This is what happens when you start watching Future Boy Conan during a re-read of Power of Shazam. 

(not a question btw-) Dude- i LOVE your art! Ive just recently seen your afterdeath artwork of geno totally crushing reaper's hand- it was hilarious lmao!

Your art is like- actually AMAZING! The shading, style colors- just- you are so good at it and i really wanna draw like ya but uhhhh-....my art looks a little wonky lol-

i hope you have an awesome day or night! :]

Awwee Thank you! (^人^)

(╹ڡ╹ ) oops, I have to make sure Geno apologizes to the poor Reaper for that prank he played on him, Dude literally scorched his wings with a blaster!, qwq

Ah, thank you, you are very kind! ✨ It's ok! You have to learn to walk before you run, Are the mined diamonds perfectly cut and polished, or do they need to continue to be perfected by human craftsmanship? What I'm trying to say is that you already make art and that's great! Let's say, the canvas doesn't paint itself, do they? =￣ω￣= When you draw you leave a part of what you are and the way you think in those strokes, that is the beginning, the more you do it the better you will be able to define what you want to do and how you must translate it into the drawing, your hands get used to the lines, you begin to have preferences for this or another texture, your memory works at full speed so that you see the drawing clearly, even before you start. Continue doing what makes you happy, each artist is unique so each style too, learn to look, learn from others and always feel proud of what you do uwu

If you get two versions of this ask, my apologies. Wifi is being wonky

Some folk really do not deserve kids. Case in point, Furina's parents. Hopefully, Freminet's mom joins in on the court case, she did have her child more or less taken from her. Arlecchino investigating good and hard on everyone these two harmed or messed. They are not leaving jail anytime soon, preferably ever once Neuvillette wins the case.

Ah, yes, the best ways to bond: mutual suffering. Makes me wonder how long the war against Celestia lasted, poor Neuvi had to live with his failure to save not just Focalors, but Furina as well.

Can't really fault the Knave for being too intense, it's amusing to imagine and I think she deserves some unhealthy possessiveness. It does translate into Furina getting lots of love and affection, and just affirming the stance that Arle is the best person for Furina. But, that's also because a certain someone has been getting rid of any prospective lovers.

I almost want a coworker of Furina and Arlecchino to remember and just side eye this "friendship". Hmmm, not sure who would fit that. None of the Harbingers give off entertainment industry vibes and the image of Scara or Childe finding out via a movie and choking on their food and drink is just too funny to let go of. Maybe Clorinde manages to work her way into being a minor character on a set or two? Or, someone else...

And awwwh, that's.. nice? Cute doesn't fit because the situation is pretty screwed up, but hey, Furina is learning that Arlecchino is plenty reliable and especially angry for Furina and Freminet's sake. Arle sticking to Furina's side whenever she can in the courtroom, always positioning herself in front of Furina when the parents try to talk to her. Definitely glaring at the parents, who quickly back down or maybe they don't, 'cause some people don't deserve survival instincts.

Also! Furina introducing Arlecchino to her little brother since he's been taken out of their dad's custody with the court case on. Arle speaking super softly to Freminet.

(Dont worry, I totally relate to having a horrible internet)

Indeed, Furi and Fremi parents are Foster Child of such sentiment. Arlecchino collecting every person they fucked over will be pretty cathartic, the start of the most unhiged era of the Stan account.

Reading that I totally imagined Childe, either as an actor or stunt double, maybe both, coming across Arlefuri and simply noping out. Nope, he never liked Arlecchino to begin with, he is not getting involved om her messy love life, not again.

Arlecchino reaction totally changes the way Furina sees her like, yeah they are friends but Furina does think that she is sometimes weird and is afraid that because since Arle was her fan the weird behavior is because Arlecchino has her in a pedestal. But Arle behavior during the trial shows her not only Arlecchino is reliable, but that she will not look down on Furina just because she is vulnerable and not the perfect star she pretends to be.

Freminet meeting with Arlecchino, I kinda have this idea that, due being raised along with Furina, his memories of the past life were unlocked very early and sadly childhood amnesia is a thing. He does remember more than Furina of course, but is a lot less clear and reliable than those who unlocked their memories as teens and adults, he probably assumed that those memories where dreams and the people he meet where imaginary friends.

I'd like to add something to my how to get the best score guide, because a lot of people have seen it now. At the time I didn't realize how gold tags work because I had exactly five. But I understand them now, you only get tags based on owning clothes with that tag. So when they switched the misplaced Dark Nightmare tag to the idol tag everyone lost that tag; unless you owned Dark Nightmare clothes of course. That means if you haven't bought or received any clothing with gold tags you could have as little as three.

From the research I've seen on Twitter it's always better to pick gold tags then one silver, though because it uses a lot of PriPara terms it auto translates kind of wonky and I'm not 100% sure I understand the system. But if you click on this icon:

when buying clothing you can see what tags it gives. I read today that there is a coord in one of the gold shops that gives a gold tag, and there is a shirt in the monthly shop with a tag. I've gotten lucky and got three gold tags in the gacha; so I haven't done research on the exact items that give gold tags because I don't need them, But if you do it's very easy to check which tags coords give. From what I've heard the apology silver AI Is enough to cover all of the current silver coords in the game lol, so by this point you probably already own 5 gold tags.

I wish I understood the system more. I worn coords that have more gold tags, but they actually gave significantly less points. I'm wondering if it's because the people I was playing with weren't wearing tags? I'm not sure. If anyone understands the tagging system completely, please enlighten me.

Another thing that was learned today, is that post patch the way gold tags work in promises that you join is different. It seems you can only get a maximum of three tags, and only if you own them yourself. I'm going to be honest with you, this doesn't really matter because the amount of iine you get from joining a promise with no tags no outfit is about 100, and three gold tags plus outfit is about 200. Those numbers are so small that I just don't care.

That being said one of the Twitter users that I quoted in the original post asked people that have more than five gold tags to use more common ones instead of gacha ones, so people joining promises get more points off of them. I have no problems doing that, I can read kana (kind of) so for me that's just not picking the Dark Nightmare gold tag because I have 6.

Again I don't fully understand this system, but if anyone has questions about it my askbox is open (I think) or just contact me however and I'll try my best to answer. 😎 On Twitter people weren't sure if post patch the green dress five tag method was going to work, but I'm still getting over 9000 (NOT AN INTENTIONAL REFERENCE) iine on pink promises so, it still works. Worst case just make sure you're getting perfects or close too in every song, it's not just hitting the notes but also getting x3 and rainbow hearts. Cool Star is by far the easiest song for me, and OPEN DREAM LAND is still a mess, but play what works for you.

𝒌𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆 - valkyrie mastery drabble

“But why is it that there are so few of them in Faerghus? Isn’t the Sorcery School good?”

“It very much is, Your Highness. However, The problem does not lie in the mages themselves, but in the horses.”

Horses weren’t the problem. They were never the problem.

Those words stayed in his mind for years to come ever since he talked to that reason scholar. In one of his many failed lessons, he had asked the man why mounted mages were so difficult to come by in the Kingdom, even though cavalry had always been one of Faerghus’ primary strengths military wise. The army was composed of traditional cavalry, traditional infantry, and traditional mages with a few squadrons specialized in some technique mixes, but almost none were mounted mages. Why?

Why did he blame it on the horse of all things? What if the mage riding that horse was just a bad rider overall?

It was what he thought until Dimitri was comfortably sitting on Duke’s saddle, tome on hand, ready for a test. He knew it would be a disaster already- as much as Dimitri had technically ‘mastered’ that tome’s spells his attempts were still awful, hence why instead of the powerful Thoron or Fimbulvetr, he held onto a basic Thunder tome. Duke seemed at peace, ears swiveling around as the horse stood idle.

The prince barely finished casting a wonky little spark, and Duke seemed to be holding onto every fiber of his being to not break into a run or Dimitri off his back. “O- sorry, sorry, sorry! My apologies, Duke!” The tome was quickly forgotten, much like the dingy spell, as the prince changed his mind and spent the next minutes comforting his spooked horse.

It’s not his fault. He repeated to himself. It’s not his fault.

I’m the one who’s an awful mage. And the only times he had been exposed to magic, he was on the receiving end of the attack…

It was just so simple, or at least it felt like it. Duke would never allow him to cast a spell on his back, the horse had been trained to avoid mages like the plague much like every other faerghan equine. “Hey, it’s okay. I won’t do it again, okay? Sorry.” He reassured the stallion who slowly calmed down. Dimitri stayed true to his word- he wouldn’t try casting around Duke. He wouldn’t try around Grimbelle either, as the memories of being struck by Bolganone were still far too fresh both in his and the mare’s minds.

What’s left was…Klaske! 

A mare that had been gifted to him with a different purpose. Duke was a great all-rounder, Grimbelle was a speedy flier, and Klaske simply did not care about magic. The letter was worded very nicely, but if he were to translate it, it was basically the court acknowledging his skills with magic so bad that he could stand as a potential threat and that he needed at least one horse that wouldn’t attempt to run away or buck him off. Enter: Klaske.

Chestnut, sweet, at peace with the world. 

Uncomfortably similar to a horse he met only for a couple minutes back at the Projectionist’s fantasy world, where his weapons were taken from him save for a staff that could cast Luna and a small banjo. The first time he met her, he deemed it just a funny coincidence, but…now he wasn’t too sure anymore.

“Hey, girl.” He brushed her mane off her face, giving her a nice ol’ scratch. “How are you doing today?” The mare didn’t react much, but he assumed she was simply not that used to his presence yet. The prince was hesitant for a moment, his mind quickly going back to the one time with Duke. I’m not familiar with her yet. What if I scare her off and ruin our chances of forming a proper bond? Sure, he could still ride her- Dimitri had always been excellent with riding horses he had just met, but Klaske was…his now. His companion and partner for battles. It would feel wrong to not be friends with her.

As the mare lazily munched on grass, Dimitri sighed. He lifted one hand, and with much effort began casting the beginnings of a basic Thunder spell- eyes trailed on the horse for any signs of discomfort or nervousness. The spell developed nicely, until a stray spark flew off and-

Klaske reached for his arm instantly, biting his forearm and forcing him to stop the spell. The bite didn’t hurt- he was wearing gauntlets, but the unexpected movement left the prince frozen for a second. Within seconds, she let go and went back to her green patch of grass, leaving the prince to stand there and wonder.

What is…

He tried again. Again, it went well at first, and again just as the spell was starting to spiral out of control, Klaske reached for his arm and bit it.

They gave me a horse with an emergency magic brake-?!

He was absolutely dumbfounded at the mare- truly she was something else. Shifting from serene and uncaring to her surroundings to swift and ready to leap into action in literal seconds. But if she did that when he casted spells near her…then-

Then when he did it while riding her, she started running. But not with the intent to shake him off, no. It was the same run Duke did when it was time to advance against enemy frontlines. It was her granting him speed and enough movement to make a proper, effective offensive approach- which would’ve been great if the weapon on his hand wasn’t a badly-casted Thoron. The only saving grace was when Klaske noticed he was fumbling his spells, she turned her head around to try to bite at his leg.

Dimitri almost found it fascinating, almost. If it hadn’t been for the fact that he fumbled and messed up most if not nearly all of his castings, making him start to believe that Klaske either hated him by now or thought of him as the epitome of incompetent. Or both. It was impossible to tell however- she was always calm and gentle, aloof and receptive to affection.

And it was just like that, on a long afternoon after half a dozen of stray, badly-casted Thorons and Fimbulvetrs, that Dimitri managed to find his one drive to become a better mage.

If I become a good mounted mage, my horse won’t bite me-!

____

Word count: 1077

Do you keep up with DC comics?

Are there any characters you particularly like or ships you ship?

Hi, Anon! I don't keep up with ANYTHING while working, being a teacher takes a lot of time and I'm not organized enough to do many things at once (not energy left), so trying to read comics** and follow all the stories is hard. I usually wait for summer holidays and that's when I dig in. I tend to start with Batgirl or Nightwing because dickbabs is my ultimate dcu ship (to answer that question) and because I find they are good points to start re-reading after a while and to easily realize if dc is doing some shitty thing to their characters (babs is a good measure for that, I think). Then I would follow with Outlaws and jump to BoP and Superman.

** I mean with the ones I half read on paper. My sibling also follows dc so there is always a few comics around that they bought or got from the library (my usual paper source for comics). We talk about them so I tend to know what's going on more or less.

I do read comics weekly and monthly but only online yet that's mostly mangas/manhuas/manhwas. Online dc I only follow BWFA (with a constant fight w/my sibling about if it's canon or not. To me it is) because BWFA makes me SO happy. Specially Jason.

I apologize if my English is wonky, I had a long day and didn't have the energy to copy/paste on some translator thingy. Some days are like that.

Do you have a ship you like? Or have a # to rec from a character or story? I'd love to know for when I have the time! Have a nice day!

Do you think either Sam or Quackity will ever regret what they did to Dream?

I can easily see Q recognizing that the torture was awful and ultimately pointless; hell, he seems to already understand that. But he despises Dream in such a visceral way that it's hard to imagine him feeling guilt, let alone expressing it openly. The most I think we'd get is passive agreement with whatever Dream insults him with, or a very backhanded apology.

Sam. Well. If Ponk cutting him off (no pun intended) and that role-reversal in the box didn't knock some sense into him, I don't know what will. If he feels any guilt at all, he's become a master of burying it in cognitive dissonance. And if Dream's hypothetical future plans cause any harm, all his progress toward self-awareness is going to be gone and he'll be right back to the good/bad dichotomy.

I also wonder how Dream might react to this hypothetical remorse. He seemed pretty contemptuous of the "oh, I did that, but I'm so sorry" mentality. I don't think he'd react well, and he'd definitely doubt its sincerity. But who knows, the guy is an emotional black box. (Pls let me crack open his mind and look at how those wonky little gears turn)

/dsmp /rp

For Sam: we’re going to get that answer very soon. He is at rock bottom. There is no way for him to have his actions ground further into his face (literally) than they just have been. If he doesn’t show any self-awareness now, I cannot imagine he ever will. And even in the case where Sam extends actual remorse/apologies to people like Ponk, Ranboo, etc: Dream is going to be dead fucking last on that list, thanks both to the horrifying severity of what Sam did to him and because of how evil Sam believes he is.

I think Sam feels guilt and has always felt guilt about the torture, which he denies as hard as he possibly can. I think Sam feels no guilt and will never feel guilt about the starvation isolation dehumanization etc., the less straightforward abuses that he committed himself, and feels little need to deny his feelings around those things.

I also think we’ve already seen the closest Sam’s going to get to giving Dream an apology, when he said in the first prison stream, “the thing with Quackity is… regrettable, sure, but...” This was both a major concession—really Sam’s first sincere admission that what happened in the prison was in fact Fucked Up!—and also an abdication of his personal involvement in Dream’s abuse—he’s saying Quackity’s actions were regrettable, not his own, and furthermore he’s still justifying the torture. And we saw Dream’s disgusted response to this.

As for Quackity: he’s a less straightforward case! Like you mention, I think Quackity is already well-aware of how his cruelty got him nothing in concrete terms. But I don’t think this has translated yet into anything quite like regret, much less into active guilt.

I think it’s significant to Quackity that his project with Dream was, on paper, a failure! Quackity didn’t get the information he wanted; and not just that—he gave up. He stopped visiting when he said he wouldn’t; he blinked and Dream didn’t. Sure, he had his excuses, that he was getting sick of the process, that he had other shit to do, that Techno was there. But that doesn’t change the fact that Dream outlasted him and they both know it.

So because of that, I think it’s important to Quackity to force himself to dwell on the ways in which his torture of Dream wasn’t pointless. What did it accomplish? Not nothing—Dream never gave him the book, but Dream still screamed and begged and cried and called him “sir”. That ain’t nothing. There’s a reason that by the time he’s forcing Dream to write to Techno, Quackity’s far less focused on the book (something he’s lost most hope of getting) and far more focused on making Dream pay, because one of those things is still extremely achievable. Quackity still held that power over him; neither of them is going to soon forget it. Quackity still gave Dream something he believes Dream deserved and still deserves, the only real comeuppance he thinks Dream’s ever gotten.

It’s still important to him to think of torture as a tool of the strong; cruelty as the only kind of power that Quackity’s gotten any kind of results from.

That being said, it’s not hard for me to imagine Quackity regretting what he did and how it changed him/tainted him. But I also think it’s something he’s proud of: not of the acts themselves, but of what it says about his backbone, how it says he’s got a strong stomach, how he’s willing to do the dirty work and put his money where his mouth is. No spinelessness or hypocrisy; everybody’s always talking a big fucking game about how they wanna make Dream pay, but Quackity’s the only one who had the guts to go and do it, look the consequences in the eye and sacrifice his own morality to the cause.

And like you say, his hatred of Dream is such that it is inconceivable to me at this point that he’d regret Dream feeling the pain that he caused. I think there’s a critical distinction between those two things in his head, between Quackity regretting blood on his hands versus regretting Dream’s blood being spilt. Quackity can hold two convictions at the same time: that torture is in general hideously immoral, and that Dream deserved it nonetheless.

