soon unless he dates this girl from another school.

18. Mata Ashita (Murata Mayu)

Towa's always been shy around guys, despite being a total tomboy. This has crushed her chances of ever having a boyfriend, but a perhaps fateful encounter on the first day of high school might lead to love? But will it be with the surprisingly kind "angelic" delinquent, or the popular yet secretly "devilish" prince?!

19. Me no Tsukedokoro ga Deep Desho

Mina is a girl who has a strong hope of finding her destined person. With that goal in mind, she tries her best with different types of guys wishful of finding the right person. Even when her childhood friend, a yankee named Yuito, is already by her side. Will she ever find her destined person? A romantic comedy, coming-of-age tale of love and friendship.

20. Mikami-kun no Himitsu

Mikami's scary, I'm telling you! But wait, what's this secret of his?

21. Ookamidomo no Shitsukekata

Origawa Industry Public High School is a school filled with rough men. There's only one girl in this high school packed with wolves. But this little sheep isn't an ordinary person!

22. Sora Log

Our protagonist, Hikaru, is a member of the astronomy club at her school. On one beautiful starry night, she encounters a tall boy with blonde hair that looks almost white. However, he turns out to be...?!

23. Taro-kun wa Kou Miete Igai to xxx desu.

Living in the same apartment complex, my friend Taro-kun who always looks so scary actually is…?

! Has a sequel (Yappari Taro-kun wa Kou Miete Igai to xxx desu)

24. Toshishita Yankee wo Oseru Ken

A dangerous love comedy between a brilliant high school student and a younger delinquent starts! Nachi, a fan of a cute male character of a social network game, decides to make use of her abilities as the top student of her grade and becomes a part-time tutor in order to earn money and pay for items in her game. However, her student, Soushi, is not only younger but also a delinquent with red hair! Tutor Nachi, who is even prepared to face even death, starts to see Soushi's cute side...?!

#manga #shoujo #shojo #shoujo manga #shoujo recommendation #mangacap #romance #yankee #delinquent #sweet #honey buddy #sora log

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argumentl · 3 years

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The Freedom of Expression, radio version - Ep 35, May 2016 - Live-streamed suicide, Tokyo governer Masuzoe Yōichi scandal, Celebrity Becky's apology for affair with musician, Female idol stabbed over 20 times

*Trigger warning* Discussion of suicide.

Kaoru starts by saying the layout of the studio has changed so it feels quite different. He used to sit facing Joe, but now they are sitting side-by-side. Joe asks Kaoru how preparations for the Mode of Vulgar tour are going, and Kaoru says at the time of recording this show, they are just about to start rehersals for the tour. Joe asks him if he likes doing rehersals, and he replies that he does not. He does, however, think that rehersals are important and says its better to rehearse, but he also suggests that there is another member of the band who hates rehersals even more, and never wants to do them (Shinya).

Kaoru then reads out the contact info, and reminds listeners that any interesting messages will be rewarded with a sticker. Joe says that Kaoru has been quite stingy with stickers so far, but Kaoru reminds Joe that he did give one to Dobashi last week.

After messing up his lines and blaming it on the new studio layout, he begins his first topic, labeling it a 'taboo story'. This is the news that a woman in Paris had live-streamed herself committing suicide by jumping in front of a train, and since then similar incidents have started to happen in Japan. Joe brings up the book 'The Complete Maunal of Suicide' by Tsurumi Wataru, published in 1993. It became very popular with people under 30. They book describes various ways to commit suicide in considerable detail, but the author Tsurumi actually intended the book as a way to make life easier to live for people (by giving people the knowledge that if worst ever did come to worst, there would be an easy way to end the pain, thus making the present more bareable). In various prefectures across Japan the book was banned for under 18s, but conversely the American/international media interpreted the book as a kind of shelter for Japan's youth. But Joe feels like producing this kind of book is still slightly different from broadcasting your own death. Live-streaming a suicide has no connection to making life easier for people. He says the person filming thier suicide may be consumed by depression, but they are only thinking of themselves. Kaoru agrees with this. He says that as he gets older, he experiences people around him dying more and more. He has also know people who have taken thier own life. He says suicide can cause the people who knew the deceased to fall into self hate or blame themselves, when it is really not thier fault. Despite pouring so much love into a person, a suicide may make it feel like it still somehow wasn't enough, or people may feel a sense of rejection from the suicide, and Kaoru says he cannot forgive this. Joe comments that this topic is really difficult. Kaoru says he cannot understand why someone would broadcast thier own suicide. Is it to stand out at the end, or to influence someone, or for no reason at all? Joe wishes the person would use that energy to continue living, putting it into a more positive direction, instead of using it to film thier suicide.

Before coming to the studio to record the show, Joe says he was having a drink with Tsuyoshi from P.T.P and Teru from Crossfaith. Thier conversation turned to K, the former vocalist of P.T.P who suffered from mental illness, and died in 2013. Tsuyoshi's band member in The Bonez, Jesse, had said he wanted to tell K about all the fun they've had since his death, meaning that even if you really want to escape from your pain, there is still so much enjoyment waiting for you in the future if you just carry on living. Kaoru strongly agrees with this. He appeals to the listeners to strive to get through those tough times, and to do thier very best to continue living.

They welcome Hiranabe for the Tokyo Sports corner next. Hiranabe's first story relates to the scandal surrounding Tokyo Governer at the time, Masuzoe Yōichi. The scandal is based on the fact that Masuzoe was found to have been using large amounts of public money to pay for personal luxuries and family trips etc. At the time of recording, Masuzoe still had not resigned, and Hiranabe thinks he is refusing to resign because if he stays in the job a little longer, he will still get his summer bonus of ¥3800000. Alternatively it could be that if he stayed in the job until the summer Olympics started, the media's eyes would be diverted, and he would get away with it. Hiranabe says that Masuzoe could learn from him. He then tells a story of how he recently took two senior hostesses out for drinks at ¥2980 per hour, which was quite cheap. He was drinking tequila, but then another girl who was sat next to him (who looked just like the celebrity Becky) also said she wanted to drink tequila. Hiranabe couldn't resist and ended up with drinks bill of ¥98450. Thinking he could claim it as expenses, he got out his card, but as it happened he had reached his credit limit on his card, and it got rejected. He couldn't withdraw money from a convenience store ATM, as they were not operating during Saturday nights. Eventually he asked one of the hostesses he was with to pay. He had to pay her back the following day. Joe suggests Hiranabe used the story about Masuzoe so he could link it back to himself and tell his own story.

Hiranabe's next story is about the celebrity Becky, linking on from the girl who looked just like her in the last story. Becky had been in the news previously after her affair with married musician Kawatani Enon was publicly exposed. She disappeared from screens for a while, but as part of her comback she wrote a letter apologizing to Kawatani's wife. Hiranabe laments that this apology was made after Becky had already started tv recordings again. He thinks the apology should have been made first, and that Becky has probably not done herself any favours with this. He says it looks bad, and makes her look too impatient. Kaoru thinks the oder of things probably doesn't make much difference to how people will think of her. Hiranabe says her colleauge/senpai 'Cunning Takayama' will make fun of her. Joe suggests Hiranabe could get involved somehow, and Hiranabe replies along the lines of 'Oh, I'll gladly have some fun with her'. The others laugh at this, as such a phrase can only be read in one way when coming from Hiranabe.

Hiranabe's next news is that 20yr old Idol Tomita Mayu had been stabbed multiple times by an obessive fan just before she was due to perform at an event. The stabbing had occurred after Tomita had repeatedly returned unwanted presents to the fan. Hiranabe says this would usually make a stalker happy, because its proof that the idol has acknowledged thier existence. That fact that this fan got angry about the returned gifts could mean he is slightly different from a stalker, and actually more extreme than a stalker, which is quite scary. He obviously held a grudge, and seemed quite sadistic. Tomita had actually contacted the police the day before the stabbing due to the barrage of threatening tweets he was sending her, but the police did not deem the case urgent. Hiranabe thinks this is one of the worst points about this incident. He says it could have been prevented if police were present at the event, and if they don't change thier response to such situations, incidents like this will keep happenening. Kaoru comments on how this whole incident is really scary. He thinks a future comeback for Tomita might be tough now, although at the time of recording they have yet to see what developments will happen. It has been suggested by some that the fan viewed Tomita as his property, and Joe says the fan's ability to communicate is in question.

Kaoru finishes by plugging his new jingle campaign, and his blog. He then says that the artwork for the new single has been revealed, and it was made by Ameican illustrator Matt Mahurin. He then annouces that there will be three days of movie screenings for the new Budokan DVD, and he plugs his upcoming tours, the first of which is due to start the following week. He ends by saying that tickets are also available for the DSS tour via either the fanclub or general sale, he cant remember which.

Songs - Dir en grey/Child Prey

#dir en grey #the freedom of expression #radio

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britishassistant · 3 years

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But I Like One Piece (20)

They all turn to stare at him.

“Dear? How do you know that?” Okaa-san says.

Otou-san shakes his head and sits down heavily on the stairs. “The manufacturer for those weapons is in Yukigakure. Just like the incriminating ryo left at the scene of that theft.”

Oh.

Oh sweet Merry.

She mutters, “Shika said—when we were talking about the theft, he said it had to be an inside job, because an outsider couldn’t know anything. But if they were like me—if they’d read the comic based on Konoha in their past life, they would know. They’d know almost everything even if they never set foot here.”