Maybe he’ll bring himself to regret torturing Dream; I doubt he’ll ever regret that Dream was tortured, yknow? Especially because the memory of Dream’s weakness, Dream begging, Dream at his lowest, is going to be treasured evidence to hold against him when Quackity sees Dream again and he’s once more powerful and terrifying and untouchable. (If Dream is again strong and monstrous, then what Quackity did was not enough to have an effect and therefore not worth feeling bad over; if Dream shows evidence of weakness and fear, then what Quackity did was clearly a step in the right direction of defanging and subduing him.)

And in any case, even in the most extreme case where Quackity privately decides that the torture was completely unconscionable and he’s sorry for every single second of it, Quackity would rather be tortured himself than admit that (weakness, humanity, indecisiveness, pity) to Dream’s face. He could easily admit to Dream that the torture was horrible, but that would be followed by “and frankly I should have gone further, you deserved worse, you fucking animal, and I wish I could tie you down again right this second.” Dream would be unsurprised.

If Dream’s threatening his friends or country, Quackity could probably muster an apology. It might have a kernel of sincerity, maybe even more than a kernel. But that would go over with Dream like a lead balloon.

Kiro’s Rhythm Date Translation [CN]

Hey, y’all! A quick note before you begin reading, I do not know any Chinese at all so Google Translate is the real MVP here. I’ve just taken the time to write down what comes out and changed some words here and there to try and make it make more sense. So apologies for the amateur translation in advance lol. This is just mainly to get the gist of the date before it eventually releases on the ENG server. Hope you enjoy it!

*Spoilers ahead for future content!*

[First Part]

After typing the last word of the report, I hit the enter key hard with my hand and then let out a cry of joy from my heart.

MC: It’s finally done!!!!!

Kiro: You’re finally done!!!!

Almost at the same time, Kiro, who was sitting on the sofa, took off his headset and threw it aside, raising his hands and cheering along with me. The next moment, his twinkling eyes looked at me.

Kiro: MC, let’s go out on a date! I thought for sure that this weekend would be spent working, but it seems that God still cares for us!

He didn’t wait for me to answer, he had already taken a few steps and sat across from me, holding the back of the chair and looking at me expectantly.

Kiro: Let’s go to the cake place that just opened up recently, I want to try it.

He held up his fingers and began to count the deliciousness of his thoughts. I cleared my throat and interrupted his daydream mercilessly.

MC: That’s it! The sunny weather is so nice, shouldn’t we go out and exercise? Savin asked me to supervise you. Recently, you’ve been slacking on your exercise regime to write songs. So... 

Kiro: ...I knew it.

He lowered his head and sighed heavily but the happy smile returned in the next second.

Kiro: Let’s just exercise. Life lies in exercise and to enjoy life is to exercise with Miss Chips!

He told me to wait in a tone of voice I had never heard before and got up to change his clothes. I also went to change into sportswear that I had left at his house when we exercised last time.

Putting on my shoes and standing in the hall, I picked up the baseball cap and put it on Kiro’s head. I helped him straighten his messed up bangs.

He led the way down the hallway, but his toes tapped the ground like a beat as if he couldn’t wait. 

MC: Make sure you don’t get recognized when we’re out later.

Kiro: Don’t worry, I promise to complete the mission!

Kiro obediently agreed. Before leaving the house, he turned his head and waved at Apple Box lying on the sofa.

Kiro: The task of housekeeping is left to you. We are going out!

I don’t know if Apple Box understood initially. To my surprise, he seemed to understand and replied with a “Woof!”.

[Second Part]

The weather outside was just right. The breeze that is blowing is warm on my face, almost as if it’s driving away the fatigue caused by the long days of work.

I followed Kiro and jogged forward aimlessly. From time to time, he slowed down and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me, humming as if he had just written a song.

Kiro: MC, are you tired?

As soon as I met his gaze, he couldn’t wait to inquire again and the thoughts in his eyes couldn’t hide.

MC: Although I am a bit tired, I can hold on for a while!

Kiro: Ah, that’s it, but-

He suddenly stopped halfway through his words and a trace of worry flashed across his face. I looked and stopped teasing him for the time being. 

MC: Actually, it’s not impossible to rest for an hour or two.

Hearing these words, his eyes lit up.

Kiro: Then let’s rest for “one or two hours”!

He grabbed my hand and walked happily in one direction. The warmth of his palm matched the warmth of his eyes.

MC: Where are we going?

As soon as I asked, after turning a corner, a familiar street appeared in front of us. Tall and lush trees stood, exquisite old-fashioned buildings scattered. There were bustling young men and women and the smell of honey and coffee permeated the air.

--Isn’t this the street that has been very popular recently?!

I immediately caught on to what he was doing. I was amused but also a little annoyed.

MC: Have you planned the route in advance?

Kiro nodded, showing a natural smile.

Kiro: SInce I’m coming with you, of course. I have to plan every step in advance! There is a shop here where you can pick the toppings to put on a chiffon cake. The most popular one is raspberry.

I don’t know whether it was affected by Kiro’s vivid appearance or by the sweet fragrance in the air, Savin’s image slowly came to mind.

MC: It sounds really delicious!

Kiro: Alright then, let’s go! I have already made a reservation!

In a few seconds, I put aside my worries and joined him among the crowds on the street, enjoying the break.

It was a perfect moment, but all of a sudden, an unexpected guest stopped in front of us.

[Third Part]

Reporter: Excuse me, both of you! We are randomly interviewing attractive couples! Can you answer a few questions? *The translation came out as “high-value” so I’m going to assume it means “attractive”.*

The moment I saw the camera, I was already in front of Kiro, looking at this fashionable, young man with vigilance.

MC: Sorry, we’re busy at the moment. You can interview other people.

Reporter: But other people don’t fit the original intention of our “Feast for the Eyes” program! Only a few minutes of your time! 

Reporter: Huh? Why does this man look a bit like…?

I had a bad feeling and I stretched out my hand to hold Kiro’s cuff. The next moment, the reporter slapped his thighs one by one--

Reporter: Yep! It’s Kiro!

His voice isn’t loud but it still draws all the eyes around us.

MC: You’ve got the wrong person! Let me trouble you!

I resolutely denied his claim before everyone could react. I immediately pulled Kiro into the crowd and quickly slipped away.

Kiro: (pouting) Why do we always encounter such things when we go out on dates? 

In addition to the loud voices behind me asking, “Where’s Kiro?”, there is also Kiro silently complaining.

[Cut to Kiro’s house]

After hurriedly “escaping” back home, my highly elevated heartbeat finally began to calm down. 

MC: Safe at last…

Kiro: I didn’t eat anything this time but I burned a lot of calories.

MC: Probably because God is standing on Savin’s side, we can do nothing but accept it!

Kiro: But I don’t want to accept it…

Kiro plopped on the sofa and hugged Apple Box and looked up at me with a sad pair of eyes.

Kiro: Alas, why can’t he make this world just for the two of us! *I had to change some of the wording here. What came out originally was kinda wonky.*

I looked at my phone and found out that what happened just now did not arouse any attention. I felt secretly relieved. Kiro saw this and looked out the window and saw the sun. He sighed.

Kiro: It’s so rare when the weather is this nice. We finally had some time together… It’s a pity not to do anything.

MC: Then let’s do something we can do at home. Perhaps watching a movie?

Kiro: Movies… Are there any good movies recently?

Although he appeared to be uninterested, he still put his head down and browsed the newly released movies with me.

Before I had a chance to look, a furry head squeezed between the two of us and pushed Kiro aside.

Kiro: Apple Box, don’t make trouble… Wait, what are you biting?! Ahh! Let go of my game controller!

Kiro swooped forward and Apple Box dodged swiftly. In the hot pursuit of Kiro chasing Apple Box, he accidentally bumped into some things. 

The screen that had just stopped at the movie interface suddenly switched and several dynamic virtual characters appeared. As if drawn to this, Apple Box blinked his beady eyes and looked straight at the TV screen.

Kiro quickly grabbed the other half of the game controller from Apple Box’s mouth and clicked it angrily. Little brains.*I don’t know what “little brains” is haha.*

Kiro: I finally caught you, bad guy!

Apple Box, whose “toy” was suddenly taken away, looked at Kiro innocently. He wiggled his ears aggrievedly. I was softened by his eyes and I reached out to rub his head.

MC: Apple Box, you must be a good boy and not be so rowdy.

Apple Box: Woof!

As if he understood, Apple Box shook his head obediently and his fluffy fur rubbed against the palm of my hand. He then turned around excitedly and wagged his tail at the TV screen.

Kiro and I looked at the dazzling picture on the screen at the same time. The characters on it also writhed in time.

Kiro: Miss Chips, let’s play a motion sensory game!

MC: Why don’t we play this? Sports and leisure combined are great!

Talking in unison, we both laughed out loud. After deciding what to do, Kiro and I sat down on the carpet in front of the TV, choosing a game that we could play for a while. He put his head on my shoulder, expressing his opinions from time to time.

Kiro: I think this game is good! It’s fun!

Kiro’s breathing on my neck was ticklish and I shrank my neck. I watched the screen being manipulated to jump up and down to escape. The character retreated into himself.

MC: This feels too difficult. Let’s look at the next one.

Kiro: It’s not that bad! I set a world record in only one attempt!

He raised the corners of his mouth as he spoke, his expression extremely proud. Although he knew that as KEY, he was skilled at all aspects in the game.

MC: Well, then this game is not challenging for you…!

As if I had seen myself in the game, I decisively switched to the next interface.

Kiro: Eh? I don’t seem to have played this game before…

I was overjoyed when I heard this and made a decision almost immediately.

MC: Then let’s play “Just Dance”! 

This is a very popular music and dance game recently. Players can choose different dancer characters to play as. Players have to imitate the people on screen and dance in order to win.

Because this game is simple and easy to use and, and has many popular songs, it has been popular all over the world after it’s release.

MC: Now both of us are novices. This is equal ground!

I gave a controller to him, nodded and said in a serious tone. Kiro raised his chin slightly with a smirk.

Kiro: So, MC, do you want to challenge my status as KEY?

MC: I won’t give up easily!

After that, the game begins.

[Fourth Part] 

If I could go back in time by just 10 minutes, I definitely would’ve said something different about the game being “equal grounds”.

MC: What! Jumping wrong again!

The movements the two of us were doing were obviously strange at first. But after a while, we became one with the dance.

MC: Why am I always slow!

Kiro: Don’t worry! Treat this as a novice level and then adapt slowly from there.

MC: Then this newbie level is too difficult for me…

I was bitter. I felt as though my hands and feet were rebelling against me.

Kiro: It’s not difficult as long as you master the basics. For example, this movement here. As long as your hand is raised to this position, you will be guaranteed to pass.

He gestured for me to do the movement that stumped me just now, and I followed suit.

MC: Like this?

Kiro: Almost.

He walked up to me, grabbed my wrist and raised my head, then tilted my head to the other side.

MC: Is this it?

I followed his instructions and turned into ten twisted poses. I found the smile on his face grew wider and wider and he couldn’t help but laugh.

Kiro: Puff hahaha, MC, you are so obedient!

MC: KIRO!

I became annoyed at once. I reached out to try and mess up his hair but he leaned back and dodged me smoothly.

Kiro: I was wrong! I was wrong! I was wrong!

MC: I won’t let you get away!

I kept tickling the sensitive skin on his waist. Kiro dodged from left to right and wrapped me in his arms. He is like a koala. He has me locked firmly in his arms, making it hard for me to move.

Kiro: Haha, so you won’t be able to tickle me!

There was a bit of pride in his laughter and his hot breath after exercising clung to my back, even in my chest. The rhythm of our heartbeats can’t be concealed. My heartbeat somehow increased.

MC: I, I won’t do what I did before again. Let go of me first, or how else can we continue playing the game?

Kiro: Well, alright.

He released his arms, looking reluctant, but turned his attention back to the game again.

Kiro: So this time we will warm up with the easier songs and then challenge each other with the more difficult ones!

I didn’t know what Kiro’s “simple difficulty” meant until the melody of a familiar foreign nursery rhyme played from the speakers. But soon I put the matter of nursery rhymes aside and danced awkwardly with the little dino on screen. 

With the cute and cheerful melody, everything becomes more fun. Compared with the previous song, Kiro danced such an overly cute dance. It was a bit strange.

He stared at the screen earnestly, making movements while humming his own jumbled lyrics to the tune of the music.

Kiro: (singing) I’m a little dinosaur~ little dinosaur~

His blonde hair puffed up by the hairband also jumped along with his movements. A sweat bead from his forehead “ticked” off and fell onto his collarbone hidden by his collar.

MC: Obviously I am the little dinosaur!

The “perfect” floating above the screen made my previously annoyed mood become more excited. The magic of the game is to make people forget all their troubles. When I’m with Kiro, these simple dances turn into the simplest happiness.

After the song ended, I watched the rating jump up to four stars. I couldn’t help but hug Kiro and cheer.

MC: Ahh, it’s four stars! Only a little bit short away from getting full stars!!

Kiro: See, that wasn’t so hard for you, was it?

MC: Sure enough, it’s not difficult to master the trick you taught me!

I confidently picked the next song to “conquer” but suddenly saw a familiar name.

MC: Huh, there is this song?

It was a song from Kiro’s latest album. I quickly turned to look at him. However, Kiro frowned slightly while staring at his song, his expression a bit solemn.

Kiro: This song was licensed to them. But I feel that it’s a bit awkward to dance to my own songs in the game.

Seeing him acting unlike his usual self, I felt a sense of curiosity. Even though the “highly difficult” sign made me a little worried, I still pressed the confirm button decisively. 

MC: Let’s dance to this song. I want to see if the original dancer can beat the game!

Meeting his gaze, Kiro hesitated for a second and quickly gave in. 

Kiro: If you want to dance, MC, you can, but this dance is very difficult. Don’t force yourself to.

MC: Hmm!

Accompanied by the “START” character flashing, the intermingled sound of the electric guitar and keyboard sounded. Kiro held the controller and imitated the people on the screen, raising his hand to make a pose.

Boom--

The powerful drum beats go straight to the heart. Kiro’s face is very serious and every movement that he executes is in rhythm with the music and is full of power.

He stepped barefoot on the carpet, clearly wearing ordinary sportswear, but he seemed to be standing in the centre of the stage.

And in this small living room, me being the only audience, got to “exclusively” enjoy this performance. I don’t know if I should watch him wholeheartedly or if I should continue to clumsily dance with the animation.

While I was lost in thought, I accidentally tripped over my left foot with my right. Seeing that the hand that was swung out was about to hit Kiro, I withdrew it quickly. 

I was hit with an elbow

MC: Ouch!

I squatted down, clutching the area I was hit, and buried my head between my knees.

Kiro: MC? What happened?!

He squatted down worriedly in front of me with his arms open. It looked like he wanted to hug me to comfort me but was worried that it would be bad so he stopped midway.

Kiro: What’s wrong? Is your leg cramping?

MC: Just now, I…

I shook my head, thinking of the silly thing I did just now. My ears and face were beet red. Before I had time to explain, Kiro put one hand behind my back and one hand under my knees and lifted me up.

MC: Wait! I can walk by myself!

He denied my protests and placed me gently on the sofa in a few large strides. He slowly lifted up one of my feet and carefully pressed the tight muscles of my calf with the pad of his finger.

Kiro: Does it hurt? Tell me if it hurts.

I forgot to respond. Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, he slowed his movements down again and became more gentle. The sunset shining from the outside hit the top of his head forming a very gentle glow. It gave me the urge to rub it.

MC: Kiro, I’m fine. I didn’t hurt myself by forcing myself... I was just watching you…

The more I talked, the quieter I became. The temperature of my cheeks rose. After all, it would be too embarrassing to explain that I hit myself while dancing!

It was silent for a few seconds and Kiro finally laughed out loud.

Kiro: I didn’t expect my Miss Chips to be so honest. Now, just look at me.

Kiro raised his hand in a squatting position, and I found myself looking into his gentle blue eyes. When the music hit it’s climax, the drum beat gradually grew faster and got closely intertwined into an airtight net as if the soul is enveloped in it. *Wording was a little weird here. I think it’s supposed to be a heartbeat but the kanji for heart (心) isn’t in the original text.* 

Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

Like my heartbeat right now, it's so strong that it’s about to beat out of my chest. Kiro seemed to see right through me and stood up. He supported the back of the sofa with one hand and held my wrist with the other to prevent me from escaping. When his nose came up to meet mine, he rubbed it.

Kiro: MC, I’m curious…

Looking at my bewildered and embarrassed face, he suddenly gave a sly smile.

Kiro: Is the rhythm of your heartbeat the same as mine right now?

His eyes were full of warmth and gentleness. His words were like a poet writing lyrics, a sorcerer chanting a bewitching spell. 

Kiro: It is the same as mine. Everytime it beats. It only beats for you.

The breath that belonged to him slowly approached, the music continued playing in the background, and the game on screen kept showing “miss”.