She swallows, throat suddenly dry. “If it was plot-relevant, then they’d know more about what was valuable and how it was defended than people who’d lived here their whole lives. They’d even know the weaknesses of the ninja sent after them, if those ninja were major characters.”

Otou-san nods. “And if he or she needed to finance the manufacture of those weapons, what could be easier than to steal something from here and sell it to another hidden village?”

She sits down heavily on the stairs.

Her heart’s pounding too fast. The side of her head is throbbing in time with the beat.

“Well.” Okaa-san coughs. “That’s mildly terrifying.”

She lets out a humorless chuckle at the understatement.

Horror wars with elation in her brain. Elation at the knowledge that she isn’t alone here.

Horror at the idea of someone knowing everything about this place and deciding to use that knowledge for their own gain. If robbing Konoha wasn’t low for them, would they stoop to manipulating Naruto, Sakura, Uchiha? To hurting them to get their way, change a narrative they don’t like?

“But Iruka-sensei said Yukigakure gave us those guns for less money than they gave them to other villages.” Naruto says suddenly. “Maybe that’s the not-Mayu’s way of making it up to us?”

“You think villains who would commit such an unyouthful action would be capable of feeling guilt?” Lee says doubtfully. “Shouldn’t we tell Gai-sensei about this?”

“We can.” Otou-san sighs. “But I’m not sure how helpful it would be. Nara-san said Yamanaka-san knew about the Yuki connection between both the theft and these “guns”. For all we know, the price reduction could be a concession negotiated between the Hokage and the thief, and we just have a morsel of knowledge about that deal which would endanger Mayu more than it would help the village.”

She fidgets, tracing the scar on her lower lip.

Lee’s brows are furrowed, his mouth pulled down in a frown.

Okaa-san reaches out and smooths a hand over his hair. “Why don’t we get Ichiraku’s and sleep on it? I think Sanji would agree we’ll all make better decisions with some ramen in our bellies.”

Naruto springs to his feet. “Yeah! Ramen’ll fix everything, believe it! C’mon, I’m hungry, let’s go, let’s go!”

It doesn’t quite fix everything, she reflects later as she descales and fillets the pike for the offerings tomorrow. There’s still another reincarnated person who robbed the village, had her father take the fall for their crime, and is now mass-producing the very weapon that killed her past self, which they can do next to nothing about.

But ramen smoothed out the crease in Lee’s brow when they all agreed it was better to tell Gai-sensei than not. It lightened the mood and made everything this day had thrown at them seem a little less important in light of the celebrations planned for tomorrow.

Their small garden is now even smaller thanks to the a large wooden structure that sits next to the back fence.

It’s a bit like a cross between a shed and a greenhouse, if it only had three walls and no doors or windows. The roof is curved and the walls are sturdy, to protect the shrines inside from the elements.

There’s a length of thick white rope fastened with red twine inside the front gable, which is meant to ensure that the shrines are protected from malicious spirits.

Each one of the shrines has a small building that is sealed automatically once the shrine has been assembled, keeping a small object for the deity to inhabit safely locked away from prying eyes. There’s a small recess before this structure, for offerings to be placed, and a little column that puts them above the eye level of a kneeling person.

They’d debated setting aside a space for the shrines in the living room inside the house, to ensure they could be protected and cared for. But she kept getting impulses of outside, of wind and rain, freedom, that eventually they decided it was better than keeping them cooped up inside.

Plus this way, Luffy can’t raid the fridge as easily.

She’s already found certain small cuts of cooked meat have gone missing. If he’s anything like the manga, then she’s not giving him the chance to clean out the entire fridge.

They’ve been working on constructing it and the shrines on weekends and in the mornings during training. According to Gai-sensei, it’s excellent practice for C-rank missions.

Now all that’s left is to paint the structure and the ten shrines housed within.

Working out what to set out as offerings for tomorrow had been a challenge and a half.

For the most part, the Strawhats can be grouped into small sections of what they will and won’t eat.

Nami and Chopper are fruit lovers. Sanji, Zoro, Brook and Usopp are partial to seafood. Luffy, Franky, and Robin are happy with beef and other land-based meats.

However, Zoro, Sanji and Brook like varieties of seafood that are difficult to get in Konoha— octopus, lobster and prawns are expensive and hard to find, while sea king meat just doesn’t exist here. At least Zoro is happy enough with a traditional plate-2-bowls meal with rice.

Robin prefers sandwiches, and she’s not quite sure if the burgers Franky loves fit into that criteria. Chopper can’t stand spicy or bitter foods, but Zoro and Robin dislike sweets.

She’s just thankful that Luffy, Nami Usopp, and Merry are so easy to feed. Pike’s one of the few fish that Konoha doesn’t need to import, so it and tangerines relatively inexpensive.

There’s no chance of combining all their preferences into one dish. Her head hurts just imagining the clash of flavors.

So she had to somehow come up with a way of creating a meal that would (hopefully) make each of the pirates she idolizes happy.

No pressure.

Chouji ended up being her savior in this respect.

And maybe Uchiha did as well, but only a teeny tiny bit.

She’d been brainstorming different versions of meals she could try making that would satisfy everyone, but kept coming up short.

The added tension from Sakura’s friendly-again-but-still-not-quite-sitting-back-at-their-table thing at this time wasn’t exactly helping her think either.

“I’ve got cola, coffee, tea, heck even sake, but still no idea on what to pair any of them with.” She complained, tapping her pencil against the list in front of her.

Chouji had leaned over, a thoughtful look on his face. “Why not make them lunchboxes? That way you can make lots of things in smaller amounts and personalize each lunchbox for each of them.”

“Hm. That is a good idea.” She gnawed on her lower lip. “Only downside is working out when I can cook what and how much time the preparation of each portion is going so everything in the bentos is relatively fresh for when it’s offered... how much d’you think eleven more lunchboxes would cost?”

She’d just begun sketching out lines for a tentative timetable when Uchiha complained, “Why do you think you’ve gotta do everything on your own?”

She looked up, a little offended. “I’m not praying for help with this, are you mad? That’d be like asking someone to bake their own birthday cake.”

“What Sasuke means,” Chouji intervened. “Is that we could always split the work three-ways between us, and bring it to your house on the day?”

She blinked. “You...you guys would help me like that?”

Chouji smiled, then made a squeak of surprise when she lunged over the table to hug him tightly. “Thank you.”

“I have lunchboxes to spare.” Uchiha drawled. “Plus someone’s got to make sure you don’t mess up.”

She had then let Chouji go so she could boot Uchiha in the shin.

As a result of this arrangement, when she wakes up on The Day, all she has to worry about is preparing the pasta for Sanji, Nami and Usopp’s lunchboxes after training with Gai-sensei.

She’s almost worried that her timining be a little delayed because Gai-sensei grabs her in a bone-creaking hug when she arrives at training and spends about three minutes weeping over how youthful she is.

He then makes them run fifty times around the village balancing the paint pots they’ll be using later to ensure that the paint is agitated enough “so its most YOUTHFUL colors will shine through!!”

They nearly lose the purple when Naruto fumbles slightly over a root.

She bolts down her food at breakfast.

She puts on more rice again in preparation for the sesame onigiri, and pulls out a pot to fill with water that’s set to boil and a pan to gently heat some oil on the stove.

She smashes a clove of garlic and drops it in when the oil has begun to smoke gently, deseeding and dicing up some chilis and tossing them in as well for flavor.

She can’t help her grin when the heady spicy-savory scent fills the air, finely chopping capers and anchovies to toss in once she’s fished out the smashed garlic.

The scent mellows somewhat when the diced pike hits the pan as well, and she pushes it around until the fish is almost-but-not-quite cooked through.

Then in with a generous glug of wine and the heat is turned down to a gentle simmer to let the alcohol cook off.

Just in time for the rice to have cooked and cooled enough to begin mixing with yellow and black sesame seeds and begin forming into ten onigiri.

They don’t have any fillings other than the sesame, because they’re designed to take the edge off the stronger flavors of the pasta (her) and the takoyaki (Chouji), as well as serve as a substitute for a sesame topped bun accompanying the hamburger steaks (Uchiha).

The others begin to arrive at around ten.

Sakura and the Harunos arrive first alongside Ino and her dad.

She shouts a hello as Naruto and Lee lead Ino and Sakura through the kitchen to the back garden, nails orange with peeled tangerine.

Ino darts forward and steals two slices, chortling in response to her indignant “Oi!” and passing one to Sakura, who grins as she nibbles on their way out.

Yamanaka-san is totally at home chatting with Gai-sensei and Otou-san, but he snickers when Nara-san immediately gravitates towards him when he arrives. Shikamaru gives her a nod as he follows the adults outside and she puts the pasta on to boil.

She’s set aside two extra tangerines for when Shino and his father arrive. After all, she, Chouji and Uchiha are making enough to feed eleven deities and many many people, so shouldn’t their insects also be able to eat as well?

Shino’s dad stares at her inscrutably when she explains her reasoning, before accepting the fruit with a nod and a “thank you” barely audible over a loud buzzing.

Shino shifts from one foot to the other during this exchange before gently tugging his father’s sleeve. It occurs to her as she drains the pot-full pasta and adds the sauce alongside a cup of boiling water to emulsify everything that this might be the closest she’s ever seen him to being embarrassed.

Chouji and his dad arrive as she’s sprinkling in some parsley as a finishing touch.

They’re both carrying huge containers full of takoyaki and cooked spring greens, and she spares a small moment to be envious of all the amazing things Chouji’s family can afford to do.

Then she launches Chouji another hug to thank him for all his help once he’s set his cargo down.

He squeaks like he did last time and Akimichi-san laughs loudly, for some reason.

Iruka-sensei and Uchiha arrive with eleven lunchboxes, two dogs, Kiba and his mum, and Hinata in tow.

Uchiha keeps sneaking what appear to be morsels of meat to Akamaru and Kuromaru.

There’s also a pale-eyed frowning boy who Iruka-sensei introduces as Hyuuga Neji, Hinata’s cousin who’d been sent along to act as her chaperone.

The boy sniffs disdainfully when they greet him and goes to stand in a corner of the garden near Mebuki, completely ignoring Lee when he waves to him.

She doesn’t think she likes Hinata’s cousin very much.

The lunchboxes Uchiha brought are black lacquer decorated with gold and red tomoe, much fancier than anything she’d been expecting.

When questioned, he just shrugs and says, “It’s just old stuff from New Year’s. It’s just taking up space at home, so it’s better off here.”

She knows better than to say anything like “sorry”, so she just pats his shoulder and says “No, that compartment’s too small for the onigiri, put it in this one.”

“That’s way too big, it looks tiny in that one.” Uchiha snaps, but with a bit less bite than usual.

Iruka-sensei looks mildly overwhelmed by all the people in the back garden. Okaa-san comes along, hands him a drink, pats his shoulder and says “They’re in my house,” in a sympathetic tone.

Iruka-sensei gives her a pitying look and knocks the sake back in one go.

Adults here can be weird.

Finally they’ve finished serving and she calls out “Food’s up!”

The adults come in to help take the larger platters of food outside, a huge plate of pasta, several smaller hamburger steaks in the style of what they’d call “sliders” in her world, and mound upon mound of takoyaki and spring greens and tangerines.

There’s a clamor outside as people begin getting their portions.

She, Chouji and Uchiha are each balancing either three or four lunchboxes per person as they take them outside.

Sakura is helping Kiba paint a pattern of cherry blossoms across Chopper’s already vibrantly pink shrine. Evidence of her handiwork on Robin’s shrine is clear is the decoration of swirling petals and the streaks of matching purple paint all over her forehead.

Ino and Naruto obviously have had a battle over the orange judging by the splashes on their hands and clothing. On the plus side Nami and Luffy’s shrines are looking particularly colorful.

Shikamaru and Hinata are splotched with green, light blue and black-and-white. Lee is smudged with brown, cyan and white paint and beaming proudly.

Shino has yellow paint on the end of his nose and is looking at the detailed illustrations of insects on the sides with pride.

The only shrines that aren’t quite done are Sanji’s, which has a blue overcoat but no decoration, and Zoro’s which doesn’t have half its roof painted yet.

“We were waiting,” Naruto says, holding out two buckets of green paint and blue respectively, “For you guys to add your bits.”

She beams at him.

Of course, Uchiha has to ruin it by immediately grabbing the green.

“What?” He says, offloading his three lunchboxes onto Kiba. “I’ll give it back once I’m finished with it.”

Ino rolls her eyes and shoulders her paintbrush, adding another orange splotch to her outfit. “Ugh. I’ll help Mayu-chan, it’s better to get it done quickly. Let’s go before the food gets cold.”

Orange, red, and yellow fish on the blue background are much more vibrant and eye-catching than green, though Uchiha does “help” by flicking the paintbrush at her while she’s distracted.

In thanks, she smears yellow on the back of his neck.

After the extra decorations are finished, Lee, Sakura and Kiba redistribute the lunchboxes to make their offerings.

The only problem is there’s eleven of them and ten lunchboxes.

“You all go ahead.” She steps back. “I’ll do the next bit.”

Each one of them place the pirate lunchboxes down in front of the shrines and step back.

For some reason, she feels like traditional prayers and chants appropriated from the sage guy won’t really be all that welcoming to them.

But then, what? What could help them feel at home at these shrines, so far from the sea?

Her gaze falls on Brook’s shrine.

Oh.

Oh, well it’s obvious when it’s put like that, isn’t it?

She just hopes she remembers the words correctly. She doesn’t want to butcher them on accident.

“Yohohoho, yohohoho~ Yohohoho, yohohoho~”

Her voice sounds frail and quiet, and she can feel everyone’s eyes on her. Still, she stumbles through the last two refrains of yohohoho’s to the first verse.

“Binksu no sake wo, todokei ni yuku yo, umikaze, kimakase, namimakase~ Shio no mukou de, yuhi wo sawagu, sora nya, wao kaku tori no uta~”

Naruto joins in on the next verse, singing along slightly out of tune and mixing up some of the words.

His cheeks look as flushed as hers feel, and it’s hard not to giggle when they catch each other’s eyes. Somehow they both manage to keep singing.

Gai-sensei and Lee boisterously shout DON alongside them as they join as well, Gai-sensei’s voice strong and sure, while Lee’s volume makes up for any deficiencies in wording. She almost can’t hear Okaa-san’s melodious voice and Otou-san’s decidedly tone-deaf one join in on the second set of Yohohoho’s over their noise.

Sakura and Ino’s voices are both high-pitched, but they carry the tune well enough. So does Kiba, though he’s pitching up to a falsetto for some reason. Hinata’s voice is soft, but she’s genuinely singing, unlike Shikamaru and Sasuke who’re mumbling through all the bits apart from the yohohoho’s. Shino is monotone if precise and enthusiastic, while Chouji has a surprising set of pipes on him.

Akamaru is just howling to the beat. And with that accompaniment, how could anyone stop themselves from singing along?

It feels like more people than could possibly fit into their house and garden are bellowing Bink’s Sake together by the time they’ve reached the third set of Yohohoho’s.

It can’t exactly be called “harmonious”. Everyone’s a little out of tune, a little off beat.

But the mixing of all the voices of her family and friends feels so right, it makes her voice stronger, lets her sing louder.

She opens her eyes and nearly chokes on the next note.

Hovering in front of the brightly painted shrines, slightly faded but gaining color and substance with every passing moment, They stand.

Merry appears in all her glory, as if in mid- sail. Brook is playing his violin, a foot tapping to the beat. Franky is winding up for his SUPA pose, grinning broadly. Robin is resting a hand on Chopper’s hat. Chopper himself is peeking at them the wrong way round from Robin’s leg.

Sanji’s tapping out his cigarette with a grin and giving a small salute. Usopp is waving to them, like a captain would to his 8,000 followers. Nami’s blowing a kiss as if to adoring fans.

Zoro...is climbing over the garden fence and jogging to take his place in front his shrine next to the others. Nami shoots him a Look while Luffy laughs at him, sitting in mid air and clapping his feet together.

The Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates then turns to her and gives her a wide grin.

She blinks away tears as he and his crew fade away with the last notes of the song.

The food in the lunchboxes is gone.

The food on Naruto’s plate is also gone.

In fact, all the food in the immediate vicinity appears to be gone.

It’s just that Naruto looks down at his plate and yells in indignation first.

She lets out a wet laugh. “Darn it Luffy.”

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atopearth · 5 years

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Liar! Uncover the Truth Part 3 - Office Deception Spin-Off

New series (?)!! Let’s hope it’s interesting~ Prologue plays out pretty similarly to the first one where the heroine discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her and so she kicks him to the curb. Crappy thing is that he cheated on her with her best friend at work, who is actually a bitch that likes to steal people’s boyfriends, so yeah that sucks. And even though she successfully catches them with the evidence, she still gets the losing end of the stick since the girl is the daughter of some chief executive or whatever he was, so the heroine ends up being shoved off into a crappy team as their team leader so that they can get her to mess up and then force her to quit. Cool thing is the janitor giving her a mop divination saying that 9 of them will be crappy co-workers but one of them will be a lifelong work partner I guess hahaha. Now it’s gender neutral! We’ll see who is the best co-worker!

1st Liar Personally, I like Keisuke’s and Mayu’s looks the most but I think Kohei might be a cool guy hahaha. I feel like this Twinkle Twinkle that leaks confidential info (their rejected Olympic emblem design), complains about the heroine and other stuff is probably Shiori, she seems pretty stupid and irrational tbh. She’s also quite rude, every time the heroine tells her to do something, she always tries to delay it somehow with a joke or whatever and it’s so obvious that she’s being disrespectful with her. Otherwise, Yusei is nice to give her a book on leadership and Guy seems quite dedicated to drawing designs.

Honestly, I think I’d die if I had to deal with someone like Shiori that leaks company info, gets caught for it, says it’s because FindFriend (Facebook I guess?) is her life and she needs all these likes etc to survive, and then even after the heroine lets her off so easily by just telling her to get rid of all the problematic posts, she’s still not repenting and is complaining about her page being blank now? Omggg, I’d kill her lol. Just wondering, but do the accusation portions not have voice acting anymore? That’s kinda saddening, I liked that :(

2nd Liar You’d think that since we’re dealing with adults, bullying and harassment shouldn’t occur but it does :( But omg though, I feel so sorry for the heroine, when she tried to present their project, her slides were replaced with porn, absolutely great… If it’s someone jealous of her this time around, then maybe it’s Chisa? Don’t feel like she really respects the heroine so… Sakurako (traitor friend) and her dad that’s the chief are so eugh, especially since the latter touched her without consent! Disgusting!