The rhythm of our heartbeats has already been in sync with the beat and sweat. *This last part here was a little wonky with the wording*.

[END]

(Here is the link to his "Strawberry Invitation" call after the date!)

Inuyasha Anime Exhibition Book

Translated Interview with Yamaguchi Kappei (Inuyasha), Yukino Satsuki (Kagome), Narita Ken (Sesshomaru), & Hidaka Noriko (Kikyo) (Part 1)

I went to the Inuyasha Anime Exhibition a few months ago and bought the commemorative book they were selling. It's mostly just nice pictures with summaries of various character, relationship, and story developments, but there's also a long interview with voice actors from the series. I haven't seen any translations online, so I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring. I haven't translated anything seriously since my graduate thesis ages ago, so sorry if this reads a little rough, haha.

The interview is 7 pages long and I don't have the time to translate all of it right now, so this is the first half. I'll try to get the second half up next weekend! (Also, this is my first actual post on Tumblr, so apologies if the formatting is wonky.)

Was the casting decided by auditions?

Yamaguchi Kappei: There were auditions for Inuyasha and . . .

Yukino Satsuki: Kagome, too. Also Shippō.

Yamaguchi: Yeah, Shippō, too. But not Kikyō, right?

Hidaka Noriko: Right.

Narita Ken: There were none for Sesshōmaru.

Hidaka: Auditions for Inuyasha and Kagome were done together, right?

Yukino: That's right!

Hidaka: I kind of feel like when I auditioned for Kagome, I acted with Kappei-kun . . .

Yamaguchi: Did I audition with Nonko-san? ("Nonko" is Hidaka Noriko's nickname.)

Yukino: I remember auditioning with someone other than Kappei-san.

Narita: There really were a lot of people auditioning, after all.

Yamaguchi: I remember that once they narrowed down the number of people for Inuyasha to about 10, we did solo auditions, pair auditions, and various other kinds of auditions . . .

Narita: It must have taken a lot of time, right?

Yamaguchi: Yeah, I think so. But since I had been called for so many auditions back in the Ranma 1/2 days, I felt like Takahashi Rumiko-sensei's works were just like that. (laughter) For the final Inuyasha audition, there was an audition where they didn't announce our names.

Narita: Really!

Yamaguchi: I think they felt they wanted to make a decision without having any preconceived ideas about the actor.

Hidaka: That was probably it. Narita-san, you were suddenly cast as Sesshōmaru, weren't you?

Narita: That's right.

Hidaka: Until that point, you had always played the roles of handsome men like that, right?

Narita: That's right!

Yamaguchi/Yukino/Hidaka: (laughter)

Narita: (laughter) No, not really! I just said "That's right!" on an impulse, without thinking.

Yamaguchi: But you really have played a lot of cool roles in other shows, too. Even though you yourself are the type to have a more unique personality. (laughter)

Narita: I don't know why, but it seems like more unusual roles have been coming my way ever since I played Sesshōmaru.

Hidaka: I think that's Kappei-kun's fault . . . He's really been messing with you since then. (laughter)

Yamaguchi: Heh heh. That's true. (laughter)

Narita: Is that the image you have? What I mean is the range of my roles has widened.

Yukino-san, Hidaka-san, did you go through a lot of auditions?

Yukino: I think I just did it once.

Hidaka: Me, too. I think it was only Kappei-kun who had to spend so much time on it. That was because after Ranma 1/2, choosing the same actor to play the lead role in another Takahashi Rumiko work was a brave choice.

Yamaguchi: Yeah, I think that's why.

Yukino: I was rarely getting called to auditions in the time right before Inuyasha. So when, for the first time in a while, I was contacted for an audition and told, "It's Inuyasha. It's a Takashashi Rumiko work and it's for the role of the heroine, Kagome," I thought, "Ah, finally, I got a chance to take part in that world!"

Yamaguchi: Really?

Yukino: I was a elementary school student at the time of Urusei Yatsura, and I was still a student for Maison Ikkoku and Ranma 1/2.

Hidaka: So this was your first experience with Takahashi Rumiko-sensei's works since making your pro debut.

Yukino: Yes. So it really felt like I was finally able to take part when I was able to audition.

Hidaka: What did you think about the role of Kagome? Did you think it was the type of character you didn't have in you?

Yukino: I thought it was the type of role that was really easy to sympathize with at that time. Then, I thought I absolutely had to get the role.

Narita: It was like that, huh.

Yukino: I felt like I'd even sell my soul to a devil to get it. (laughter)

Yamaguchi: Dark Satsuki appears! (laughter)

Hidaka: So passionate!

Narita: Passion . . . (laughter)

Yukino: (laughter) After that, the office contacted me to say, "It's been decided!" But it didn't really feel real. Then, Suwa Michihiko, a producer from Yomiuri TV, called me. At that point, I was able to think, "It's okay!" and I did a guts pose.

Hidaka: I see.

Yukino: After that, Kappei-san called to say, "I'm looking forward to working together."

Yamaguchi: Yeah. Satsuki-chan and I had already worked together in Takoyaki Mantoman (in 1998), so I remember I thought, "Satsuki-chan!" and called her right there on the train station platform. But I had heard that I was Inuyasha a little earlier. It was at a party for another show, and Suwa-san secretly told me, "It's been decided. I'm looking forward to working with you." But it was a party for another show, so I couldn't be happy and raise my voice. (laughter) So I replied, really coolly, "Oh, really? Then, I'm looking forward to working with you, too."

Yukino/Hidaka: (laughter)

Yamaguchi: I went somewhere near my home and I screamed, "I got it!"

How was it when recording actually began?

Narita: At my first test, I tried using a high-pitched voice. Sesshōmaru has a pretty face and and a slightly feminine aura, so I thought a high-pitched voice would be good. After I did that, the sound director Tsuruoka (Yōta)-san came into the booth and said, "Try it a little differently." Then, he kept saying, "Lower, lower."

Yamaguchi: (laughter) Is that so?

Narita: After I did it in a low voice, he said, "Yeah, like that." But it was really low for me, so it was difficult.

Yamaguchi: What's more, it always felt like you were lightly suppressing your voice. Even though in fight scenes, I'd be yelping and ad-libbing heavy breathing.

Yukino: (laughter)

Yamaguchi: Even though Sesshōmaru was always fighting, you didn't hear him breath once. At first you did, right?

Narita: Yeah, at first. But it made him look weak if you could hear him breathing, so I stopped doing it.

Yukino: Not only in the fights with Sesshōmaru, but the Naraku vs. Inuyasha fights were the same. Inuyasha and his opponents' must have been burning totally different amounts of calories.

Yamaguchi: That's really true! There were a lot of times it seemed like I was the only one talking. (laughter)

Narita: (laughter)

Yukino-san, how was it when you started recording?

Yukino: In the first two cours, there was so much nervousness and pressure, it felt like my feet didn't reach the ground. When I watched the rerun again, I felt like . . . I got the character completely wrong, huh.

Yamaguchi: Really? You were impressive from the start, though.

Narita: You really were. Is that how you saw it?

Yukino: No, not at all! I finally felt more grounded when Sango appeared, and I could look at myself more objectively. At first, Kappei-san was the only regular cast member in Inuyasha besides me. Then, Kū-san (Shippō's voice actor, Watanabe Kumiko) and Hōko-chan (Sango's voice actor, Kuwashima Hōko) started.

Hidaka: So you were too nervous.

Yukino: That's right. There was a party after the recording of the first episode, and naturally, Kappei-san and Nonko-san were together, and I was standing alone. Then, Oyakata* (Hachi's voice actor, Toshihiko Nakajima) secretly talked to Kappei-san and told him, "Go over to Satsuki-chan." (laughter)

Yamaguchi: Ahaha, he did! (laughter)

Hidaka: Oyakata is so kind!

Yamaguchi: So you hadn't yet reached the point when you could say "Ahh" like an old man relaxing in the bath?

Yukino: I was totally nervous. I was trying to remember the basic idea of "reproduce the feeling, reproduce the feeling . . . "

Hidaka: But when Kappei-kun recorded the preview, he said something like the feelings in Satsuki-chan's dialogue really suited Kagome.

Yukino: I really felt like I was saved by that. (laughter) Because he said things like "You sound just like Kagome!" or "Thanks to Kagome's lines, my acting turned out like this!", I became able to think, "Ah, I'm glad I'm Kagome."

Yamaguchi: Satsuki-chan didn't say dialogue like she was following a pattern, but like she was really having fun doing it. So when Kagome had hard lines, there were times when she really got angry. (laughter) The feeling at the beginning of the series, when our two characters were forced to search for the Shikon Jewel shards together, but they couldn't work together and their relationship was awkward, was really good. Looking back on it, that awkward phase had really fun points.

Yamaguchi-san, what kind of character did you think Inuyasha was when you were acting as him?

Yamaguchi: Inuyasha really left an impression from his first line in the first episode. He was the kind of guy who says, "With this, I can become a full demon!" In the first episode, I acted with the image of Inuyasha as a dark hero, but as the story went on, my image of him changed to be sincere and serious.

Yukino: I get it.

Yamaguchi: There were two people, Kikyō and Kagome, but Kagome was Kikyō's reincarnation, so they were originally one soul. In that sense, Inuyasha was actually very earnest and serious. Ranma from Ranma 1/2 understood himself better, and so he was able to act using that knowledge, but Inuyasha wasn't like that.

Narita: Yeah, that's true.

Hidaka: But because he was serious, that's why it's a sin. The same soul split into two people, so being serious about both of them is bad. (laughter)

Yukino: Yes, exactly.

Yamaguchi: Look, he can't help it. She's her reincarnation. (laughter)

Hidaka: Ranma was similar, but his sins were more . . .

Yukino: Minor.

Hidaka: Yeah, they didn't feel serious. So he could be casually hit with a "boing" sound, but Inuyasha would be more like a heavy "thud."

Yamaguchi: I see, Inuyasha's more serious, so it's worse . . .

Yukino: If you think about it unemotionally, it's terrible of him to be serious about both.

Hidaka: (laughter)

Yamaguchi: Because he said it so decidedly.

Hidaka-san, the role of Kikyō was unusual for you, right?

Hidaka: Yes, that's right. I auditioned for Kagome, but I was contacted and told I was Kikyō. It was rare for me to play a calm character like Kikyō, so I felt pressure.

Yamaguchi: Especially at the beginning of the series, Kikyō's feelings for Inuyasha were emphasized.

Hidaka: The part of her feelings that was her hatred toward Inuyasha really stood out. But at the same time, Inuyasha couldn't forget Kikyō. Wasn't it contradictory that she hated Inuyasha, but she also loved him? I tried to understand her passionate feelings, but it was difficult. There must be a part of Kikyō that still cares about Inuyasha, so I was really troubled trying to find that in her limited amount of lines. When I said that, Satsuki-chan replied, "I understand Kikyō's feelings."

Yamaguchi: (laughter)

Hidaka: She said, "I understand that passion."

Yukino: I did. Actually, at first, I thought, "Why am I Kagome and Nonko-san Kikyō?" for a long time. Nonko-san definitely suits her more. I was really troubled as to which one I was . . . (laughter)

Hidaka: I felt the same thing! For example, Satsuki-chan, you got critical feedback, right? And when you heard the criticism, you felt like, "Yeah, I get it." But when I was acting as Kikyō, I felt like, "Ahhhh, I can't do it." Miroku's voice actor, Tsujitani (Kōji)-san often said the same thing. The characters Satsuki-chan and I were given were the exact opposite of our personalities. He said it was really interesting that Satsuki-chan was like Kikyō, I was like Kagome, and the roles we were playing were our opposites.

Yukino: Wow, he said that?

Hidaka: He did, he did!

Yamaguchi/Narita: Huh!

Yamaguchi: But, when you two acted together, although of course, you were completely different, I kind of felt there were similarities. So I thought, "It's really them."

Narita: Hearing that, I feel like I want to see the reversed version. Kikyō, performed by Yukino-san, who understands her origin and her passions, and Kagome, performed by the bouncy Hidaka-san.

Hidaka: I feel like my Kagome would be a little too indifferent. (laughter) But I want to hear Satsuki-chan's Kikyō!

Yukino: But listening to Kikyō in The Final Act, I can't do it! I can't surpass Nonko-san's acting in that part.

Hidaka: Rather, the point at the beginning when I was suffering was . . .

Yukino: That was probably . . .

Hidaka: You could have acted it. (laughter)

Yukino: (laughter) I thought Narita-san's Sesshōmaru didn't have a lot of lines, so it seemed tough. It's harder to have few lines.

Narita: That's true! There were times when there were too few, so I was troubled.

Yukino: On top of having just a few lines, there were a lot of times you had to imply a lot of things.

Narita: That's why each word was a decisive moment for me to put in my- Sesshōmaru's feelings.

Yamaguchi: But it must have been hard to have people like Chō (Jaken) who were acting so freely right next to you.

Narita: Right, so I tried so hard to not get Chō in my line of sight. (laughter)

Yamaguchi: You'd get lured in.

Narita: I kind of felt like I couldn't have fun, by any means.

Yamaguchi: Sesshōmaru is probably the character that changed the most. Like when Rin appeared.

Narita: Yeah. It was a little unexpected that he would become that emotional because of Rin. You could even say I was confused. While I was acting, I felt like, "Is it really okay to show this much emotion?"

Yukino: Narita-san, what is Rin to you?

Narita: You know . . . it's hard to say. At first, I think she was just someone with him. She was too small, too weak. But gradually, he was healed by her purity, and maybe his emotions that had been asleep until then were woken up. Sesshōmaru and his family are very unique, so even if he talks to his father or mother, they don't really have a conversation. It feels like they're individually saying what they want to say. So when he meets someone who's not like that, he's able to understand new feelings.

Hidaka: So, unexpectedly, Jaken must also make him happy, right?

Yukino: Because he doesn't usually say, "I'll kill you" to someone he can't trust.

Yamaguchi: Right, right. If Sesshōmaru were serious, he'd just kill them before saying it. But didn't you ever have a dilemma about playing it so lightly?

Narita: I did. I didn't want to show emotion, but the emotions had to come out. Before, Hidaka-san and Satsuki-chan were talking about switching the roles of Kikyō and Kagome. I felt like I wanted try playing Miroku. I felt like I could act more like myself and have more fun with a character who plays around a lot. I mean, I was jealous of Tsujitani-san.

Hidaka: It could definitely have worked well if Narita-san and Tsujitani-san switched roles.

Narita: Because I felt like that, in the few scenes when I shouted for Rin, I really put all my feelings in! Lines like "There's nothing I would take in exchange for Rin's life!!" I acted as if I were actually holding Rin.

Yamaguchi: Right, right. Then, before we knew it, Kagura came to love Sesshōmaru . . . (laughter)

Narita: Fufufu. (laughter)

Yukino: But I think Sesshōmaru knew about Kagura's feelings. I think that because he knew, he went to see her at the end.

Hidaka: Satsuki-chan's really good at understanding love and passion and all those feelings. (laughter)

Yamaguchi: Oh, a reviewer! A reviewer of passion!

Yukino: Would you stop! (laughter)

End of Part 1

*Oyakata means "boss" or "master." I'm not sure why she calls him this, so I figured it was best to leave it untranslated.

Part 2 is here!

It's interesting reading how they all wanted to swap roles! Also, it's a small part, but I'm happy to see Inuyasha and Kagome's voice actors on the good ship SessKagu at the end there, haha.

Kagekao’s Day

A fic that follows the average day in the life of our favorite demonic trickster as he gets up to...whatever it is he gets up to. Please note I am not Japanese so the japanese used in this fic is google translated and may be inaccurate or wonky. Apologies in advance for that. Word count: 3489

Shinjuku’s Golden Gai. Arguably one of his favorite places to spend long nights drinking in. The Golden Gai, or Golden Street as tourists would call it, was a quaint little labyrinth of bars, shops and clubs. He’d squeezed himself into a random bar, he wasn’t sure if he’d been there before but the place did serve some damn good umeshu. He’d already drank maybe two bottles worth. It was surprising they would still serve him after so much. Maybe it was because he didn’t get drunk very easily. He was tipsy at most.

He snapped his fingers as a waiter walked past his booth. He propped his clawed feet up on the table as he turned to look at him. He held up his empty glass, shaking it a bit. The ice clinked quietly as he did so. ‘’Motto kudasai.’’ he chirped. The waiter nodded and walked off to grab him another drink. He settled down again, ready to get himself comfy for bottle number three, but then his phone rang. He scowled and reached into his pocket, hitting answer without even looking at the caller ID. ‘’Osu.’’ he grunted, playing with his scarf. He heard a deep chuckle on the other side of the phone.

‘’Well hello there,’’ the voice was deep, and oozed charisma. He smiled and sat up. ‘’Is this a bad time, Kagekao?’’ 

He giggled. ‘’No, no, kami-sensei. Not at alllll.’’ he purred. ‘’To what do I owe the pleasure, hmmmmm?’’

The man on the other end of the phone chuckled again. ‘’I have a job for you. Think you could drop by? We’d love to see you again.’’