As for the person sabotaging the heroine. I find it hard to believe that even if Keisuke was a guy who felt like men are superior in life, he wouldn’t do something like this, and Chise just seems to go with her own flow or something lol. Minoru seems the most suspicious just because he tries to take over her leadership role, thinks he’s the best, tries to make it as if she’s so useless and is obviously cocky.

Wow, can’t believe Minoru was such a guy, steals people’s work, ruined someone’s career and thinks that others are so stupid compared to him, the heroine was right to demote him!

3rd Liar So.. Someone is having an office love? But eww leaving torn pantyhose on someone’s desk is pretty disgusting. Gotta admit that Daikichi seems the most sketchy, he’s way too forward and flirty. On the other hand, Yusei is so cute! I’m surprised he actually isn’t the black coffee type and actually drinks chocolate milk instead haha! I also think he’s great leader material considering how capable he is, but if he thinks supporting others is where he shines, then fair enough. He was so adorable when he admitted that he took the heroine to a fancy restaurant before because it was her, when he usually goes to dingy dirty places hahaha. I think I’m warming up to him the most right now, so I think I’d be so sad if he’s a liar later😣

Not surprised that it’s Daikichi since the others seemed to be just there to make you doubt your choice, especially Chisa lol, just because she likes to do Tai Chi with older men doesn’t mean she’s sleeping around with them lolll. Anyway, Daikichi is pretty eugh, sure, the girls are the ones who are all over him, but he accepts them, even in the most inappropriate places like the office. It’s disgusting. Lmao at the true end though, the heroine was the one who spilt coffee on his old suit and helped him pick out a new one, so really the one who pushed him into having a style change was her, and so really, she started his playboy days lollll.

4th Liar So, this time around, it’s side jobs! They’re not allowed especially after some employee created his own business and it failed and he stole money from the company to pay off his loans, so yep. So cool that Keisuke just outed Sakurako on her BS, she’s so fake🙄 In terms of employment though, I feel like Guy has the best prospects just because he’s always drawing designs, so it’s not like another skill, he can keep doing his thing at work and be honing his skills at earning money for both this and his side job imo. But then omg at Chisa lol, bringing so many products to the office and then even bringing the heroine to a party that’s introducing these products?? Sounds like a pyramid scheme lol.

Which it pretty much is.. Scary thing is that it’s brainwashed Chisa so much since all she really wanted was friends but they made her buy all these products and join in selling them etc and threaten to kick her out and not be friends with her anymore if she stopped. It’s honestly pretty depressing… The older you get, the more difficult it is to make time for friends and to make new friends, sigh… I kinda feel sorry for her.

5th Liar HAHAHA omg, when the title of the episode was the Shuto Matsuki affair, I was wondering whether it was really THAT Shuto Matsuki from the previous season and it is! Guess his soccer career is still kicking haha. Just an FYI, but the early clear bonuses have become ridiculous, I need to finish 35 episodes/tickets in 2 days, and you only get 5 free tickets a day, which means I’d need to use an extra 20 tickets to make it to the threshold. Yeah… I’d rather not read the true ends then.

Omgg, she accidentally pushed Kohei down and then called him beautiful without his glasses and her heart even thumped when he smiled hahaha. He is pretty cute though, I like him. Not surprised that someone has stolen Shuto’s watch that the heroine took off him in order to not interfere with the photos but hmmm, who could it be, who’s the crazed fan?! Reina is my guess for now haha. I didn’t think it would be Guy tbh, he doesn’t even seem to have a proper reason, he’s just into the thrill of it all which is so…boring? Pretty disappointing reveal.

6th Liar Leaking the project information to an opposing company? That’s the worst thing for an employee to do, especially when they all worked so hard on this together. Sigh, the heroine can’t catch a break. Yusei seems to know his way around ladies~ He’s a dangerous guy imo hahaha. Surprised the heroine was okay with going to Keisuke’s house to watch Office Battle and in the dark too! Lol. Anyway, super disappointed that Yusei was the spy by Daito (rival company) and he was doing it all along because he wants money and has always been a guy like that ever since he got dumped by his girlfriend that went with a rich guy. Like okaaay, just dump any morals you have for money you have no use in having now since the girl dumped you anyway so… Yeah, whatever, sigh.

I’m starting to think that May is probably the workmate that will be like her best partner at work. The president called to get rid of Kaneyama from the team and May was meeting with some guy I assumed to be her dad in the beginning, so maybe the president is her dad?

7th Liar Well…. Sending a company wide email of a photo of the heroine and her father claiming that she’s in an affair? Yeah, these guys are sure unprofessional. But wow, kidnapping the heroine, taking photos etc??? That’s so crazy weird…. Thought it was Reina, but dang didn’t think it was because she in love with the heroine and crazy obsessed with her lol, so random… Yeah didn’t like this one, didn’t think the evidence part was interestingly solved either…

8th Liar It’s cool that both Keisuke and Kohei are into the heroine, and omg when they offered their hands so that she could walk down the stairs in her heels with their support~ so cute~ But May is definitely the best to save her from that awkward situation of choosing one haha.

LOL at Kohei being a pervert that likes to listen to voices hahaha. Why are all the recent liars obsessed with the heroine in some way or another lol, so random and weird. Although I do have to admit that some voices do sound amazing hahaha.

9th Liar Aww, if it’s supposedly the President of Daito’s child doing the spy thing, I feel like it’s probably May then… But I like her so much more than Keisuke. She’s considerate, nice and fun! So sad that I was right though, all the evidence did point to her and the rest against Keisuke were so flimsy, but sigh, I don’t like Keisuke lolll. I don’t want him to be the one aiyaaa. Oh well…. I am SO SHOOK. So shocked that May is actually a guy! The scarves she wears all the time are to cover her Adams Apple!! What!!! Shocking!! I guess that’s why there’s rumours the president has a daughter or son… Wow… Still shocked. Especially when the heroine accidentally grabbed her crotch when May tried to run away lolll. Omgggg.

Omggggg that the janitor was Keisuke’s grandpa which is the CEO of the company, and so Keisuke’s dad is the president, and Keisuke has been looking for the spies all this time too, and now he’s finally got the Kaneyama father and daughter. So glad Sakurako is done. Well, now she can fully trust Keisuke now and the team has been reformed so everyone is happy lol. What a long ride.

Overall, didn’t like Office Deception as much, felt like it was a bit bland and the characters were rather boring, but I think the main problem was that their reasons for lying were so fickle and uninteresting, maybe it’s because it’s limited by an office setting. But yeah, first one was definitely much better.

#liar! uncover the truth #liar uncover the truth #liar! office deception

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missmyloko · 5 years

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What’s In a Dance? Part 14

On The Eight Day Of Fun I present... another returning feature! It’s baaaaack! I got a few requests for new songs past few months, so I chose one that’s very fitting right now with the new year upon us. However things are not always what they seem.

Ume Wa Saitaka (梅は咲いたか) - Did The Plum Blossoms Bloom?

Image courtesy of Girasolemurano on Instagram.

This song is really beautiful, but there’s one glaring issue: there are two different versions performed in the karyukai. Sometimes they can be divided by kagai, but the reasons for such a divide aren’t clear

Lyrics

Ume wa saitaka, sakura wa madakaina, yanai nayonayo kaze shidai, 梅は咲いたか, 桜はまだかいな, 柳なよな��風次第, Did the plum blossoms bloom? Are the cherry blossoms still there? The willow bends depending on the wind, Yamabuki ya uwaki te, iro bakkari, shongai na,　山吹や浮気で, 色ばっかり, しょんがいな,　　 The fickle mountain rose is only its color, shon gai na, Ume ni shō ka, sakura ni shiyo kaina, iro wa midori no matsu ga eda ni, 梅にしようか, 桜にしよかいな, 色は緑の松が枝に, The color, there on the verdant pine, will it be plum blossom or cherry? Ume to sakura wo sakasetai shongai na, 梅と桜を咲かせたいしょんがいな, I want to make the plum and cherry blossoms bloom, shon gai na, Kinō kitakaze, kyō wa minamikaze, ashita wa ukina no tatsumikaze, 昨日北風, 今日は南風, 明日は浮名のたつみ(巽)風, Yesterday, the north wind, today, the south wind, tomorrow, it is rumored to be the southeast wind, Koi no kaze nara, irobakkari shongai, 恋の風なら, 色ばっかりしょんがい,　　 If love is in the air, it is only color, shon gai, Yanagibashi kara kobune de kyū gase, fune wa yurayura nami shidai, 柳橋から小舟で急がせ, 舟はゆらゆら波次第, From Yanagibashi I rush in my small boat, carried by the waves, Fune kara agatte dote Yachō, Yoshiwara e goannai, 舟から上がって土手八町, 吉原へご案内,　 From the ship we go up to the embankment of Yachō as we enter Yoshiwara, Sakura sakura to ukareteiru waina, yayoi sangetsu hanamigetsu, 桜さくらと浮かれているわいな, 弥生三月花見月, Many cherry blossoms float along, the third month that heralds spring and the fourth month of flower viewing, Anata wa hana yori, sake bakkari shongai na, あなたは花より, 酒ばっかりしょんがいな, My love for you is more than those of the flowers, yet I am already drunk, shon gai na, Asari toretaka hamaguri madakaina awabi kuyokuyo kata omoi, 浅蜊取れたか蛤まだかいな鮑くよくよ片想い,　 Have the steamer clam been harvested? Are there still sushi clams? The abalone broods over unrequited love, Sazae wa rinki de, tsuno bakkari shongai na, 栄螺は悋気で, 角ばっかりしょんがいな,　　　 The turban shell is no more than the horns of jealousy, shon gai na, Ginza hatchō ikō janai kai na, yama no kitsune ga shibake te, 銀座八丁行こうじゃないかいな, 山の狐が七化けて, Let’s go to Ginza and see the mountain foxes change clothes quickly like the stage actors, Kuroi mayu hiku, sode wo hiku shongai na, 黒い眉引く, 袖を引くしょんがいな,　　 Drawing black eyebrows, drawing down their sleeves, shon gai na, Koi no Asakusa futari de iko kanai, nani wo Kototoi miyakodori, 恋の浅草二人で行こかいな, 何を言問都鳥, Shall we go to beloved Asakusa, like the miyakodori of Kototoi, Sue wa chidori de Namida Bashi shongai na. 末は千鳥で泪橋しょんがいな. Or, in the end, will it be the plovers of Namida Bashi? Shon gai na.

The Breakdown

First off, you may have noticed that a good chunk of the lyrics were italicized; this is because each kagai tends to pick and choose which of those verses it adds on, so you won’t find a single version with all of the lines. The regular verses are the mandatory ones and the italicized verses are the optional ones. You may have also seen the addition on the end of many verses of “shon gai na,” which is kinda like our good friend “yoi yoi yasa” as in it’s there to add that bit of emphasis and rhythm. This is actually an old bit of colloquialism as it was almost like a type of slang when the song was written over 100 years ago. In its simplest terms, it’s an archaic way of saying “sou desu ka,” which means “is that so?”

The four types of plants elude to four different types of women in the karyukai. The plum blossoms refer to the young geiko as plum blossoms are the first to bloom in the spring. The cherry blossoms, on the other hand, represent more mature geiko who wait longer than the plum blossoms to bloom. Willows represent women who change to meet their various situations, but that makes them inconsistent and fickle. Mountain roses are a bit more nefarious as they represent women who are unfaithful and lie. Their yellow color is a symbol of frivolity when it comes to money, which usually then leads to heartbreak. Next, we're asked to wonder what color will bloom on the pine branch. The pine in this case is representing longevity and strength, and most likely a male customer, so they wonder whether a young geiko or a mature geiko will begin a relationship with them.

That being said, from reading the rest of the lyrics you may have been able to tell that this song predominately takes place in Tokyo and not Kyoto. Each of the places it mentions are popular spots in and around Tokyo. To begin, the term “tatsumi” is a play on words that actually represents the Tatsumi Geisha (辰巳芸者) who were found in the Fukugawa district. Next we’re lead around the city, from the famous Yanagibashi, which was once the most prestigious district in Tokyo, to Yachō, another district, and onto Yoshiwara by means of a small boat. The way that the narrator talks about Yoshiwara lets us know that they have a certain fondness for the area and are more of a connoisseur than a casual visitor. They make merry during March and April, the third and fourth months respectively, although when this was written it would have referred to the third and fourth months in the traditional Asian calendar. The narrator remarks about how their enjoyment is fleeting, just like the floating world in which they spend their time.

The inclusion of marine invertebrates seems really random, but it all serves a singular purpose. By harvesting the animals in turn you actually follow a cyclical calendar that takes you through an entire year. Being more specific, the steamer clams and sushi clams are both used for Kai Awase (貝合わせ), which is a shell matching game. Abalone and turban shells does not have a partner, so they stand alone and are looking for love. The turban shell may also elude to Tsunokakushi (角隠し), which are traditional head covers worn by brides to hide their “horns.”

Finally, we continue our trek around Tokyo, first by visiting Ginza to see fox spirits, also known as kitsune, transform like kabuki actors and even witness how their makeup runs down their cheeks and onto the sleeves of their kimono as they try to hide their sadness. From there, we go to Asakusa and then Kototoi, which is another name for Mukojima. Miyakodori, not to be confused with Miyako Odori, are a type of seagull that usually represent winter. Plovers, on the other hand, represent summer, so the narrator is once again talking about time flowing. In the end, they end up at Namida Bashi, which actually means “Bridge of Tears” and likely refers to the floating bridge of dreams in The Tale of Genji. The narrator is quite melancholy yet content as they reflect on their relationships.

Each Kagai’s Version

Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) Version - Inoue School (井上流) Sorry Inoue fans, but I can’t find their version being danced. Pontocho (先斗町) Version - Onoe School (尾上流) Same issue here Onoe fans! Kamishichiken (上七軒) Version - Hanayagi School (花柳流) Even Hanayagi is left out!? Yep. Miyagawa Cho (宮川町) Version - Wakayagi School (若柳流) Finally, some actual performances! Right from the start this dance is full of quick movements that only slow when speaking about the contemplation between the flowers. It uses a mai ōgi almost as much as it does hand movements, so it’s a feast for the eyes throughout its short duration. This version is performed by Kosen (小扇) of Kaden (花傳). Gion Higashi (祇園東) Version - Fujima School (藤間流) Compared to the Wakayagi version, the Fujima one seems a bit slower in pace for the song, but it still has a fair amount of movement compared to other Fujima dances. Some of the frozen kata poses are downright gorgeous and I feel that they really add to the dance. A mai ōgi is also used, but it’s present in the hand of the dancer for the entire duration of the dance, minus a few seconds. This version is performed by Tomitsuyu (富津愈) of Tomikiku (富菊).

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The lyrics provided were translated by myself with the help of a friend and gathered from multiple sources; I began with multiple sets, such as those from here, here, here, and here, and figured out which made the most sense when written out as some versions just wrote the hiragana versions of a few kanji and it made the meanings a bit more ambiguous to people who are not fluent in Japanese. In the original version some older forms of common kanji were used so I updated them as this may also confuse people.

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azurexskies · 5 years

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A Nocturne for Heroes

I just had to write something for this collaboration event because Carmen/Mayu started out as a FF15 OC so here it is!

This wasn’t real.

She already knew how this story ended. She had seen it, lived it, and yet she was standing here, looking at the Regalia. Save for the dust and dirt from the Thanalan desert, it was otherwise in pristine condition, though the fact that it was here, in the desert and not moving, was something of a telling sign, and all too familiar.

But not as familiar as the face that popped up from behind the vehicle.

Their surprised expressions mimicked each other’s and the silence that hung in the air was for a few beats longer than it should have.

“May- uh …” Noct’s eyes shifted around, and Carmen fixed him with a look, “Carmen. Hey”

She snorted, “Hey.” If this was a dream, it was a damn realistic one.

“So, you ended up here too, huh?”

“It’s been a hot minute,” Carmen nodded, hands clasped behind her back as she looked the Regalia over. “And this time I’m guessing this wasn’t Prompto’s doing?”

“Yeah, I don’t really know what happened, think you can take a look?”

Carmen raised a brow at him, arms crossing. “You got money?”

Noct sighed, and she could hear the hint of a swear under his breath. “Really, Carmen?”

“Really”

Chuckling to herself, Carmen came around, clapping a hand on Noct’s shoulder. “Look, normally I’d say yes but I don’t have any of my tools here and I know someone who would totally love to take a look at this for you, for free … probably.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Cid!” Noct gave her a confused stare, “not that grandpa, this is a … uh different one” Still confused, but not seeing any other solution, all Noct could do was trust her on this.

“Oh, but just so we’re on the same page, pretend this is the first time we met, okay?” She could see the questions starting to bubble up in his throat, “Please?”

“You have a lot of explaining to do later”

“I know I know, but come on! Let’s get this girl back in shape. I’ll take the wheel, you push?”

“What? No, it’s my car, I take the wheel”

“You can push it your damn self!”

“You spoiled princess!”

“Prince Charmless!

In the end, Carmen ended up pushing, a hole she had inevitably dug herself into to keep up the guise that they were strangers and her unfamiliar with the Regalia. The charade was easy enough to maintain and it wasn’t until the two were scouting the area for MTs that Noct had a chance to question Carmen.

“So, it wasn’t until I showed up that the MTs did too? Like, it’s been fine the whole time you’ve been here?”

Carmen shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t really get the specifics, but they’ve never showed up here until now”

“I’m guessing you haven’t found a way back yet then, either”

Carmen paused for a second, shaking her head sadly. It was a blatant lie. It wasn’t that she hadn’t found a way, it’s that she didn’t bother to even look.

“Well, maybe with the two of us we can figure this out, and we can both go back” The hope in his voice only tugged at her heartstrings more. “I bet you miss Ignis like crazy”

“Yeah, it’s been a while”

The whole conversation just felt odd, like an echo of a dream or a memory. There was something so comforting and nostalgic about hearing his voice again, and talking about things like this as if everything was fine.

This must be a dream. It had to be. There was no way that the Noctis she knew ever since she was little was here. She was almost certain that he had to be a figment of her imagination, and ghost from the past haunting her, reminding her of the life she had before and the people she had left behind

“Hey …”

Carmen was pulled out of her thoughts as Noct called to her. Everything seemed like a bit of a blur she had barely even noticed or registered their trip here to the East Shroud. For better or worse they at least hadn’t encountered any MTs, but the furrow on Noct’s brow hinted at the concern he had for his friend.