He swung his feet off the table and grinned, giggling. ‘’Of course, of course!’’ he chirped. ‘’Sounds fun! Very very fun, kekekeke!’’ he reached into his dress, pulling his wallet from one of the ever-so-delightful pockets. He pulled out the yen and tossed it onto the table. ‘’I’ll be there soon!’’ 

‘’Good, good. I’ll see you soon then.’’ the voice on the phone purred before hanging up. Kagekao skittered out of the bar and off to see Zalgo.

Getting to Zalgo’s realm was easy enough. Find a wall, draw a giant ‘Z’ on it and simply wait for the gates of hell to open up! Kagekao gleefully waltzed through the tunnel to the barren wasteland Zalgo resided in. It was a very dreary place...and Kagekao loved that! He took his time getting to the house. He liked messing with the lost souls that roamed the wasteland. They weren’t really able to fight back, and couldn’t think enough to be anything but innocently confused and curious. Kagekao playfully cackled to himself as he skittered off to Zalgo’s nice, cozy house.

Now he could have taken the door that was always left unlocked, but that was boring! Instead, he scaled the house and made his way up to the chimney. He squeezed himself into it and rapidly skittered down, being as loud as possible in the process. He giggled at the confused shouts and noises he could hear through the wall. He stopped near the entrance of the chimney. The fireplace was unlit. 

‘’Kekekekekeke…’’ 

He heard shuffling in the room. The rustle of a newspaper, or magazine. Then someone, male, sighing. He giggled. ‘’Jason! Can you come here a second?’’ he called out, mimicking the young, feminine voice of Jane. The male grunted and got off the couch, crossing the room.

‘’Yes?’’ 

While he was occupied, Kagekao crawled out of the fireplace and onto the ceiling. He tilted his head, turning to look at the redheaded man standing in the doorway, his back turned to Kagekao. The demon pulled his scarf up onto the ceiling, out of sight, before replying. ‘’Nevermind, I got it!’’

Jason grunted and turned, walking back over to the armchair he’d been sitting in. Kagekao silently crept along the ceiling until he was directly over where the toymaker sat. Biting back a giggle, he braced himself, then let go of the ceiling. The screech Jason let out had him cackling.

‘’KEKEKEKEKE! Mitsuketa!!’’ he giggled as he rolled over in Jason’s lap and sat up, pressing his mask to the toymaker’s shocked face. Jason blinked a couple times before his lips curled into a snarl. He shoved Kagekao off of him roughly, sending the giggling demon to the floor. Kagekao rolled over onto his hands and knees and snapped his neck to the side a few times, making loud snapping noises as he did so. ‘’Ya-ho!’’ he chirped in greeting. Jason growled and kicked at him. The demon quickly backflipped out of the way with a giggle. 

‘’What are you doing here?’’ Jason snapped. Kagekao giggled again and leapt to his feet.

‘’Zalgo called me!’’ he chirped. Jason huffed and shook his head, muttering to himself. Kagekao snapped his neck around at the sound of footsteps approaching the room. He grinned beneath his mask at the sight of Zalgo standing in the doorway, smirking as he always did. ‘’Ya, kami-sensei!’’ he greeted excitedly. Zalgo chuckled.

‘’Hello Kagekao.’’ he greeted calmly before tilting his head, golden eyes flicking to the angry toymaker. ‘’Jason, shouldn’t you be bringing guests up to my lounge? The living room is hardly a place for me to have formal discussions.’’

Jason glared at Zalgo like he wanted nothing more than to tear the smug god to shreds. ‘’He came down the chimney.’’ he replied bluntly. Kagekao nodded.

‘’It’s true! Then I dropped into Jason’s lap.’’ he purred. Literally. Like a cat. ‘’He’s very warm and snuggly, kekeke.’’

‘’Well that’s good to know.’’ Zalgo murmured back. Jason buried his face in his magazine and did the breathing exercises Alice had been teaching him. Zalgo looked back over at Kagekao and smiled warmly. ‘’Come, I’d like to speak with you in private.’’ he glanced at Jason for a second before turning on his heel and gesturing for Kagekao to follow. He followed obediently, though he didn’t stop himself from looking around and touching anything that caught his interest. Zalgo didn’t seem to mind very much. 

He led Kagekao into his lounge. Though it also worked as an office. It was a big room, with high walls covered with bookshelves and drawers, along with a few trinkets. A mannequin with a pair of goggles on it, a glass case with giant butterfly wings in it, and a perfectly preserved human heart! That last one was Kagekao’s favorite, though Zalgo didn’t like him touching it. Zalgo strode over to the large desk and sat himself down on it, watching Kagekao intently as he skittered around the room a few times before deciding to flop himself into an oversized armchair. He curled his knees up, kneading his claws into the fabric as he got comfy before relaxing. He purred to himself before looking at Zalgo, who’s expression had turned more serious now.

‘’Do you have any wine?’’ he asked. Zalgo looked at him for a moment before snapping his fingers. Flames burst into the air, then disappeared. Leaving a bottle of wine in their place. The bottle fell down into Kagekao’s lap. He giggled happily and quickly uncorked it. 

‘’I have an assignment for you,’’ Zalgo murmured, his voice serious now that they were in private. ‘’It’s important. This is something only you can do for me, Kagekao. I trust you can get it done.’’

‘’Mmm…’’ Kagekao pulled his mask up and chugged some wine straight from the bottle. He’d have preferred a glass, to let the wine air out and settle more, but he was thirsty from all the time he’d spent drinking earlier. ‘’Of course. I can do anything.’’

‘’Good.’’ Zalgo leaned back where he sat. ‘’I want you to check on the proxies. Ask them if they’ve seen anyone...out of the ordinary recently. Wearing a mask.’’

Kagekao looked up. ‘’Out of the ordinary?’’ he cocked his head. ‘’You’re never specific, are you kami-sensei?’’ he added with a laugh. ‘’I can do it though! No problem. I’ll get to see the goggle brothers again!!’’

Zalgo arched a brow. ‘’The goggle brothers?’’

‘’Doby and Toby!’’ Kagekao threw his arms up, then squeaked when he almost spilled wine on himself. 

Zalgo smiled a small bit. ‘’Call them what you like,’’ he murmured as he stood up. ‘’Just make sure you don’t mention me-’’

‘’I know I know.’’ Kagekao cut in as he slurped down more wine. ‘’They can’t know you’re the person behind the Operator, lies and deception, I get it.’’ Zalgo looked surprised. He wasn’t used to being interrupted. Kagekao hopped to his feet and rocked on his heels. ‘’Can I run some errands before I report back?’’ he asked. 

Zalgo nodded. ‘’Whatever you want.’’ he replied simply. ‘’Just get it done.’’

Kagekao gleefully hopped, skipped and jumped out of Zalgo’s realm. He found himself back in the human world. Specifically somewhere in the US. He wandered through the town he’d been popped out at before finding himself in the local park. Bordering the park was a thick forest. He strolled through the trees, deeper and deeper into the forest until he came upon a cabin. Though it was closer to being a shack. Dilapidated and broken down. The wood it was made from was rotting, and nature seemed to be reclaiming it. Kagekao walked over and climbed onto the roof of the shack. He skittered across it and looked down into the backyard.

‘’Yeah it was fuckin’ weird! I don’t know- third base!- who would keep their soda in the cabinet like??’’ a young voice spoke below him.

‘’Guess they like room temperature soda.’’ a second, deeper voice replied. Two boys sat out on the back porch. Or rather, one of them was sitting on the porch. The second boy, who wore mismatched knee socks, an old purple hoodie and had fluffy chestnut hair, was sitting on the other’s lap. Kagekao climbed down the wall, staring down at the two of them intently. 

‘’Who the fuck drinks room temperature soda?’’ Doby asked as he tapped his fingers against his bare thigh. Toby shrugged and wrapped his arms around his friend, his shoulder jerking for a moment. He sighed and rested his head on Doby’s shoulder. 

Kagekao slowly reached down and ran his fingers through Toby’s curly hair. The boy jumped in surprise, his fist punching outward on instinct. ‘’Fuck off!’’ he yelped. Both of their heads snapped up suddenly, looking at the demon casually perched on the wall above them. He tilted his head to the side, grinning beneath his mask. 

Doby’s lips curled up into a grin. ‘’Hey bitch.’’ he chirped. 

Kagekao giggled again. ‘’Hisashiburi desu ne.’’ he greeted. ‘’Genki datta?’’

Doby smirked and rolled his eyes. ‘’I can’t understand you.’’ 

Kagekao climbed down off the wall and hummed. Toby watched him crawl around the porch like a cat, or some kind of lizard. ‘’It’s been a while,’’ the demon murmured. ‘’How have you two been, hm?’’ 

‘’We’re good,’’ Toby murmured. ‘’What’re you doing here?’’ 

Kagekao snapped his neck to the sides a few times, as if mimicking the boy’s tics. He sat himself in front of them, crossing his legs. ‘’Just checking on you two.’’ he hummed. ‘’Anything interesting been happening lately? Anyone wandering into the woods?’’ he asked with a grin.

Doby smiled. ‘’A couple. You know how it is…’’ He mimicked swinging a baseball bat, a clear indicator that he was remembering times when the two had had to keep intruders from finding their little base of operations..

‘’And nobody else?’’ Kagekao tilted his head. ‘’Nobody with...a mask or anything such?’’

Toby frowned. ‘’Mask?’’ he asked softly. Doby nudged him.

‘’Sorry, tic.’’ he grunted before looking back at Kagekao. ‘’What do you mean by ‘mask’?’’ he asked slowly, his eyes narrowing at the demon. 

Kagekao grinned slyly under his own mask. ‘’Someone covering their face. Hiding.’’ he replied. ‘’There’s been someone going around lately...causing issues in the community.’’ he shrugged. ‘’Don’t know their name. Just that they wear a mask and they might be causing issues.’’

Doby hummed. ‘’Nah don’t know ‘em.’’ he said. ‘’Right Toby?’’

Toby nodded, almost too enthusiastically. ‘’Right, right.’’ he parroted. Kagekao hummed and stood up. On his hands. He stretched out one of his arms, balancing his full weight on one palm. 

‘’Well then,’’ he suddenly flipped himself up into the air, landing on the ground with ease. ‘’If that’s the case...then I’ll leave you boys be.’’ he looked at the two proxies. Neither of them spoke. They just stared up at him cautiously. Kagekao laughed and stepped away from the shack, moving toward the forest again. ‘’I’ll see you two soon, hopefully.’’ he added with a sly grin.

With his work done, Kagekao could do whatever he wanted. And he knew exactly what his next visit would be. He had to take a shortcut through Zalgo’s realm, but soon enough he found himself in Louisiana. Specifically a small town in Louisiana that had a forest bordering the side of it. He perched himself up in a tree and waited and waited. Eventually, a silver minivan drove out of the forest and Kagekao grinned. He leapt out of the tree and skittered through the woods and into the fairy circle buried deep inside it. He stopped in the mansion’s front garden and giggled. The mansion was typically impenetrable, accessible only to people who had Slender’s specific marking. Which Kagekao had, though Slender didn’t need to know that.

He crawled along the side of the house, finding his way into the back garden. He poked his head out and looked into the yard. Sitting by a flower patch, humming innocently was a small girl. Her hair was fiery, turning from blonde to red as it fell around her shoulders. She wore gray dungarees and a striped shirt, rolled up to her elbows, along with a red bowtie. Her skin was a reddish-brown, dotted with bronze freckles. Kagekao slinked out from behind the house and skittered across the grass, hiding in a bush. The girl looked up in surprise. She glanced around for a few moments, her golden eyes locking on the bush he was hiding in. Slowly, she stood up and crept over to him, head tilted curiously. She crouched by the bush, reaching out carefully. 

And then he pounced. She shrieked as the two of them rolled over the grass. They came to a stop, Kagekao leaning over her. She blinked in surprise, looking at him, before grinning. ‘’Gecko!!’’ 

‘’Ya-ho Slendra-cha!.’’ he greeted with a smile. 

The girl giggled and pushed him up off of her, sitting up. ‘’Hisashiburi desu ne,’’ she replied. ‘’Genki datta?’’ 

Kagekao smiled. Ah, one of his few friends who spoke japanese. ‘’Genkidesu.’’ he replied. She smiled and tilted her head, hair falling over her shoulder.

‘’What’re you doing here?’’ she narrowed her eyes at him. A sly smile crept up her face. ‘’You’re not causing mischief are you?’’ 

Kagekao folded his legs. ‘’Nooo…’’ he shook his head. ‘’I’d never do that!’’ 

She leaned closer to him. ‘’Uh-huh?’’ she asked. ‘’My dad’s gonna be mad if he finds out you’re here…’’

Kagekao grinned at Slendra. Oh, her father certainly would be unhappy to find out he was on the property of his enemy. But Zalgo needn’t know that. ‘’Slender just went grocery shopping.’’ he replied. ‘’I saw the car leave.’’

The girl pursed her lips, a smile curling up her face. ‘’You’re planning something aren’t you?’’

‘’Your father wouldn’t notice if a wine bottle or two went missing…’’ Kagekao replied. She giggled. 

‘’You’re gonna get in troubleeeee.’’ she chided. Kagekao leaned into her.

‘’I knoooooow.’’ he replied. ‘’Now let me into your house.’’

Slendra rolled her eyes and laughed. ‘’Fine! But only if you promise to bring me those japanese potato chips I like next time you come over!’’ she pointed at him accusingly. Kagekao nodded, just eager to get his claws on some high quality wine. The girl smirked and stood up, leading the demon over to the back door. She slid it open and stepped into the neat, empty kitchen. ‘’You’re lucky Tim took Cody and EJ out you know.’’ she chided.

Kagekao padded toward the kitchen door, peering through the keyhole. ‘’Who’s home?’’ he asked.

‘’Mmm...Jeffery and Ben went with dad. Helen is in their room, and pops took the girls out.’’ she replied. ‘’So...you just gotta look out for Rachel.’’ Kagekao smirked. Rachel? She was only a human! Sure she was a psychic too but...nothing he couldn’t handle.

‘’Thank you Slendra.’’ he chirped before opening the kitchen door and skittering his way down to the basement. He flattened himself against the wall and peeked into the basement. It was sizable and comfy, with a few rooms. Including the miniature wine cellar, only across from him. His gaze moved over to the small couch on the right of the room. It was a cozy little area, with a coffee table, TV and several old gaming consoles, along with a cabinet full of games. Sitting on the couch, holding a game controller, was a woman with medium black hair, wearing an outfit of the same colour. She was playing some old shooter with monsters in it. Kagekao couldn’t be bothered to remember the name. He didn’t care for virtual games. 

Silently as possible, he climbed up the wall and reached the ceiling. He froze, snapping his neck to check on the woman. Rachel Downs...a powerful psychic, but an average human. He’d be wary of her, at the very least. He crept along the ceiling, keeping his head locked on her the whole time. He had almost, almost reached Slenderman’s stash of delicious wine when Rachel suddenly yelled out in irritation. He jolted in fear, watching her throw down the controller in her lap. ‘’God damnit!’’ she snarled. ‘’Janky ass controls…’’ she shook her head, then stood up. Kagekao cursed under his breath and threw himself over to a shadowed corner, thankful that the basement lights weren’t on. Rachel frowned and looked over at him, and though she couldn’t spot his eyes, Kagekao stared right back. A few tense moments passed before she sighed and shook her head. ‘’Fuckin’ cats…’’ she muttered to herself as she turned and walked up the stairs. Kagekao stayed frozen still for a few moments before skittering out of the corner and over to the door to the wine cellar. He unlocked it with ease, using a copy of the key he’d stolen a few months ago.

You couldn’t exactly call it a wine cellar, more of a wine...room. Shelves that were lined with bottles upon bottles of the delicious red stuff. Kagekao giggled. He had at least an hour before Slender came home. Which was plenty of time. He wasted no time getting into a bottle of his favorite brand. Slender had exquisite taste in wine. And a concerning amount of it. You’d almost think the man was an alcoholic, if it weren’t for the fact that he was an ancient ethereal being who didn’t get drunk easily. Kagekao would have claimed to have that same excuse, but he was nowhere near ancient or ethereal, and his alcohol tolerance was still nothing compared to Slender’s. Not to mention he would drink for breakfast, lunch and dinner, when Slender would at least have a glass of juice in the morning.

He told himself he’d keep track of the time. But by the time he heard thumping upstairs and three sets of footsteps he was nowhere near ready to leave. His eyes widened, listening to muffled voices upstairs.

‘’Boys, you start putting all of this away. I’ll be up in a moment to help.’

’‘’Kay dad.’’

The footsteps moved some more, and then he heard the stairs to the basement creaking. Kagekao chugged down the last of the bottle he had clutched between his feet and skittered over to another shelf. He grabbed a bottle in each hand, still listening as Slender approached the room. He staggered over to the wall at the back of the room and drew on the sigil for Zalgo’s realm. As soon as the gateway was open enough for him to slip through, he darted in and closed it behind him. Not wanting to stick around for fear that he’d been caught, he skittered down the dark, damp tunnel until he emerged into the light.

He stumbled and fell against the wall of a building. He shivered. Wow- it was cold here. He crept out from behind the building and looked around until his eyes laid upon a bathhouse in the distance. Glancing around more, he realised he was in between a couple of restaurants. The smell of freshly cooked meat and good old fashioned sake filled his nose. Kagekao grinned.

He had a few hours to kill before he had to go back to Zalgo.

Enasal Lavellan Pt: 49

Trying to flesh out Cullen’s redemption arc a bit.  I feel like the game didn’t give it the attention it really needed.

Let me know if it seems like I’m on the right track.

Oh, and roughly translated, da'isha means 'little man'.

And finally, on mobile, so some things may be wonky (spacing and links mainly).

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(Piano Etude I - Rule of Rose)

Enasal was showing Annason some of the key places of Skyhold, and found Cole crouched in the upper courtyard, where some refugees were meandering.  

His hands were over his ears, but she couldn’t see his face.

“Cole?”  She asked, crouching down, “Are you okay?”

He shook his head, “It’s too loud here. I want to help them, but it’s too loud.”

Enasal looked at the refugees.  One of the soldiers was talking to them, no-doubt briefing them before settling them into some rooms.

“The poor dear!”  Annason looked near tears, “Is he touched?  Oh, poor thing!”

She remembered what he had said about her grandmother and the looks she was given after people began to bow.

“Cole, what do you mean that it’s 'too loud'?”

“Their hurt is loud.”

“Can you read their minds?”

“I can hear their hurt.”  He said, glancing up at Enasal with a bloody nose, “And it is loud.”

Enasal kept the panic from her face at seeing his dripping nose.  “Would you like to go somewhere quieter?”

He nodded.

Enasal glanced and Annason, “I’m sorry, I’ll show you the rest later, but…”  She gestured to Cole.

“Do not apologize, my friend, I understand.”  Annason said, “Perhaps we could meet tomorrow morning for breakfast and finish the tour?”

“I eat at the Bird in the Hand.”  She said, “You wake up...really early, so can we say around eight?  Could you wait that long?”

Annasson nodded, “I shall have someone give me directions.”  Enasal had grown used to Annasons double-goodbye-kisses and mirrored the gesture.

 Enasal looked at Cole and sighed.  She took his hand as you would a child and led him to her room, where she cleaned his face and gave him some water.

He looked at the glass, turning it to look at it at all angles and spilling it when he turned it upside down.  Enasal sighed and went to clean it up, “You’re supposed to drink it, da’isha.”

“I don’t think I have to.”

Enasal refilled the glass with her pump, “Having a drink of water always makes me feel better.”

He shook his head.

“Alright.”  She said, putting the glass down.  “You’ve got water all down your front.”  She blotted his shirt with a towel.

“Your hurt is loud, too.” He said.

“Too loud?”

He shook his head, “Your hurt is loud… but right now it is the only one.”

Enasal nodded, “Do you want to stay here where it’s quiet?  I can go look somewhere else for you to stay.  Where are you sleeping?”

He blinked, “Wherever I want.”

Enasal skimmed past the statement. “We could go to the battlements - we’ll pass some soldiers here and there, but not to many.”

“I like the sun.”  He said vaguely.

As they walked the battlements, Cole wandered in a serpentine motion,seemingly at random as he looked over one side and then the other.  Suddenly, he veered from his path and went to a solider, “You did not know he would stay behind to help the rest. You couldn’t have stopped him.”  The woman opened her mouth to say something but Cole whispered something into her ear Enasal couldn't catch.  The woman blinked a few times before wandering off, her shoulders considerably less slouched.

Cole looked at Enasal and said, “Works can make hurt get better.”

“I… see.”  She hoped he wouldn't go into her own mind again.

Instead, he looked up and jogged towards one of the buildings.

“Demons everywhere, so many. No, stop, don’t go that way!”  He rolled his neck, “He told me to stay, I’ll stay, they can’t get me, I will not falter.”  He craned his neck to look up, “Must be controlled, but here - they're here. Why those mages, why those?”

He opened the door and walked into the room.

Cullen jumped in surprise, “Who - Enasal?”

“Sorry Cullen - do you remember Cole?”

He looked at Cole and shook his head, “Should I?”

“You were young and afraid.”  Cole said, “The mages were afraid. They were all afraid. Fear in the air makes poison in the mind.”

“Hey!”  Cullen started, but the boy was gone.

Eyes on Me (classical guitar)

Enasal looked around and shook her head, “I just followed, I didn’t know what he was going to do.”  She leaned into the doorway, “Your office is really coming together.  May I?”

Cole's words had thrown him off, but he nodded.

There wasn’t a chair yet, so Enasal perched on the desk as Cullen filled the nearby bookcase.

“What was Cole talking about?”  She asked.

“Who?”

Enasal heaved a sigh, “The boy who warned us in Haven.”

Cullen’s brow creased in thought, “I… believe I do remember something like that.”

“He was just in here.”  She said, “He said that you were young and afraid and the mages were afraid.”  She hesitated, “And something about ‘why those mages’?”

Cullen had gone pale.  He put a final book in the bookcase and leaned on the desk beside Enasal.

“Enasal… how do I even go into this?”

She smiled, “Maybe from the beginning?”

He signed, “I told you I started my templar training at thirteen?"

She nodded.

"When I turned 18 and took my vows, I was assigned to the Ferelden Circle of Magi.”  He looked at her from the side, “I truly, truly believed in what I was doing.  Protect the mages of the circle and if the worst case scenario happens and a mage is turned into an abomination, you do what must be done to protect the mages inside and the people outside.”

He boosted himself on the desk, leaning his elbows on the knees, “But then there were other duties.  Capturing escaped mages, dealing out punishments to mages who didn’t obey orders.”  He fussed with his hair, “I tried to stay away from that as much as possible, but when you're ordered to put a mage in solitary confinement, you do it.”

“It sounds like a prison.”  Enasal whispered.

“Depends on who you ask.”  He said, “Lady Vivienne loves the circles, but people like your dear teacher hate them.”

“And what about you?” 

Cullen crossed his arms over his chest, “I think they have a place.  I’ve seen what magic can do but I’ve also seen how mages have been treated.  We need more regulation between the circles and steadfast rules for both parties.” 

He stood up again, “Has Varric said anything about what happened at Kirkwall?”

Enasal shifted uncomfortably and looked down, “He said that he knew you and that you… weren’t nice.” She waved her arms, “But I don’t really believe him!”

Cullen looked away, “Enasal, I was not a good templar, or a good person.”  He rubbed his neck, “The Kirkwall Circle was awful - mages were prisoners.  I’ve seen escaped mages slash their own throats rather than go back to that place.”  He lowered his head, “I chased them, I brought them back. I knew how awful it was, but I wanted to follow orders and be a good soldier.  Even when I saw the Knight-Commander losing her mind - she ordered tighter and tighter regulations on the mages until it became too much.  The templars and mages fought and…”

He trailed off, but Enasal recalled something Varric had once told her, “The Chantry?”

Cullen nodded.  “The Chantry.  I stood by the Knight-Commander's side far too long, and I should have said something.  But I hated magic, hated what it might do because I was a stupid coward.”

He slouched, “And now… some of the recently arrived mages?  They were from the Ferelden Circle. Survivors from when it all went straight to the Void.”  He said, “A slew of abominations and demons, it got so bad that they closed the doors and locked all the remaining mages and templars inside - myself included.  Mages and templars were being slain left and right until I was the last sane one.  I used my templar abilities to erect a barrier and protect myself.  I wanted to destroy every trace of magic in that moment, and begged our Knight-Commander to do just that.  ‘The Circle is lost’, I remember saying.”

He shook his head, “I don’t know how I can face them.”  

Enasal forced a smile and shrugged sheepishly, “Maybe you could.  Just say you’re sorry."

“I could say… ? Enasal, it isn’t that simple!  You can’t do some of the things I’ve done and just say “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.’!”

She hopped down from the desk and took his hands into hers,  “But it could be a start.”

Cullen shook his head.  “I can be kinder to the mages here and now, but now that mages I knew as a templar are here?”

He let go of her hands, and turned away. "I wasn’t the worst - I never raped or beat anyone… but I supported harsh and cruel ideas, and even stood by and watched as things got out of control.  The treatment or mages was getting worse by the day. Even after I’d snapped out of it and came into the smallest thought of ‘maybe this is all wrong’?”

He turned back to her and shook his head, “I still stood by and watched it spiral out of control - and I did nothing, not until the very end.  Not until hundreds had been lost in Kirkwall.”  

He looked down at her, “I’m sorry, Enasal, I should have thought this through more.”

“What?”  

He waved around the room before gesturing to himself and Enasal, “This - us. Enasal, I was not a good templar and I’m not a good person.” 

"I think you are."

"I just…". He trailed off before rubbing the back of his neck, "Maybe, it isn't very wise for us to," He shook his head, "Spend so much time like this."

“Cullen,”  Enasal said, “Maybe not always, but now, you're a good person.”  She put her hands behind her back, “My grandmother said that there are steps someone should do if they’ve done something really bad - like with what my clan did to me. “

He shook his head and leaned against the desk again, “Have you ever thought that Varric has good reason not to like me?"

Enasal ignored him, “My grandmother said that you have to first apologize to whoever you hurt.  That’s the first step.”

Cullen frowned, “What if they don’t forgive you?"

Enasal’s smile was sad, “They might not.  They might never forgive you and that’s something you have to accept.  But you’ve acknowledged that you did wrong.”

“And I just apologize my way out of a decade of - me?”

She shook her head, “You have to accept whatever they do.  If they forgive you, that’s excellent, if they don’t, then they just don’t.”

“Then what?”

She smiled, “You’ve actually done it out of order.  I’ve seen you about to say things about mages and stop yourself.  In Haven, when you gave them permission to fight, you hesitated, but then you did it anyway.”  She snapped her fingers, “And when Josephine scolded you for something you said, you apologized and said that you knew.”

She took his hands again, “After you apologize you have to root out those thoughts.  You already try not to say them outloud, but now you have to work on your own mind.  If you feel yourself thinking about mages in general being bad, you have to correct yourself.  Aloud or in your head, you have to remind yourself, ‘No, that’s not true.’.  And you do that until the negative thoughts and feelings about mages stop.”

“Do thoughts like that ever stop?”

Enasal shrugged, “I don’t know.”

“And then?”

“Then you move forward, making sure that you do right by the people you’ve wronged.”  She said, “You don’t forget - you shouldn’t forget.  I think translated into Common the phrase would be, ‘sew it on your heart, and keep it with you always'.”  She smiled, “It doesn’t mean you can't move with your life, it just means you can’t forget.”

Cullen shook his head, but there was a hint of a smile on his face, “Enasal, I have heard you say some of the strangest things, I’ve laughed so hard at your jokes.  And then you say something that cuts me to the bone.”  He smiled weakly, “Quite profound as well.”

Enasal winced, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No.”  He squeezed her hands, “You were perfect.”  He considered before adding, “If your clan apologized to you - would you accept it?”

Enasal pulled away and lowered her head, “No… I don’t think I could.  Saying I could forgive them would be… you say ‘unworthy of me’.”

“If it can be okay that I’m not forgiven,”  He said, taking her hands back, “Then it can be okay if you’re not willing to forgive them.”

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi Volume 6 Chapter 4 - Secret Girls' Night-out

T/N: Hi y’all, it’s me again, it took a bit longer because I did my best to beta-as much as I could, but if it’s still wonky, I apologize, it's not like I get paid to do it lol also it's rather challenging when I had to convert my brain waves from Japanese to English to my native language and however those combinations work just to spew all of these out in sufficiently passable English. So I hope you all don't mind stuff like typos or inconsistencies with the tenses srsly even the original text has that and I just literally gave up evening out the tenses, like really apparently it's no biggie to have an entire paragraph in Japanese that both has past and present tenses (they mostly don't have future tenses) but if that happened in English some would just nitpick that shit out. I mean, yeah, for sure when I do editing and get paid for it I would, but if I'm just reading fanfics from writers who don't have English as their native language I just don't give a hoot, as long as the story's good, to heck with grammar, spelling and syntax. Srsly some non-native EN speakers get turned-off or even scared when nitpickers hit on their imperfect spellings or grammar or dictions, srsly honestly just give them a break, they worked hard to learn another language. I felt this even more so when I started learning Nihongo, like srsly as long as a person gets to say what they want to say even if it's not perfect in anyway, then that's more than enough for me.  srsly I am forgiving like that. Also this chapter has more notes than usual, especially regarding Nihongo and stuff, so if you don't like it you can always move along lololol Also I gave up, I'm keeping the titles and roles in Japanese i.e. Odanna-sama, Wakadanna-sama, Bantou-san, etc. I'll just stick in more notes instead lol

Also if you like this translation, you can heart it, share the link, reblog, I just respectfully ask that DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE. This is my contribution to the scant English content of this fandom, and I worked really hard to finish this thing, it’s not like I just copy-pasted everything. I even had to build the kanji in Jisho one by one. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.You can rave about this, rant about this, but if possible please link back to this page. If you’re unsure how to do that, just copy the web address of this page. If you’re on a blogsite just insert the web address as a hyperlink as a link back to here. Honestly if this light novel was officially-published in English, I wouldn’t even be doing this right now... And if it did, I’d take this offline to support the publishers and Yuuma-sensei. Creators support creators, is what I believe in. As previously-mentioned in earlier chapters, if you stumbled upon this one, the two seasons of the anime covered volumes 1-5, so other than the extra details, you didn’t miss much stuff. OK, with all of that out of the way, here's Chapter 4 now. P116 "Th... These are... The Southern Lands' cultured Japanese amberjack**... A bundle of Kiseki beef.. And there are so many other local products from the Southern Lands too. Ah, there's even the coconut oil that I always wanted!" So many extravagant ingredients have been hauled into Yugao, and I was flabbergasted by them all. There were also so many cans of various contents as well as dried fish and other products stuffed inside. Canned tuna and other canned stuff were considered as high-end products in Kakuriyo, and I am very grateful. Ginji-san and the Daruma gang from the kitchens delivered a box packed with so many ingredients to Yugao, and we had no idea why. "Well, the Dog said that these are their repayment to our kindness. It's because a while ago, Ranmaru came to Tenjin-ya." "Really, Ranmaru from Orio-ya?" "Hatori-san also came too, with him." In some way, Ginji-san's mood was good. For a while now, his nine fluffy tails were wagging from left to right. "It's from our head accountant Byakuya-san, Aoi-san's rewards for your achievement, and for Tenjin-ya's cooperative business venture and all sorts of other demands that were deemed justifiable, and because they wanted to give other things as a way of expressing their gratitude, they brought in many other souvenirs and products as well. They also exchanged with us various other information." T/N: This is related to tuna fish, but don't ask me how they cultured it. Probably in the open sea, like in sea cages. Yes, that's a thing, and yeah I was also in the fishing industry at some point in time, if you're wondering. Also if you're wondering why I rarely use "you" in the dialogues of the translations, it's because in polite Japanese conversations, instead of saying ANATA or OMAE= you, one's name is mentioned instead. In the original text, when people are talking to each other, rather than say "you" they say the other person's name or occupation + san instead i.e. bengoshi-san= lawyer san, Ginji-san, or if it's a username because they don't like using their true names- USERNAME-san. Because using "you" in any way, shape or form in conversations is deemed rude AF. So the next time you chat with Japanese people, please remember to address them by their name, or occupation, unless you've established rapport with them. I forgot to put this explanation in my earlier posts, but it's one of the most important stuff I learned in my Japanese classes, the Japanese folk won't care so much on grammar but more on being polite and taking care of remembering social status stratification aka just be polite by using polite terms. I actually experienced this first hand after chatting with some of them, they just told me not to use Google translate and just chat with them with whatever I know. They're very grateful when people could talk to them in their native tongue, especially when the honorifics are used. This note's long AF but I did say that I'm gonna drag you all with me in this whole learning Nihongo thing, and I'm doing just that. P117 "That friendly Ranmaru did that? Doesn't he hate Tenjin-ya?" "Hee hee. Well, don't take this too seriously, OK?" Even though saying it that way, I imagined that Ranmaru's horrible words and demeanour were probably due to his circumstances. Orio-ya sees Tenjin-ya as its rival, it's hard to imagine them having an image of humbly bringing over souvenirs. And the business dealings, I wonder what those are...? "Oh that, Ranmaru saw that you had a strong sense of duty. He wanted to particularly express his gratitude to Aoi-san." And thereupon, these ingredients from the Southern Lands. Stuff I rarely get hold of, especially something like that one round amberjack, and I unconsciously grinned. "Even so, if the circumstances allowed, he would have stopped by and said it himself** ..." "It was before Aoi-san's business hours, and Ranmaru is also busy it seems, so he had to go back immediately. Even I wanted to take our time since I thought it was fine, but it can't be helped... Because Ranmaru is the Southern Lands' Hachiyo." "Ha ha. Then what happens next is that if it's possible, Ginji-san will go to Orio-ya, won't he? Nothing's stopping you two from visiting each other now?" "Aoi-san...." Up until recently, Ginji-san and Ranmaru's long sibling feud previously ended sometime ago, and the long-standing so-called inn rivalry and clash between Orio-ya and Tenjin-ya has been cut. T/N: aisatsu=挨拶=greeting, introducing one's self, improving relations by dropping by every now and then, can also mean like popping up to say hi or whatnot. I don't know how to directly translate it since aisatsu has more of a sense of how a supervisor pops up in the work place or a teacher suddenly appears in a class just to check, it's not as informal as a neighbor dropping by the house just to have idle chitchat. Hweh. P118 But after the ceremony, the changed relationship between the two has been noticeable. "Oh, that, I see. Someday soon, I will take a break and go visit him too." "Yeah, I agree, that's great. Oh, I wonder if everyone's doing well... Hatori-san and Tokihiko-san, Hideyoshi and Nene, the cute twin chefs.. And Nobunaga." "It seems that everyone's doing fine. The twins Kai-san and Mei-san, Orio-ya profoundly realized that they're really suited to be chefs, and everyone seems to cheer them on, Hatori-san was still the same as ever, but sometimes he returns to Shumonzan. He says that he bickers with Matsuba-sama as always, but one way or another they've become in good terms with each other." Ginji-san asked Ranmaru, and he told things about Orio-ya's management staff. I see, everyone in each of their own way have been doing their best to move on forward. "Oh, and somehow Hideyoshi-san and Nene-san seems to have been engaged." "Whaaat? Why that fast?" Wait a minute. Hideyoshi knew that Nene-chan has decided, that she likes Ranmaru, wasn't it? But that's what Hideyoshi said... My astonished face must have looked funny, and Ginji-san turned away his face and giggled. "It's surely shocking, isn't it? Why, it's amazing, Hideyoshi was especially honest and manly. P119 I simply cannot..." Ginji-san let out a tiny laugh again. What is it about his old haunting grounds, being delighted at the many changes in Orio-ya? At any rate, I was surprised with Hideyoshi and Nene's engagement. Firstly, congratulations Hideyoshi. You thought that your unrequited love has been going on for so long, it was outside your thoughts early on, but now your love bore its fruit. I'm glad, as I'm rooting for you on from the sides. What the heck, behind my back, how did they get involved in that, that was surprisingly an unusual story, if I meet Nene this time I need to get information from her. "But the when the trustworthy Waka-danna** and Waka-Okami** get married, Orio-ya will surely become peaceful, and Ranmaru will also be pleased. Certainly after the marriage, their organization will grow even stronger. He'll get exhausted if it's just Ranmaru holding everything together." "Isn't Tenjin-ya also reasonably solid?" "I guess, although the position for Waka-Okami easily changes. Originally the person in that position is supposed to only resign once, but right now Kikuno-san has temporarily retired as the Young Mistress and supposed to come back. However, there have been circumstances in her family, and she immediately relinquished her seat as the Waka-Okami." "Ehh, like that?" After showing my disbelief, Ginji-san sadly nodded.