“Wanna talk?” his voice was soft, and she could feel tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. That sweet gentle tone that she knew so well, one he rarely took on, but always seemed to know when something was wrong.

She mustered a smile, shaking her head. “N-no, it’s okay, just a lot on my mind”

“I know, that’s why I’m asking”

Before she could reply, a cry resounded through the forest, their attention now turned to a daemon that had somehow found its way to Eorzea as well. Even with the physical validation, the feel of each blow, that familiar magic in the air, the seamless flow of battle as they two fought together, it just made this feel like a dream sequence.

It’s not real.

It can’t be real.

But she couldn’t find the words. Where do you even start? How can you even say anything like that to a friend? Maybe this was real. Maybe, by some chance this was real, and there was a possibility that what she had witnessed before was some crazy prophetic vision. Maybe there was time to rewrite his fate.

Maybe.

“Okay, seriously now,”

With the daemon vanquished and camp set up, Noct finally had an opportunity to corner Carmen. “Something’s eating you, what is it? You miss Ignis that much?”

Carmen had to laugh at that. It brought a smile to Noct’s face, relieved to see his friend lighten up a little. She shook her head though, gaze turning towards the treeline. “The forest is really calming at night. You can see the stars in the sky, too. It’s so much more peaceful here”

Noct’s gaze followed hers, eyes closing as he breathed in the scent of the forest. “Yeah, it’s pretty nice. You don’t get views like this in Insomnia”

“Definitely not. Oh! And there’s so many great fishing spots here too! Not just the forest but Limsa Lominsa and just all of La Noscea, you’d love it!”

“Really? I’d love to see it”

“We should go! And there’s Coerthas too, it’s cold but I mean, they do this thing called sky fishing up further north, er … well, higher in the sky obviously too and Kugane all the way on the other side. There’s so many places we should go and see. And just think, we don’t have to worry about meetings and foreign dignitaries anymore, we could just be … us”

Some time during Carmen’s rant Noct’s gaze had fallen sadly on her and she could see she was losing him a little in the conversation. Not that he wasn’t interested but rather she could see that it was impossible to do all that.

“Mayu” She swallowed thickly, “You know we can’t do that. We have to go back. There’s people waiting for us, depending on us”

“Noct, I …” she took a deep breath to calm herself, “I love you”

Shock couldn’t even begin to describe the myriad of emotions on Noct’s face as the words spilled from her mouth. “I love you, and I want to stay here, with you. We can just be ourselves, and enjoy our lives and each other. I just think-”

“You’re not even looking at me”

She stumbled a little, taken aback “I’m just feeling a lot of emotions, about you, it’s hard to- you know, I just don’t want to be overcome-”

“You don’t actually mean that, do you?”

“I mean it with all my heart! This is a sincere confession … and you’re not buying any of this, are you?”

He snorted, and then chuckled, and then he was howling with laughter as Mayu held her head in her hands, embarrassed. It was a desperate move, and clearly one she didn’t have her heart in enough, but perhaps it was the years of friendship they had that allowed Noct to see through her charade.

“Look I’m uh … flattered? But I mean, I think you want me was much as I want to eat vegetables”

“You know, you need to stop giving Ignis such a hard time about that”

“And I’m totally going to tell him that you fake confessed to me to stay here” They both got a good laugh out of it, wiping tears from their eyes once the laughter had died down. “Just think, if I had taken that seriously you’d be stuck with me, forever”

“Gods, what a life that would end up being. No thank you”

“So, we find a way back, then”

Carmen sighed, shoulders drooping. “We find a way back. Gosh, I hope it doesn’t take too long. I don’t want to be stuck with you any longer than I should, we’re already sharing the tent tonight”

“Yeah, so don’t roll on to me”

“Me? You’re the one that hogs all the space!”

“I can’t help it if I move in my sleep!”

They bickered and bickered, all the way until they fell asleep, having no one to stop them and it wasn’t until her eyes closed that she thought maybe, maybe this wasn’t a dream. This was real. She had her friend back.

-----

“We should do this again sometime”

The words rang in her head as she was gently awoken. She remembered the fight with Garuda, saw the vision of Luna on the other side of the gate, waiting for Noct. She couldn’t go with him, not now, not yet.

No, it was impossible.

“Darling?”

Her eyes fluttered open, the soft rays of dawn’s light filtering through the curtains and the warm, gentle embrace of Ignis behind her. His fingertips gently caressed her cheek, and it was only then that she noticed she had tears streaking down them.

“Bad dream?”

She shook her head, turning around in his embrace, her own fingers gently tracing the scars on his face as she looked up into eyes that reflected her face.

“I had a dream about Noct” Silence, but she could see a small hint of a frown on his lips. “It was really nice. We had an adventure, and we got to see a lot of things. It was like we were kids again, having fun”

“Bickering”

Mayu chuckled, “Yeah, that too”

She didn’t say it, but they both felt the same in that moment.

They missed him.

“Will you tell me about it over breakfast?”

Mayu smiled, her arms wrapping tightly around Ignis’s chest, “Yes”

#carmen walker #ffxiv x ffxv #noctis lucis caelum #writing them bickering is my favorite thing #c: writing

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secretlyviola · 6 years

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Wake Up, Girls!: the Black Sheep of Idol Anime and International Perceptions of the Japanese Idol Industry

Wake Up, Girls! as an anime is probably one of the best and most accurate representations of the real life Japanese idol industry that I've seen thus far. So much so that after completing it, while keeping the crude humor of the show in mind, I struggled with how it wasn't more popular both domestically in Japan and overseas where I live or why word wasn't spread about it more widely. Now, granting & considering the fact that the structure of the show is confusing (1 movie, a TV anime series, 2 more movies, and then the most recent 2nd season which concluded this past winter) I can understand why it has low viewership and interactions compared to other idol-related shows like the various Love Live! and Idolm@ster series that seem to be booming or at least doing better both domestically and overseas. With that in mind, I wished to do a bit more exploring into possible reasons other than these that would address some of its setbacks and at the same time encourage people to give the series a fair chance.

What's Missing?

The thing that I'm noticing most about the deficit in Wake Up Girls' (WUG's) interest mostly has to do with its promotional material.

To start, WUG does not have a mobile game like it's competitors; or rather it did and now will again after some time. The first game unfortunately failed due to possible competition from Love Live! and similar rhythm and gacha games releasing the same same year. The girls' characters do have a feature on a console game called Miracle Girls Festa which shares an engine with the Hatsune Miku Project Diva series. However, a new game involving WUG has not seen a release since then,(other than appearances in other games) which in the rat-race of mobile idol gacha games has put them at a stark disadvantage of the discovery and interaction of their characters. This is, however, on the horizon to change in the fall with the release of their newest mobile game. I'm not able to talk much on this as a data point simply because it isn't released and doesn't really have any gameplay other than a few promo videos.

The Show

Because of the gaming fallout, character discovery and building is almost solely reliant on watching the show. This can be both good and bad. Good, because the group's content is more centralized, but it can severely lack when it comes to more individualized interaction and selecting the all-too-well-known oshimen or "best girl"

The anime itself--as mentioned earlier--is very convoluted in its setup and crude in its initial delivery. If you miss the first movie and just start watching the first season, you can definitely watch the series, but details are a lot more well-rounded when you do watch it.

There are also two separate movies in between the most recent season that are helpful to watch, but that Crunchyroll does not have available for streaming as of writing this, which makes it a bit more complicated to watch without more details.

A general thing to keep in mind while watching is the amount of crude humor that develops throughout the movie and the first three episodes. Without giving too much away to the actual plot, there are themes of sexual exploitation that are present in the beginning of the show. I do see why this may turn some people off to the series since it persists for a majority of the beginning watch time, but I have a firm belief that it is worth pushing through and some parts of it even are good representations of how idols can be exploited in the industry. (It's not all just smiles and friendship!)

"But, why should I watch this?"

If you enjoy Asian idols of any form, I strongly believe it's worth your time.

Or rather, I could just leave it at that but I know that lack of substance can make people hesitant to try something. So, here's a quick review from 1st movie to most recent season:

The first movie, Shichinin No Idol (Seven Idols, 七人のアイドル) covers the formation of the group through the small Sendai-based agency Green Leaves who sets off to make money by creating an idol group to rival popular powerhouse I-1 Club. (it's essentially this universe's equivalent to AKB48 and it's sister groups) The movie follows the recruiting of Yoshino Nanase, (Member Image Color: Light Blue) a former child model and the group's appointed leader, Miyu Okamoto, (Member Image Color: Orange) a local cafe maid, Minami Katayama, (Member Image Color: Yellow) a joyful and energetic girl who's recruited after winning a folk singing competition, Kaya Kikuma, (Member Image Color: Green) who quit her part-time job at a ramen shop, Nanami Hisami, (Member Image Color: Purple) who aspires to be a stage actress, Airi Hayashida, (Member Image Color: Navy) a timid girl who auditions for the group at the encouragement of her friend and the final member of the group, Mayu Shimada, (Member Image Color: Red) who happens to be a former I-1 Club core member or "center" in the idol world.

The following first tv-aired season covers the girls' activities after debut, inevitably leading to their participation in a high-profile idol competition though their national promotion and with help from a famous producer who wrote songs for I-1. The issues with Mayu's former association with I-1 Club complicate this, as the rivaling group is the host for the idol festival and a large amount of fans are present. How they overcome all of this really emphasizes the level of tribulation that real life idols go through in the industry to get discovered and recognized.