T/N: Waka-danna=young master, Waka-Okami=young mistress P120 "If it comes to that, when a new Waka-Okami doesn't hold the position for very long, we can say that there's a gifted person in Tenjin-ya, and it's only a little issue.** Likewise, during that matter with Orio-ya, we in the management staff really wanted the former Waka-Okami O-ryo san to come back and give it another go. Her abilities are very outstanding." "Even I too... I was shocked to see O-ryo completely doing her job well. Even Nene, one way or another admires her so much." "Yes, I agree. But, oh well... O-ryo-san returning to her former position, it's already a huge chance and a necessity. Right now she's drifting away from supporting her fellow waiters and waitresses, well, O-ryo-san must be intending to. To me, she seems to be enjoying having lesser responsibilities and more carefree in her current position." "Well, that's for sure..." Based on how Ginji-san talked about it, lately it seems that O-ryo has no obsession on the position of Waka-Okami. A little bit until recently, she seems, to have returned the bearing of her Waka-Okami decorum, but lately she's wholly just wanting to eat and eat, when she finally gets some free time she goes to Yugao, and lately has been persisting on going out hunting for marriage partners. However, I could say with confidence that she seems to be taking advantage of being relieved of her position as a Waka-Okami , and surely Tenjin-ya will realize that they need O-ryo's abilities. O-ryo's strength, is diligently doing her duties in that position. "Anyway, Aoi-san. I was preparing and building up the Autumn Festival here in Tenjin-ya at the end of this month, and I was thinking of using pumpkins, is it possible for Yugao to make Autumn foods and sweets for us?" T/N: Honestly double-triple negatives are a pain in the ass, srsly it's like inception to the nth power, I had trouble deciphering this line and almost this entire page in the original text so if it doesn't make sense, meh, I did my best within my current abilities. P121 "Pumpkin? Of course. It's gonna be fun, like Halloween." "Oh, right! There's a foreign festival called Halloween in Utsushiyo, but I thought it's impossible to recreate that here in in Kakuriyo, though I could imagine it to be made into a Pumpkin Festival." "Oh, not at all, we can make that same Halloween theme here because Tenjin-ya is mostly full of Ayakashi." A Japanese Halloween that doesn't use costumes... "But certainly, this year's pumpkins are delicious, so Pumpkin Festival sounds good, doesn't it? It's also a great idea to give out candies to our young guests." "We can probably decorate with paper lanterns and pumpkins too. We can place ogre-fire inside, and make them float all around Tenjin-ya." "Wow! That's very much like Utsushiyo's Halloween!" Why, the Autumn Festival goes well with the Pumpkin Event and our imaginations ran wild. "Also, Aoi-san. Pumpkins are not Odanna-sama's favorite." "..." Abruptly, the topic on Odanna-sama popped up, and I stiffened a bit. Some days ago, we came back from the orchard park date. I remembered being hugged in the airship's deck...** "How are you feeling, Aoi-san? Why is your face all red?" T/N: **insert lenny face here** You can't stop me wahahaha P122 "Hm? Oh, it's nothing, this is nothing. Odanna-sama not liking pumpkins, I wonder if I somehow  asked that before..." "Oh, right. I saw that Odanna-sama often puts a lot of his boiled pumpkins in Byakuya-san's small bowl." "...really, isn't Odanna-sama unbelievable?" "Yes, he is. I don't know when Byakuya-san patience will end, but I want Odanna-sama to overcome his distaste for pumpkins." "You're right. His pickiness for food would not end... In this event I will feed Odanna-sama with the pumpkin cuisines I wanted him to try..." I haven't yet known what Odanna-sama likes, but I know what food he doesn't like. It wasn't at all regretable to make fun of Odanna-sama, but this time I got surprised. "Aoi-sama-- Manjuu-steaming has been finished!" Ai-chan's face suddenly popped out of the kitchen. She seemed to have established her affairs in Hyakumeyama, and she has changed her appearance to that which she made herself. Her time before returning to the pendant is still short, but she's working hard right now as a newly-hired employee. "You were steaming manjuu**? I thought I was smelling something good." "Yeah. Just a while ago Dr. Saraku was asked by Tenjin-ya to do some manufacturing trials for a new souvenir product.** T/N:  Steamed bread with bean jam filling. They’re really good, try them when you can!

when I write souvenir product, it's translated from omiyage=お土産= something that you take home for your friends or family when you go have fun somewhere like a national park or a museum or amusement park. Like when you buy takeaways -  T-shirts, food, keychains, etc. and bring them home or something. Is there an English equivalent for this? Because I don't know. In my native language we have an equivalent, well, for most Asian languages I guess. Don't know about others though.. Hm.... korewa....*inhales* O_O

P123 "We're still only in the middle of improving it, but once we're done we want Ginji-san to be the very first to try them out." "Wah, that sounds fun. When Byakuya-san saw the special products from Orio-ya, he also also saw the need for Tenjin-ya to make new specialties and other famous products, and he's going to be considerably sensitive about it." "Uhm.... But we have no confidence to meet that expectation..." If we couldn't get to sell all of the products that we made, what will we do if Tenjin-ya gets struck greatly by that? What will we do if Tenjin-ya's status and popularity crashes down? With regards to that, we had to think very hard. For Yugao as a small establishment it is a challenge, and the pressure feels a bit different. "It's alright. With regards to hit products, through time and through fads, luck always has a greater control. To me, the only thing needed by Dr. Saraku are failures no matter how many times, in his division. That is why it is important to fail when tackling new challenges." ".. Ginji-san..." "Because I think, we become stronger, don't we?" Ginji-san's relieving smile is so bright, even today it's promising. Having his support, for today as well, I will work harder for Yugao's business operations. P124 The next day, around noon. Tomorrow Tenjin-ya will be closed for a break. Since today Tenjin-ya's business operations will end and all shall check out at the same time, everyone's waiting to be free of work. Today, Yugao also has no business transactions, so tonight I was making up my mind to call all of the ladies to make hotpot. I was thinking of calling out all about to all the members who could attend, I only need to walk to the inner garden. "Oh, it's Kasuga." I noticed Kasuga first. On the other side of the log bridge, she was under the ginko tree. I was about to call out "Hey Kasuga--" but she seems to be talking to someone and I stopped. Behind the base of the ginko tree whose yellow leaves were slightly changing color, what the... Kasuga is usually cheerful but her face now weirdly has this blank expression. "Isn't that..." Beside her, it was Chiaki-san, the doorman in charge of the footwear. A Bake-Tanuki like Kasuga. Normally he doesn't get involved with her much deeply, but this time their dialogues seem to be at a crossroads. I thought that the young man was humble and modest, somehow trying his best to look cool, but somehow he is speaking to Kasuga with a harsh expression, the atmosphere doesn't seem good in there, the impression is very different from the usual funny and light. What is up with those two. These two were different from how I knew them. "Oh, Aoi-chan." P125 From far away, Kasuga noticed me, her Tanuki ears popped up, and rushed towards me. "Aoi-chan, are you going to the main building?" "Ehhhrm, yeah. That was weird, seeing the two of you." "You think so? Chiaki is my relative you know. We were just talking." "Oh, I see..." I don't understand but, I wonder what's normal for those two. "Speaking of, Kasuga, tonight, uhm, won't you come to Yugao after work?" "To Yugao? To make me eat food?" "Yeah. I was thinking of actually holding a ladies-only hotpot banquet. I'll set up the kotatsu, and there's also mountain apple liquor. Let's have a girls' night-out once in a while." "Girls night-out..." Kasuga said "That sounds so much fun" with a wicked Tanuki face. I wonder if she's recalling amusing stories she got out of everyone. "I was thinking of calling O-ryo and Shizuna-chan too. I'm going out to meet them now." "If you say so, I'll go tell them. I'm roommates with Shizuna-chan, and I'm assigned to the banquet hall with O-ryo sama." P126 "Oh, is it OK to ask? Sorry about that." "It's fine, it's like the usual running of errands." Smiling like a beast, Kasuga nimbly dashed away. Under the deep autumn air that feels cold, her fluffy Tanuki tail swings left to right. "..." Looking back at the ginko tree, Chiaki-san the chief doorman wasn't there anymore. I wonder what the two talked about. He seemed to have casually listened to the girls night-out plan. The strong mountain apple liquor, lend me your strength... "Aoi-dono" "Wah, Sasuke-kun!" Without warning, Sasuke-kun the O-niwaban fell down beside me. He has a long scarf hanging down his neck, ninja-style from sunrise to sunset. Normally, during the day he usually wears a monk's robe as he sweeps the garden. "What's up? Something happened during work?" "I am patrolling around. Lately, there has been some disturbances." "Well, tomorrow the inn will have its break, it must be difficult. Are you hungry?" "Ah, my stomach is..." P127 Grrrrrmmmmm. Sasuke-kun's hungry stomach made some noise. "My stomach is probably hungry..." "Hee hee. When your duties are done, while on break come to Yugao. We received a lot from Orio-ya, blessings from the sea. The Southern Lands were also grateful to Sasuke-kun, would you want anything?" "Is that true?" Sasuke-kun always had a cool expression, but when it comes to food his eyes sparkle with joy, like  a child's. Realizing that he's let out his enthusiasm, he cleared his throat and hid his mouth with the scarf while saying "Well then, until later," and he disappeared into the wind. Sasuke-kun is just as always very earnest, it's adorable. "Nevertheless, some disturbance..." I heard about that by accident, recently. The disturbance, it's shady, things don't look good, among other things. I was working and doing my best in Yugao, and whatever lurks up in my surroundings I don't notice anything at all. But, at the moment I don't know about  the things that have started happening, and I got more anxious and worried. P128 Today is a secret girls; night-out, no guys allowed. It's going to happen after Yugao's working hours, a hotpot party will be opened for the ladies of Tenjin-ya. Today it's not at Yugao, the venue will be at my room at the back, and I will bring out the kotatsu. Tonight's dinner will be amberjack shabu-shabu. We'll make a light konbu/kelp dashi amberjack shabu-shabu from the many seafoods from Orio-ya. "We'll use the top shelf kelp to make the konbu dashi for the seafoods of the Southern Lands. It's a hotpot filled with crunchy mustard greens and thinly-sliced daikon, Welsh onions and enoki mushrooms, I'm going to fill it with amberjack as much as I want." "OK--- Let's eat!" Despite it being after work, the ladies' eyes will get fired up. I wonder if that's the case when they get hungry after working hours. I immediately placed in the fatty slices of amberjack in the hotpot's boiled  konbu dashi, and let it cook. I will add in here some ponzu for that single tingly flavor.** "Ahhh, what is this luxury. It's been a while since I had amberjack shabu-shabu..." "O-ryo sama, eat the vegetables too. Adding the thinly-sliced daikon makes this a shabu-shabu." "Alright, I get it..." O-ryo just ate only the amberjack, and Kasuga sneakily added in the vegetables. She also placed some of the boiled enoki, and placed a lot of the dashi along with the fish slices, placing all of these together she took a bite. T/N: Sour-tasting soups are best with fatty meats and fish, so I'd get that Aoi would do this to cut the fat and make the shabu-shabu taste even better and also to cut the fat and greasy feels. P129 The two closed their eyes in contentment. Certainly, when the raw amberjack was cooked over a flame, the entire flavor of the fish changes. Instantly the soft slices of amberjack became tough, and over that ponzu was added,  this was entirely different when eaten as sashimi or with pickles, it can be an enjoyable, extravagant yet healthy food. Well, not really, it's just the season to eat hotpot deliciously. "Speaking of, what time is Shizuna-chan coming?" "The bath hours haven't ended yet, I think she'll come over after fixing and cleaning up the bath houses. She's the only one from the management staff, and she has to stay in her working area up until the end of business hours." "Oh, yeah. I see. Shizuna-chan is part of the management staff." I lightly glanced at O-ryo. O-ryo was a former management staff member, but she seems to be unaffected by my words. It seems that the person in question enjoys whatever working position she's in right now, and is drinking carbonated water as well as the mountain apple liquors equally. Somewhat it's like being that annoying single office-lady... "Perhaps I should say it- did you know? Orio-ya's Nene is married to their Waka-danna?" "No, aren't they just engaged? It seems like that for the time being, before getting married?" P130 Uhm, Kasuga and I looked at each other. But O-ryo wasn't listening. "Hmmph. That young girl, she'll be suffering so much marrying so young. That Waka-danna called Hideyoshi, that tiny squirt, he'll noisily scold her." "You think so? I've seen that Hideyoshi, he seems good enough. Well, he is pretty noisy. But he seems to like Nene very much, I think it's wonderful that he got his feelings through." I feel like an aunty who's earnestly chatting away about her relatives. If I could talk about it better, those two make a cute, tiny couple. "Gah! Enough chatting about a guy's love for some girl! I am not interested in the happiness of other people!" With a thud, O-ryo slapped her empty wine glass on the kotatsu. "Ahhhh, O-ryo sama don't start complaing about envying other people..." As always, Kasuga started telling her off with her "good grief!" pose. "I'm sorry I'm late--" A breath of fresh air, Shizuna-chan has joined the party.** Shizuna-chan takes care of the bath houses and bears the task of keeping them in order, and is Tenjin-ya's sole management staff for that purpose. "Shizuna, you're late! The battle has already started!" T/N: well the transliteration of the original text was "Shizuna-chan has arrived in the battlefield", but I think this has the same feel, from RPGs honestly IDK anymore lol anyways IMO food parties are always a battlefield so wth it's the same gahaha P131 "Ah, yes--? I'm sorry, ehhh, a battle?" After that, even if O-ryo was just a waitress who glared at her instantly, Shizuna-chan humbly apologized. It seemed that she had no idea what O-ryo meant with her words of choice. Shizuna-chan brought a box for us, filled with so many delicious sweets.This seemed delicious to eat as dessert. "Shizuna-chan, come sit beside me. Say, do you like amberjack shabu-shabu?" Shizuna-chan rarely visits here. I did my best to take care of whatever she needs. "Well, it has been a while since I had some amberjack shabu-shabu, how nostalgic..." "Oh, right. When you were young, you were a staff at Orio-ya. During that time, did you ate a lot?" "Yes, it was my favorite. Shishou-sama** made a lot of it for me..." Talking while bashfully fidgeting, Shizuna-chan started to eat with a lot of etiquette. Suddenly, O-ryo started looking at Shizuna-chan like a sister-in-law. "I say, uhm, Shizuna? There's someone in Orio-ya like you, who's also nice and has good vibes?" "Yes? A person with good vibes?" "Hey, weren't you explicitly pursued here in Tenjin-ya? Who was it.... That guy who looks withered up, called Tokihiko. You like someone who looks bitter and glum, don't you? It's illogical and unadult-like. Don't think that somehow you're under the shadow of that guy.. *hic*" T/N: I don't know how to call the main artist or the one who takes in a lot of disciples or students or apprentices so this is the next best thing, I guess? I mean, it’s directly translated as Master=師匠-Shishou, but it can mean other stuff, not just like sensei though. P132 "Oh, uhm.. that.. Shishou-sama.... he is uhm..." Shizuna-chan's face started blushing, like she had some beer or whatnot. Once that conversation was started, she immediately got perplexed. "Wait a minute, O-ryo! Shizuna-chan just started eating, don't ask her such direct questions, her throat might block off the shabu-shabu." "You're loud Aoi! Shut up, what's more important than looks are the uses**, you crazed-cook!" "What the.." Whom on earth did she think this hotpot party was prepared for? When O-ryo drinks liquor, she always blurts out unapologetic things. "Haaahhh... Aoi may be crazy about cooking, but in the end, eventually she'll get married to Odanna-sama... He'll pick up an excessively-expensive palanquin for you, you won't understand how miserable I am..." "What the heck are you saying... I'm doing my best to avoid being his fiancee." "But Aoi-chan, didn't you and Odanna-sama went out, and you were away for more than a night?" "Hold up, Kasuga, it's a weird, story, it can't be helped. We were captured by the mountain's Kaku-zaru." "Ah, but.. Odanna-sama pulled you out of a pinch, didn't that made you have a change of heart? Or some progress?"

T/N: hanayoridango=function before looks, like buying food first before buying flowers, yeah that’s the literal meaning of the phrase. P133 "...what?" A while ago Shizuna-chan got asked the same kind of questions. Suddenly, the  three girls gazed at me. What the, what's up with their eyes, those three? They look like hyenas having an eye on their prey. "I.. I didn't mean it that way! Uhmm... Odanna-sama just.. gives his all as he saves me..." Speaking of progress, what on earth is progressing right now? My first-hand experiences weren't much, and even using those as my basis, I still don't understand. In the end, somehow despite never having an idea on what occurred, the warmth I felt when I was hugged just abruptly pops back again into my mind, and ultimately my face remains blushing, as I chattered and gritted my teeth in silence. I really don't understand this, I wonder... what is this feeling? "What the heck is that..?" "Yeah, what gives? It's weird, Aoi-chan's face is so red, why is that?" I could hear Kasuga and Shizuna-chan somewhat breaking the silence with their hushed conversations. "OK--- that's enough talking about sweethearts and whatnot--  That's every last one of them--" "Yeah, I heard you, I heard you!" O-ryo had enough of the topic already, and she rolled down into the kotatsu with an angry and dead-drunk expression. She probably got one-punched...** T/N: Yeah I feel you O-ryo, when everyone has some special someone and you're the lonely third wheel I mean, I can't blame you girl, I really can't. It's worse than getting one-punched by Saitama, but... Still lol tho sry my bad P134 "O-ryo sama, with that middle-aged man attitude such as yours, you'll miss your chances of getting married." "Kasuga? With the romance that a little girl-chama like you would know, wouldn't have an idea on what love is like, there's no such thing as an immediate fated encounter. Really esteemed women like me, wouldn't have to rush in choosing.There's no leeway for mistakes--" "Yeah, yeah. But regarding myself, I have a first love..." "What, that story about when you were young? Yeah, yeah, sure, that story that smells of inexperience is good enough. Kasuga, go pour me some more.." "Y-yes... Good grief..." The esteemed woman bully lied down again. And as the junior poured more liquor for her, she drank heartily, again. "But Kasuga, speaking of that, during the day, I saw you being with the Gesokuban** Chiaki-san. What on earth were you two chatting about?" "....uhm..." I suddenly remembered it, and without thinking I asked. Kasuga's facial expression slightly changed. "Reallyyyyy?! What the, Kasuga is with that Chiaki?!" Hearing that topic, O-ryo suddenly bolted upright. She kicked her legs inside the kotatsu, and Shizuna-chan let out a tiny, pained "ouch". "What is it, O-ryo?" "Chiaki may look sloppy and gaudy, but so many waitresses are eyeing on him. Not only does his face look good,

T/N: Gesokuban=下足番= doorman in charge of the footwear, normally in Japanese inns or hotels the footwear are kept outside the halls to prevent dirt from coming in. I think elsewhere in the world this is a practice, there’s a thing called indoor and outdoor slippers or shoes. P135 but being a Gesokuban, he's pretty much a member of the management staff. If he gets married, it's easy to dominate him. That's what I understand from hearing other people. Kasuga, he's also your type?" "...what are you talking about, O-ryo sama? Chiaki is my Uncle. Simply put, my father's younger brother.**" "Whaaa... Really?" Everyone got shocked. Everyone in here seemed to be unaware of that fact. Kasuga went "Uh-oh". Her face spelled out "I shouldn't have said that." "It's probably due to this liquor.. I may have said too much..." Kasuga was scratching an itch on her temple. Taking the opportunity, Shizuna-chan suddenly seemed to have remembered something. "Speaking of that... Kasuga is taking a long vacation to go back to her parents' home, and at the same time, Chiaki-san probably won't we working too, isn't it? Could it possibly be that, he's going home with you?" Somehow, a lot of suspicions and doubts started rising up, and Kasuga started clamoring and wailing. "Geez... stop it already! What I told you is already enough! More importantly, hotpot! Look, the mustard greens and onions, and the tofu had all boiled down.The umami of the vegetables and the amberjack have already dissolved into this precious konbu dashi, and it's considerably better now. Aoi-chan, how are we going to divide this?" With dexterity, Kasuga started distributing the contents of the hotpot into smaller bowls, but I was still determined to press information out of her. This girl is pushily taking charge over the hotpot... T/N: I don't know about you guys, but in some families due to the age gaps between the siblings, some of the nieces and nephews ar more closer in age to their aunts and uncles than the aunts and uncles have to the children's parents. I was actually raised by an elder cousin, and her eldest brother was around the age of my father, so yeah, I could understand how this whole thing with Kasuga goes. P136 "Ok, with this, it's definitely udon!" "Udon!" "Yeah let's do that" Shizuna-chan gratefully put her hands together, and O-ryo's sparkling eyes were on standby. Immediately, the udon balls were brought in, and these were dunked into the deliciously-filled dashi stock. After boiling it down, we only had to wait for the noodles to absorb the flavors. "By the way, you all, what do you think of the single guys in Tenjin-ya?" "Yes?" "Do you have anything funny about them to talk about?" While O-ryo poured some newly-opened liquor, she drunkenly pushed the question at me. This woman, sets herself aside and starts gossiping about Tenjin-ya's male army. "First of, let's start with Akatsuki. That guy's the youngest male in the management staff, he may have a promising future, surely being young his composure isn't yet enough, I think. Well, in desperate times I could say that he's adorable, but he's the type that holds grudges, and it's not a good thing that he easily snaps out. For certain, I think he doesn't have a girl." "It seems that O-ryo sama has a problem with the Bantou** -sama snapping out at her words and deeds, don't you?" "Shut up Kasuga--" "Owwwww" T/N:Bantou=番頭=head clerk, or the head receptionist

P137 O-ryo pulled out Kasuga's cheeks. Kasuga's cheeks stretched out so much. "Akatsuki-san's face is a bit scary, but he is a hard-working employee, in my opinion. But, well... I'm not interested in someone younger than me..." "That's right Shizuna, you have an older guy fetish don't you?" "Yeah, the guy has been living for 500 years now, yes..." Shizuna-chan just casually blurted out that she wasn't interested in Akatsuki. She's probably a bit drunk. She's drinking the mountain apple liquor on the rocks... "Akatsuki, you say... When I met him he shouted like he was going to kill me, that guy gave me the impression that he was the worst but... Now I think he's a really good chap. One way or another way though, he's not someone who likes taking care of others. I remember her younger sister.." That child** comes here to Yugao, his eyes may look evil but he's a caring person. Surely, I think that he's concerned about troubling his younger sister Suzuran and grandpa, among others. "Oh, and by the way..." At this point, Kasuga secretly pulled out a notebook and started telling us the stuff that she wrote. What the... What the heck, that is scary. "According to my research, the Bantou-sama doesn't have a woman's touch on him. He's aloof, and he easily and earnestly gets resentful. It also seems that despite the lady waitresses asking him out to have fun, he always doesn't go with them." "As expected..." T/N: the term Yuuma-sensei used for Akatsuki is mame=マメ=bean, but can also mean a child, a little person, etc. Honestly it's not wrong, Akatsuki is an actual precious bean IMO lol protect that spider bean lelz P138 "But that guy, a little girl once invited him to play with her..." Surprisingly, I thought this was a bit rude. Most likely, Akatsuki is sneezing a lot right now. "Wah, udon, udon--" Finally, the udon has been boiled enough. Everyone started putting udon on their bowls. "Gahh... This is it. The udon to finish the hotpot."** "Cooking this in the dashi makes it yummier, doesn't it?" The udon has surely absorbed the umami and the fatty flavors of the amberjack. I added the refreshing taste of the Sudachi Ponzu in mine. This went smoothly down the throat, and this perfectly wraps up the the meal. No, I mean, this is a work of art. "Hey Aoi, you only drank one glass of the liquor? You go drink some more..." "Sorry but, I dont drink more than a cup. Previously, drinking made my eyes hurt when I look at things." A cup of that liquor tastes great. But I dread getting drunk if I drink more than my limit. But everyone was just drinking heartily, so I guess it's fine. The mountain apple liquor also has another nickname, it's called "Easy Bandit-Killer". "Well then, next is the Waka-danna sama's turn" O-ryo continued the conversation where we previously left off. "Waaat? Even Ginji-san?! But.. Isn't Ginji-san perfect? No, a perfect Youkai? I couldn't find any fault with him." T/N: Just in case you're wondering how this works, it's rather easy.. After eating all of the ingredients in the Japanese hotpot, like taking out the veggies and meat, there's a lot of soup left. It's easier to just drink the soup but in Japan, they add stuff to help it go down easy. Choices are either noodles or rice, and the young ones love putting the noodles in. It actually tastes good either way, but I prefer noodles. I think in Persona 5 they also had this same dilemma lol Also yeah Ginji is just the ball, perfect ball of fur lol but he also has this shadowy and mysterious side so if you want a dude of mystery, Ginji's your man gahahaha P139 "Eh. You don't understand, Aoi. Seeing no faults or imperfections is that person's shortcoming-" An adultish smile floating up her face, O-ryo started spinning her glass around. "Waka-danna sama is, well, fanstastic. When you look at him he's handsome, he is well-mannered, and is skillful at his job." "Yeah I get that. He's very sweet, and he always lends a hand... But for sure, Ginji-san seems to have no interests in romantic relationships..." Even I haven't unraveled the reasons to why Ginji-san is still single. But I'm not surprised that he's well-liked. "Oh, well, based on what O-ryo-san was saying, Ginji-sama has no chink in his armor, doesn't he? When a little girl couldn't get any confidence from everyone and has to hold it together by herself, when that perfect Ginji-sama sees that person, his voice would probably not break so easily." "The Waka-danna sama isn't a greedy type, but look, what Aoi-chan is saying is that the Waka-danna seems to have no hobbies or interests. Aoi-chan doesn't understand how, but among the employees he seems to be the type that only admires one person. In that case, his attraction for this one girl could unfortunately end. And she won't be pursued relentlessly." Oh, I get it... Shizuna-chan and Kasuga pointed this out, and I could understand it better. "But after that thing with Orio-ya, somehow the air around the Waka-danna sama has changed, didn't it? T/N: OK I just translated from Japanese what I'd say if I was fan-girling over Ginji, srsly arrrghhh does a guy like this exist? I'd want the extra tails and the transformation powers but I'm OK without those as long as he's into romantic stuff.. Does he? Does he not? I don't know yet lol are there any Ginji fan-fams here too lololol P140 I heard it from the lady waitresses that aren't easy to talk to. That person, he has undoubtedly became likeable. And then, the Waka-danna sama, didn't he take care of you in your condition?" "..." With a wicked face, O-ryo was testing me with her words. But to me, up until now I think that Ginji-san is likeable, and in that case it's not even a joke. He hardly comes to Yugao now, and because of that it's gotten lonely... "On another point, among the Waka-danna sama's nine tails, the third one below, from the right seems to be the most unique.That is somehow a weak spot." "Kasuga, how did you know such information?" It's scary... Kasuga's information is creepy. Even though she's drunk the power of her research skills scared all of us. "Well then... Choubachou** Byakuya-sama--" "O-ryo, don't you dare take another step over there--" We suddenly exercised caution with Byakuya-san. If we speak rudely of him, we feel like we're going to get cursed.** "I honestly couldn't remember a time when he got angry..." "Me either..." "Me too..." T/N: OK so my bad, Byakuya’s supposed position ranges from accounting to reception, but I just previously translated his position as head accountant because it’s what I got before. But he’s more or less the chief of management operations, which includes accounting. Anyway... Hey, I mean, if Byakuya can kick Raijuu's ass then it's justifiable that Byakuya is always in a sour mood, and it's bad to talk about him rudely. Raijuu's a pain in the ass for sure. Arrrgh P141 In the end, this girls' group had nothing more to say. We shuddered when we remembered stuff, and inside the kotatsu we all curled up. Though we were only just talking about him, his pressure on us made us feel defeated even in here. "H.. However, Byakuya-sama stealthily spoils the pipe cats living at the back of the mountain..." "Kasuga, nobody knows about that yet. Don't talk about it, if that gets leaked out we'll get killed." Well, in short, Byakuya-sama pours all of his love to the pipe cats. "Geez, we've wrapped out heads too much on these puzzles, and my hands have lost all feeling. Like Odanna-sama, he also exists above the clouds." "That's because Byakuya-sama is Odanna-sama's good old wife." O-ryo and Kasuga opened the box that Shizuna-chan brought for us, and while munching on these they were sloppily chatting. "Good old wife?" Isn't Byakuya-san a guy? as I tilted my head. "Since long ago, he has assisted in the running of Tenjin-ya. Odanna-sama is able to go here and there freely for work, and Byakuya-sama was staying in Tenjin-ya and presides over it. He has long been in good terms with Odanna-sama, and Byakuya-sama could readily and frankly give out his opinions to him." Come to think of it, before Odanna-sama and I went out, him and Byakuya-san were talking about something one way or the other. P142 In that case, other than the other employess and executives, nobody sees it like an older wife giving encouragement to her husband. "And for sure, when the Oo-Okami** sama isn't here, Byakuya-sama also takes in that role as well, doesn't he?" "Oo-Okami?" Shizuna-chan was drinking the last drop of the sweet liquor, she was reminded of her old home and started talking. "Ougondouji-sama is currently residing in Orio-ya. Previously, Ougondouji-sama was asked to be the Oo-Okami. She holds the same position and rank as Odanna-sama, therefore ever since Ougondouji-sama left Tenjin-ya,the position has been vacant." "Oh, I see... If that's so, with regards to that old tale, I have asked Ginji-san about that." And with that, Byakuya-san also holds the position of Oo-Okami. "Haaaahhh... That weird chat about the Oo-Okami has been a bit too much already." "O-ryo sama, didn't you tell me back then that you'd focus intently on becoming Oo-Okami ,once upon a time?" "Shut up Kasuga! It's a harsh fact that I have to live with!" With O-ryo and Kasuga's conversation, my ears grew eager to listen. "But isn't that.. O-ryo already has no interest with the Waka-Okami position?" "Whaaat? Aoi, you're asking that question? Did't I tell you that I won't get into the position of Waka-Okami again?" T/N: Oo-Okami, Mistress of the House, or something, like the big lady boss.