The next movies in between the 1st & 2nd season, Seishun no Kage (青春の影) and BEYOND THE BOTTOM follow a similar plot as the first season, except the girls are challenged with debut under a major agency and the complications that come with that, having to start over from zero, being a one-hit-wonder and do everything that comes with struggling after success, reflecting on the point that sometimes you have to look back to move forward.

The second tv-aired season has the girls moving into the same house and taking on more independent activities to boost the group's overall popularity for their national tour. The show takes a new art and staffing direction than the previous iteration and while doing this, in my humble opinion, retains what's good while cutting a lot of the crude humor that was, at times, unnecessary and honestly almost makes the amount of time building up to the season more worth it.

.~*~.

So is it all worth it? That's up for you to decide. I would personally put it on my top 10 essential anime to watch. While I can't really say it's my favorite, I definitely think that it should be taken for more than it's face value of just another idol anime with fan service. Overall, I can say that I'm glad I invested my time in this series and hope that others may do the same.

Epilogue: "So is there more than that?"

So I can say now that this blog post was actually in progress over a pretty long period of time, written on & off over a period of 7 months. In that time, a lot of things have happened, including the expansion of Wake Up, Girls' sister group, Run Girls, Run (RGR), the announcement of the upcoming mobile game, and--unfortunately--the announcement of the disbandment of the real-life counterpart of WUG, the singing seiyuu unit. (By the same name of course)

To speak briefly on them, the girls share the first name with their animated counterparts and have had group activities outside of the anime including singing for anime openings and endings. They perform both these songs and songs from the show at their concerts. The members each have their own activities outside of the group which includes voice work in other popular Japanese mobile games such as Fate: Grand Order, Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls, and Tokyo 7th Sisters. This disbandment is set to occur in March of 2019, so if you're going to be in Japan before or around that time, I'd recommend going to see them before time's up. Their live performances are definitely one of their strong points. If you can't make it before, then my point in this post still stands and I still firmly believe watching the show is something worthwhile even if it only changes peoples' perspectives a little.

#idol anime #Wake Up Girls!#anisong #jpop #post

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idleminds · 4 years

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#okane no kireme ga koi no hajimari #love will begin when money ends #miura haruma #matsuoka mayu #jdrama #gifs

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movielosophy · 4 years

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Okane no Kireme ga Koi no Hajimari | Probably most of us after pandemic?

#Okane no Kireme ga Koi no Hajimari #kanekoi #dorama #おカネの切れ目が恋のはじまり #love will begin when money ends #miura haruma #character: saruwatari keita #matsuoka mayu #character: kuki reiko #quote

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kiyosuku · 4 years

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#Love will begin when Money ends #jdrama #miura haruma #kitamura takumi #matsuoka mayu

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jumarit38 · 6 years

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THROUGH TIME - CHAPTER 6

Jurina was willing to confess her love to Mayu a week ago, but the occasions that both see each other had decreased from one day to another, the shorter girl wasn’t around her anymore like she used to, besides she was always in the garden, Jurina knew that she loved flowers, that’s why she never really asked why she always went there, she never imagined that actually Kashiwagi Yuki was the one who took Mayu’s attention and not the flowers. Mayu went every day to the garden hoping to find the beautiful girl, and then she spend her evenings listening to the histories or whatever Yuki said, Mayu didn’t care if it was boring, she was happy just by listening Yuki’s melodious voice and enjoying her presence. The weeks passed, Jurina could feel that something was different in Mayu; the few occasions that they were together the oldest was always daydreaming or sighing. Jurina couldn’t find the right moment to tell her that she loved her, something was holding her back, Mayu’s strange behavior was stopping her. “Are you ok Mayu? I see you a little different lately” “Let’s say that I am so happy that I can’t holding it back” Mayu answered with her bright and warm smile that always made Jurina’s heart stop and took away all of her worries, it doesn’t matter how much times she saw it, it always had the same effect, and was the only thing that Jurina needed to reaffirm her love. “I love you” The words just came out from Jurina’s mouth, those words that she have been wanting to say since a month ago, she couldn’t bear to see Mayu’s smile and didn’t scream to the world that she loved her and embrace her with all her might. The room was full with silence after her confession, Mayu didn’t say anything, her bright smile had vanish for complete, her face become all white, and without prior notice she just got out from the room running as fast as she could. “Mayu wait” But Mayu was already far away, Jurina didn’t need another answer, she knew by the way Mayu reacted that she didn’t feel the same for her, her heart was hurting in her cheats when she realized that her only happiness had leave her side. She felt on her knees to the ground, she could only feel how her tears felt on her check and she couldn’t make them stop, there was no word that could describe her broken heart, and Jurina could feel her loneliness come back and there was no anyone that would take it away again. Mayu didn’t knew other way to react; she knew how weak Jurina’s heart was, after 14 year of solitude she wanted to be by her side, but she didn’t have the same feelings for her, she loved a warm eyes and a friendly smile that doesn’t belong to Jurina. She couldn’t lie to Jurina nor herself, but she knew that she would have to face the prince and make her understand that even if she didn’t feel the same way, she would be always by her side. Some days passed and Mayu couldn’t find a moment to talk to Jurina, mainly because the younger girl avoids her with all her might, she didn’t have even eye contact with Mayu. And everything continues that way until Jurina’s 15 birthday, she and Jurina were called by the kings to their office. Being in the room, Jurina ignored Mayu’s presence, basically she become the person she was before they met, it was Jurina’s way to protect herself, she didn’t feel anything, she didn’t care about anything, and she buried her feelings with the fear to be hurt again. “Good evening, I will go straight to the main point” Said the king catching both attentions. “I don’t know if you have wondered the reason of why Mayu have been living here the past 10 months” “My father told me it was because he would go on a trip” Said Mayu sure about her answer, at a beginning she didn’t like the idea, she could live alone in that period of time, but she didn’t have another choice, and it wasn’t that bad, it would only be a year. “Well… that is a lie” Mayu couldn’t believe him, she trust her father’s word, and there was no other logic reason, is not like she had a bad relationship with her father, he would not want to get rid of her, she was trying to think another possibilities but nothing came to her mind “Can you please tell me the reason then?” even so she didn’t want to be disrespectful, after all was the king the one who she was talking to. “Jurina turns 15 like you know, she is now in the age to get marriage and being the throne heiress is a need that she marriage someone who can take the throne with her, you have been being her fiancée all the time, you were bring here so you both could know each other, so please prepare tonight you will be presented as her fiancée in tonight’s ball” Jurina had no idea of what was going on, for the first time in a week she looked straight to her unrequited love, shock was what her face showed and fear at the same time, Jurina knew that Mayu doesn’t love her, and she didn’t want to force her to marry her if she doesn’t feel that way for her. “Father I refuse” For the first time in all her life, Jurina refused an order from her father, meanwhile Mayu was on the same position without saying a word nor a single reaction. “This is not something that you can decide Jurina, Viscount have already accept too, you both have to fulfill your duties as part of a Royal family, you can go now” Jurina, seeing that Mayu didn’t react at all, took her hand and dragged her out from the room, she wanted to talk with her and let her know that she didn’t knew it either, and despite that she loved her, she would never do something like that to her. Both arrived to Jurina’s room, they sat at the edge of the bed, the younger one tried that Mayu reacted. “Mayu, please say something” Mayu with her pale face and shaking hands said the words that Jurina never thought that would came out from her mouth. “I accept, I will marry you” After saying this she only stood up from the bed and got out from the room, leaving behind a completely confuse Jurina Mayu knew she didn’t had another choice than do it, she couldn’t go against the King’s and her father’s orders, and she didn’t wanted to see Jurina sad gaze again, she definitely didn’t want her to be alone again, so she would abandon her true love and accept her destiny. Mayu was in her way to her room, her gaze was on the floor, and she was to focus on what had just happened and how her life would change. “Good evening Mayu” Suddenly the voice that always made her heart race but at the same time was the only thing that could calm her down, and that she always wished to hear rumbled in her ears, and then she couldn’t hold back her feelings anymore, she run to Yuki’s arms and started to cry letting out all her feelings, her only comfort were the warmness of Yuki’s embrace. Yuki didn’t asked anything, she knew exactly what was happening, Shinoda had already told her after Yuki told her that she had fallen in love for a beautiful girl that always talk with her in the garden, the only thing that both could do was comfort each other with no words, only and embrace that said everything that words can’t A ball where every important person from the kingdom gather, Counts, Dukes, Marquis, and any kind of noble were there. All there kingdom were in the expectation of what would be announce in the awaited 15 birthday of the prince. The only thing that they didn’t expect was the most tragedy in Sakae’s history. 3 deaths, 2 survivors and none suspect. Jurina was wearing her white suit, made by the best dressmakers from the kingdom, and it was adorned with brilliant gold buttons, it was a suit that can only be used by someone of royalty. She had never been so nervous like she was in that moment, she was in the waiting room waiting for Mayu to make their entrance in the big hall where everybody were waiting. But Mayu was nowhere see, all the servants were looking for her like crazy. They gave Jurina the order to just wait because she can get lost too, they weren’t in the castle, they were in a near ball house that was really big, Jurina couldn’t hold her impotence, maybe something had happened to Mayu, so she forgot about the orders again just because of Mayu and went out from the room to look for her fiancée. She knew that the servants had already search in every single room, so she run to the only place that Mayu could be. When she arrived to the garden, Jurina finally found the girl that she was looking for, but she wasn’t alone, she had seen the other girl in the castle, she was Shinoda’s best friend, but Jurina had never talked to her. When she saw the way that Mayu looked at the other girl, her eyes were sparkle like she was seeing the most wonderful thing in earth, she then knew that she was the person that took away Mayu’s heart, and she could confirm it when she saw both kissing right in front of her, she didn’t knew how to react, her heart sink even more with the scene, she didn’t had the right to complain to Mayu, their engagement was only because of politic ends, that is why she only return her steps, accepting that she would never have Mayu’s love. The ball ended pretty well, they were presented in front of everyone, and people only said how good it was to see them both together, Mayu and Jurina only could reply with fake smiles to everyone hiding their true feelings. They were now in their way back to the castle, and it couldn’t be more awkward, in the carriage were the Queen and the King, Jurina, Mayu and Yuki, Shinoda supposed to come with them, but she had to leave first because something came up. Anybody said a word, Jurina couldn’t help but analyze each part from Yuki, she was staring at her all the time and the other one just smile at her back. Mayu only saw the scene wondering why Jurina was doing that, she hadn’t told her about Yuki. Suddenly the carriage made an abrupt movement that made it fall from a precipice. Jurina slowly opened her eyes, her head and her body was in pain, when she could back to all her sense and remembered what happened, she looked around her just to find her parents all covered in blood, drops of blood came out from their heads, Jurina approached them just to confirm that they were dead. Fear and panic took over her body, the only thing she was thinking is where Mayu is and if she is ok, and at the thought that maybe something happen to her made her get even more scared. She saw Mayu a little steps away, she got closer to her, she was unconscious, but she had several wounds and was losing too much blood, if someone didn’t heal her, she would bleed to dead. Jurina then started to drag her and screaming with all her might for help. “Mayu please don’t leave me, I don’t care if you don’t love me, I don’t care take the throne, you said that you would be by my side, please don’t die, please” tears of desperation came out from Jurina’s eyes “Prince” that was Yuki’s voice “Yuki, help me taking her out o-” All of a sudden Jurina felt a stabbing pain under her collar bone, she touched the place and her hand got full of blood, her blood, her expensive withe suit was now cove with her blood, someone from nowhere see had shoot her, Jurina felt to the ground, her sight became blurry and the only thing that she could see was Yuki ear Mayu body. Then when a little bit of her sense came back someone was dragging her, it was Yuki. “What are you doing, let go, don’t worry about me save Mayu, save Mayu…” Jurina couldn’t say anything more, she faint and the last thing she saw was Mayu’s body getting farther and farther. Jurina woke up after being unconscious two weeks, they never found the culprit, Mayu and her parents had die. She never talked to Yuki or see her again after Mayu’s funeral, Yuki just stood there not a single tear was seen in her face, she was with a melancholic smile that never left her face. Since then Jurina never forget herself the fact that she couldn’t save Mayu, nor Yuki by saving her and not Mayu, after all Jurina thinks that she was the one that should have die there, the people that did it were after the Royal family. Shinoda took the throne as the Queen, at least until Jurina turn 18 and marriage, because those were requirement for Jurina to take the throne.

#WMatsui #Matsui Jurina #Matsui Rena #Fanfiction

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sobdasha · 7 years

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I abused punctuation marks, italics, lifting wholesale from the flippant rough draft sketch notes including capslock, and an extremely extra narrative voice to write this. And I regret nothing.

katia asked: Drabble: Hatori and Mayu and "Marry me?”

Mayuko is not a goddamn cake. She is...she is a fine wine, damnit. The kind that gets better with patience, that becomes a comfortable part of the cellar décor first before it's enjoyed.

So if she's nearing thirty and she's not married yet that's fine. Society is dumb. Her parents are dumb (she loves them anyway). She can wait.

However long it takes Hatori to be ready to propose, she can wait.

Yes.

That's precisely why she lays her face down on the tabletop, on top of all the travel brochures, and bangs it with her fist.

"Marry me!" she wails. "I can't take it anymore, Hatori! Let's just get the paperwork filed and be done with it! You're a guy so it's not like you even care if we skip the ceremony anyway!"

Hatori raises his eyebrows behind the brochure he's skimming, but doesn't put it down. "Thank you," he says, "for that gross generalization, coming from the woman who doesn't seem to care much about her own wedding either."

That's...okay, you know what, Mayu's going to let that one go. She has greater things at stake here than trading insults, fun as bickering is.

She pounds her fist on the table one more time for good measure, then tilts her chin up and rests it on her other forearm. Instead of suffocating face-down in brochures. She is an adult grown-up woman. Somehow. People pay her to boss teenagers around. She is dignified.

(She has no dignity that is a lie.)

"Look," Mayu says, "I thought my parents were bad! But your family--"

It's not like she's unsympathetic to Hatori's loss. Her parents may still drive her crazy even though she's not a teenager anymore--actually, scratch that, Mayu's parents are so much worse now than they ever were when she was, you know, not out of the house yet.

But she can't imagine, really, that sort of hole in her life. Even if, by all accounts, Hatori wasn't particularly close with his parents.

But, well, there's that little part of Mayu that's, yes, a tiny bit (extremely, deeply, earnestly) grateful that the only marriage-crazy parents she has to deal with are her own.

She's seen the Souma family. They're… uptight is a good way to put it. They can be very, very uptight about Tradition and Old-Fashioned Values. The in-laws could have been a nightmare.

Except that Hatori's bringing to a marriage something even worse than a mother-in-law--a head of family.

To be fair, Akito isn't the same person Mayu once heard about. The one who threw a vase at Hatori's head and purposefully drove Kana to a nervous breakdown and health crisis.

Well. Okay. Actually Akito is that same person, except that in the intervening years she's learned a lot more about consequences and empathy and positive ways to work through abuse. And she's on a desperate, hellbent mission to prove this.

A case in point:

Okinawa, sunburns aside, is great. It's a step in the right direction! Yes! Two adults! Of the opposite sex! Going on a vacation! Together! The two of them! As...friends! Special friends??? Special friends!! Who get one room with two beds even though Hatori's footing the bill and he's filthy rich and he could get two just-friendly-friends rooms if he really wanted!

And then! When they come back! Hatori proposes the idea that they could make an official, formal announcement to his family that they're dating!

They're dating!

(Hatori offers to come with her to tell her parents as well, but Mayu declines. He won't admit it but Mayu is very sure that her mother has called him multiple times to ask when Hatori's planning to marry Mayu and that's with Mayu telling her parents calmly at the top of her voice that they are friends just friends don't you dare bother him and also he changed his phone number. So. No, thank you.)

So Hatori sets up an audience for the two of them with Akito. Because he's thoughtful. Because there won't be vases this time, and he'd like Akito to know that he knows that.

They wait outside the room.

A maid opens the sliding doors.

Neither of them has managed to set a foot across the threshold yet when Akito blurts YES WONDERFUL MY BLESSINGS UPON THIS UNION WE ARE ALL HAPPY THAT YOU TWO ARE HAPPY, INCIDENTALLY ARE YOU THINKING OF A SHINTO CEREMONY OR A WHITE WEDDING, WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY OF COURSE THE SOUMA MONEY WILL SEE YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING WHICHEVER YOU CHOOSE.

So...that goes well.

And it only gets worse. Because that outburst is not the end of it, no, that is the beginning.

"Akito keeps asking me about wedding dresses!" Mayu whines. Wait. No. Not whines. Calmly explains, like an adult, obviously, not like a practically 30-year-old who is flopped on the kitchen table and sulking and thinking that long hair was much handier for metaphorically tearing out in frustration.

"She won't stop! She has my phone number! She keeps texting me to ask which kinds of styles I like! And of course with the Souma family financing the wedding money is no object, have you considered designer dresses Mayuko, surely they make something that will actually be flattering and make you not look like a boy despite your height and your chest and your hair--!"

Hatori chuckles. Hatori, that jackass, has the audacity to chuckle in such a trying time!

"To be fair," he interrupts, "I suspect that's just Akito using you as a sort of dressmaker's dummy. Don't take it personally."

"No one's ever mistaken me for a man," Mayu hisses.

But she can only keep putting Akito off for so long. And what if Akito, in desperation at Mayu's lack of responsiveness, reaches out to Mayu's parents?

"What if Akito talks to my parents about wedding planning?!"

Mayu's fist is banging on the table again. A handful of innocent travel brochures flutter to the floor. Hatori reaches out and lays his hand over hers, pinning it to the tabletop.

"So you don't want a wedding ceremony," he says.

"I'd rather take all their lectures and die first."

"That's not at all melodramatic," Hatori says, uncurling her fingers and straightening her hand out under his.

And then: "But we won't be able to submit our forms until tomorrow. In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you picked yourself up off the table and helped me get back to planning our honeymoon."

Mayu kicks Hatori's shin under the table, but smiles behind the cover of her arm.

#sobdasha fic #sobdasha fic adjacent #fruits basket #i had too much fun writing this #god i love hatori and mayu #god i love mayu #never forgive never forget the epic sulking fest when we rewatched the anime and i realized mayu WAS NOT IN IT #THE GREATEST CRIME AGAINST ME PERSONALLY WHY

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