P143 "R..Really?" "It's fine, really it is. My enthusiastic, indomitable personality is dead. I want to enjoy living a carefree life. I plan to marry a rich guy, then immediately stop working--" "..." Somehow, the atmosphere became tense. Could it be possible that, among all the people in here right now, we're all thinking that O-ryo didn't really want to give up that position? Especially Kasuga, she was shell-shocked, and her face looked troubled. I felt that the mood has changed, so I tapped my fist in my hand. "Oh, right, right. I brought some large-sized grapes from the fruit orchard park, and I made some grape tarts. Let's eat some? I added a lot of grapes on it, it's a custard cream dessert." "Kasstard? OK OK let's eat--" It seems that nobody understood what I meant, but everybody nodded their heads excitedly. Grape tart. I made the crust with the coconut oil from Orio-ya and baked it, and by adding the large grapes called Daishisui that I gathered with Odanna-sama yesterday, the tart looks like a sparkly jewelry box. On top of the crust, I laid down an easily-made custard cream made of Cassowary egg and some wheat flour, with cow's milk and a bit of sugar, P144 and these buried the grapes cut in halves, which I later baked in the oven. After baking this for a while, I topped everything with raw grapes and pure cream. These were arranged as such because the tightly-packed grapes beneath this layer cannot be seen. "Woooooow!" Those dynamic-seeing eyes, everyone's eyes were sparkling. I sliced the large tart in front of everyone, and when the neatly-arranged grapes were cut through, Shizuna-chan let out a regretful-sounding "Awww".** There wasn't any fork, we used kuromoji, special wooden chopsticks** normally used for Japanese sweets or just ate them using our bare hands. "Uwahhh this is juicy-- What is this, I thought this food has raw grapes, but this tastes is like it was meant to be a baked dessert!" "This is the first time I ate something that tastes like this, but the grapes' sweetness stands out, it's really delicious--" O-ryo eating with her hands and Shizuna-chan using a kuromoji, they fell into a trance like typical ladies who love sweets. "This is generally called a fruit tart, and with the rich taste of the eggs in the custard cream, it blends well with the sweet and sour freshness of the fruits, and together these really bring about the best-tasting combination. The sweetness gets reduced, and the sourness becomes mild." As I was explaining how the mild taste came about, Kasuga haven't taken a single bite of the grape tart, and while propping her chin with her hand, she was observing it quietly. T/N: Lol I feel you Shizuna-chan, I feel the same when a freshly-bought ice cream tub looks so neat I don't wanna cut through it lol that's why ASMR of perfectly arranged anything are famous bahaha

Kuromoji=黒文字= Japanese sweets are eaten traditionally by using tiny wooden chopsticks, to cut and skewer them. You can check them out via search engine or smth P145 "What is it, Kasuga? Don't tell me, you don't like grapes?" "Hmm? No, it's not like that.. I really love grapes. That dessert you called tart, I was thinking of something." Kasuga ate held tart like it was a hard cookie, and bit on it heartily despite doubting what it was, before chewing on it. She filled her cheeks with the grapes, the custard, and the fragrant crust. "Mmmm, I wanted to eat some more. The grapes are heavy, and they burst in my mouth." Just a while ago we were enjoying some amberjack shabu-shabu, but we still had room for dessert, and all of the girls ate as much of the grape tart to their hearts' content. "Aoi-dono--" In that moment, came a boy's voice that can be heard from inside Yugao. "It's Sasuke-kun. I told him that I was going to give him something to eat after his working hours." The three ladies around me went "It's.. Sasuke-kun?", and they looked at me from the side. "Say, Aoi, tell Sasuke-kun to come here too." "Really? Even if today's a no-guys-allowed girls' night-out, it's OK to call him in?" "Yes, it's totally OK. Sasuke-kun is an adorable and good boy." "..." Even though there was a nagging feeling, I went outside of Yugao and called out to Sasuke-kun. "Sasuke-kun, thank you for your hard work. We were just having a hotpot party inside but, P146 I'll also add something for you, OK?" "Hotpot, is it? Is it because it has already gotten a bit cold?" "Come in. Everyone's waiting for you. I'll go and prep up." "I understand." Sasuke-kun unknowingly trudged toward the innermost room, and opened the door. "?!" No sooner than opening the door. Sasuke-kun the ninja couldn't react fast enough, and he was dragged into the room. "Gyaaaaahhh! Aoi-dono, Aoi-dono---" Sasuke-kun, the innocent and sweet Sasuke-kun, he was preyed upon by the ladies starved of men. "I- I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I'll make you a delicious hotpot, OK?" I feel guilty that he gets harassed, and using another earthen pot I added dashi stock, vegetables and the amberjack slices, and hurriedly went towards the innermost room. Please, please let Sasuke-kun be OK! "..." Sasuke-kun was already pestered by the drunken ladies, here and there he was grumbling being urged to drink liquor, P147 his hair has been tousled and his scarf stretched out, it was horrible, but he was being coddled and spoiled. "Aoi-dono--" Poor Sasuke-kun, he was crying out of fear. He was unprotected, and the swarming girls were getting their fill, it was another shabu-shabu over the kotatsu setting. They're feeding him too much. While he's eating delicious food, I will protect Sasuke-kun.

Despite the determination of that bunch, just like turning off a lamp, the girls suddenly collapsed. 

Zzzz.... The effects of the mountain liquor came at last, and the intense sleepiness has struck. "Aoi-dono.. What on earth, were you doing here?" "Hmm? It's a secret girls' night-out, Sasuke-kun." "Secret girls' night-out..."

It's really too much to handle drunkeness. The true intents and personalities of the girls, were hidden and unseen, in this empty room these must not get out. Everything that they spewed out, they'll probably forget in the morning. And that was the so-called, girls' night-out.

End of Chapter 4, Volume 6. Previous - Intermission 1 Next - Intermission 2

References:

Wonderful site for the youkai references

Other stuff I used to do this: Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (you can buy here, I’m not sponsored btw). I was about to buy the older edition but then the newer one came out 2013 so I bought that instead. Worth buying since I was able to find nearly all of the words I needed just by stroke pattern alone.

Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary (the red-covered 1996 version is apparently out of print right now). This is what I have been using for a very long time, I bought it when I was still a fetus (yes I am old so what lol), and after so many years, when compared to newer editions, I still prefer this one since its entirety is Japanese-English, the English to Japanese gloss are just 16 pages tops, so you get more Japanese words for your buck. But that’s just my opinion, maybe other people prefer the Jap-En x En-Jap IDEK.

Basic online dictionary, Jisho. Knowledge of verb conjugations  and other words are necessary since not all have entries.

If you can read Japanese, you can buy the whole set in Amazon Japan, they’re shipping worldwide now, I think.

BnHA Chapter 255: "Hospital”

Previously on BnHA: Aizawa and Present Mic found out their dead best friend Shirakumo was necromanced by All for One and Ujiko and turned into everyone’s favorite villain mom bartender M.D., Kurogiri! Gran Torino and Naomasa were all “hey you guys should talk to him and see if you can restore his memories through the power of friendship” and so they all sat down together to do that. Kurogiri was all “so tell me how is my son Shigaraki Tomura, I love him so much, he is so emo and I must protect him” and Aizawa and Mic were all “THIS GUY HASN’T CHANGED ONE IOTA” and Aizawa started crying and was all “SHIRAKUMO LET’S GET MARRIED AGAIN AND BE HEROES TOGETHER LIKE WE ALWAYS WANTED.” Oh and also we found out Aizawa only fake expelled his previous students and it was just so that he could PREPARE THEM FOR LIFE!! and afterwards they got to go back to U.A. again and live happily ever after. And so basically I’ve lost track of how many hugs Aizawa needs here now but it’s a lot.

Today on BnHA: Shiraguri’s brainwaves start going all wonky and everyone is like “OH SHIT IT’S WORKING” and Aizawa and Mic decide it’s time to shift this drama into overdrive, so they get right up against the glass and start shouting “YOU’RE OUR FRIEND!!” and stuff over and over until IT FINALLY WORKS!! and Kurogiri’s face shifts into Shirakumo’s. Somehow the effect is incredibly sad and moving rather than terrifying as fuck, but unfortunately all Kumo can manage to get out is “hospital” before his mind overloads and he passes out. Fortunately for our heroes, “hospital” is actually an awesome clue which can totally lead them to Tomura and Ujiko’s location if they play their cards right, probably! Or at least Hawks seems really psyched about it, idk. Anyway so the chapter ends with Ujiko going FULL MAD SCIENTIST and wreaking havoc on Tomura’s body in order to -- I’m pretty sure, anyway -- turn him into some kind of fully sentient ultimate high end Noumu. Welllllll shit.

so that sure was a fun little wrinkle last week, huh. the two biggest scanlators deciding that in the spirit of the holidays, they were going to stop translating WSJ series and instead support the official releases out of the goodness of their hearts and definitely not at all because Shueisha was eyeing them threateningly and making little throat-slitting gestures. that was a ride. these are interesting times lol

but at any rate, if this is how it’s going to be for now then I’ll adjust! it is nice to have everyone support the official release, and obviously the image quality is way better, and Caleb’s translations are by and large pretty good. and obviously we’ll get used to reading the chapter on Sundays instead of Fridays (hell, I remember when the SJ leaks still came out on Wednesdays, so it’s not like we haven’t done this same old song and dance before lol). but Friday did happen to be a more convenient day for my schedule personally, so it might take a bit of adjusting for me to figure out what my posting schedule is going to be moving forward

anyways so I’m sorry this recap is so ridiculously late, but here we go at last!

so the Tartarus guard, who by the way is very clearly Seiji’s dad (WHEN ARE THE SHIKETSU KIDS COMING BACK), is tapping frantically at his touch screen even though it’s not doing anything, and he says he’s detecting unusual brainwaves. omg

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK IT MEANS, OBVIOUSLY THEY UNLOCKED THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, MAN! THEY DID IT

omfg. the guard just says “he’s agitated.” I’m going to need you to have more hype than that my good sir. please

holy shit Nao

attention everyone, HAS ANYONE SEEN NAOMASA’S FUCKING CHILL, BECAUSE HE SEEMS TO HAVE FUCKING MISPLACED THAT SHIT. someone please explain to this man that there is a time and a place to play good cop bad cop and this is not it. “oh, Shirakumo is starting to recover his memories? well then [busts into the prison cell and grabs him by the collar and slams him against the wall] WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR!?”

(ETA: so apparently Nao’s detective instincts are cleverer than mine. he saw that Kumo was potentially going to emerge, but probably not for long, so he gave him the most important question so he could focus on answering that. good job! still not a lot of chill but hey.)

meanwhile Aizawa is all “if what they said is true I’m looking at my friend’s corpse”, while still crying by the way, and yeah, so MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE. this year Santa decided to change it up and just make everyone real sad. happy holidays

lord he’s leaping to his feet and shouting “WHO DID THIS TO YOU”

meanwhile I can’t stop staring at Present Mic with his tongue sticking out. why are you sticking your tongue out. why are anime characters like this. you know, Stain also used to stick his tongue out. Present Mic U.A. traitor confirmed

also!! so many people have beef with Ujiko, though! pretty soon they will have to take a number and get in line

oh no Kumogiri is malfunctioning

Aizawa’s all “ANSWER ME SHIRAKUMO” and OH MY GOD LOOK AT THIS

I HAVE NEVER SEEN AIZAWA SHOUTA SO INTENSE AND I CAN’T TEAR MY EYES AWAY FROM THE SCREEN AHHHHH

so there’s some more of “WE WANTED TO BE HEROES TOGETHER” and “YOUR NAME IS SHIRAKUMO OBORO” and all of that other “SNAP OUT OF IT ALREADY” stuff, and you’re damn right I am eating ALL THAT SHIT right up, hell yes. IT’S A TROPE FOR A REASON PEOPLE

oh my god

bwo...hh...?

(ETA: I feel like I should explain that although I have a subscription to Viz, I really hate how their chapter viewer is set up, so I read the chapter on one of the vertical scroll-to-read sites instead. I prefer scroll-to-read for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is so that I can read the chapter slowly (since I’m writing as I go) without spoiling what’s in the next panel. that being said, this next page is one of the few where Viz obviously got it right, so I’ll be posting the full image.)

SDFLSDLFKHSDLKJGOISDJFOSK

（┐° o °  ┐） ( ｣｡╹o╹｡)｣

feelingsfeelingsfeelingsFEELINGS

(ETA: on a reread I am fascinated by the fact that that bandage on his nose actually seems to be A PERMANENT PART OF HIS FACE APPARENTLY lol what.)

READ THE FUCKING ROOM, DUDE. also look how tiny Gran Torino is. he thought we wouldn’t notice through all of our tears. but we did. would you like me to fetch you a box

ha ha ha so now back to the drama

heh so anyway, the fact that this smoke Shirakumo face still looks like a child is straight up destroying me. how are you guys. how is everyone. feliz navidad

FKSLDJSLK HOLD UP

IS HE TRYING TO SAY “SHOUTA”, I CAN’T, I’M?!?!!!!

ADSLFKJALSKDJW

(ETA: I think you can see Shirakumo’s eye rolling back here as he fights against the brainwashing omg. this chapter’s fucking art, though.)

YESSSSSS you keep on ticking off that checklist of clichés, Horikoshi!! I’m so weak for this shit it’s not even funny. actually that’s not true, this plotline is usually hit or miss with me, but I’ll tell you what though, if there’s one guaranteed way to have me freaking the fuck out rather than sighing and rolling my eyes, it’s to have AIZAWA FUCKING SHOUTA be the one pounding on the wall of glass and screaming at his former lover to fight the layers of conditioning waging war on his mind. ohhhhhh god

lol the brainwave detecting screen is losing its fucking shit also and beeping like crazy. this tension is so thick you could plant a flag in it yeesh

is this Kumo remembering stuff??!

(ETA: thank you to the anon who pointed out I posted the wrong image earlier lol.)

why do shounen characters always recall events from a third-person camera view. curse this ambiguous flashback

AHHHHH

HOSPITALLLL ahh what??? “SHOUTA, HOSPITAL.” oh my god. Shirakumo I commend you for not having your first words after dying and being brought back to life and brainwashed for 15 years and then waking up in a straitjacket in a prison cell be, “FUCK ME OH FUCKING SHIT WHAT THE FUCK.” you and I are very different people but I respect that

HOLY SHIT HIS HEAD EXPLODED

so now everyone’s freaking out and we’re zooming in on Kumo’s eye again. by the way this is going to kill me when it’s animated oh god

OH NO THE PANEL WENT BLACK AND IT GOT ALL SILENT

(ETA: hmm I don’t think Caleb Cook knows what “whump” means nowadays. whump is what I wish we had here. instead it’s just lots of hurt but very little comfort. JUST LOTS OF PAIN AND SADNESS.)

Horikoshi please have mercy oh lord. also I see their hands touching, you. they honestly should be gripping each other fucking white-knuckled, this is all very traumatic. I think that if Shouta was holding Mic’s hand while his other hand was pressed against the glass I would probably start sobbing for real

what the fuck

did they knock him back out?? they seem really calm and optimistic about all this lol

oh godddddd

HE’S NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING SHUT UP. GOD, MIC, WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST GIVE HIM A HUG ALREADY??

so now they’re bidding farewell to Nao and Gran -- and HOLY SHIT --

okay hold up -- I just realized -- Kumo was trying to give them a hint about Ujiko’s location. holy shiiiiit. PLEASE START INVESTIGATING HOSPITALS, NAO AND GRAN. holy shit the Noumu arc is heating uppppp

Aizawa’s asking what’s happening with Kurogiri now, and I feel like he maybe should have asked that immediately after the fact rather than as an afterthought while they were getting ready to leave but okay

Nao says he kind of “short-circuited or something” and yeah that tracks with what we saw. though it sure does make that “THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY FOLKS, GOOD JOB BOYS, YOU GET A GOLD STAR” business just SUPER WEIRD though, but let’s be real, Nao has been swinging and missing with striking the right tone all day today

and now Gran is apologizing to Mic and Aizawa for the exquisite emotional torture he just put them through, but he says something is bound to come from it. WELL YEAH NO SHIT IT HAD GODDAMN BETTER

Aizawa apparently hasn’t run out of sad/tired/haunted expressions yet, if you can believe it

pretty soon everyone is going to be sad, tired, and traumatized! heh. it’s going to be so fucked up hahaha crying smiling emojiiiii

oh hey and we’re cutting to another flashback of AFO doing what he does best, being callously dismissive of human lives!

this guy. right here. is a rat bastard. for real. also Horikoshi sure picked a hell of a chapter to go all out on the art again, jesus. this is probably the first time I’ve looked at AFO’s fucked up face and actually thought “yep, that’s a mutilated human man” rather than “shouldn’t you be out floating in space with your asteroid friends trying to smash the Millennium Falcon?” so anyways yeah this panel is a big NOPE from me, thank you

but on the other hand, when Horikoshi uses those art powers for good, such as carefully penciling in every last individual hair of Aizawa’s perpetual five o’clock shadow, that I don’t mind so much!

yes. yes good

so now they’re vrooming off, and we’re hanging back with Gran and Nao for a minute

YESSSSS GOOD JOB NAO!!

looooool it’s ringing up the head of the HPSC and her phone’s buzzing and she’s giving it this hella dramatic look. like this is some patented Todoroki-level dramatic whooshing right here

that’s just how dramatic this entire arc is going to be, hopefully

WAIT WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW

IS THAT A CODED MESSAGE FOR HIM TO GO CHECK OUT THE HOSPITAL. AND HOW BUSY ARE YOU, HAWKS. ARE YOU THE “I AM IN SOME DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE” KIND OF BUSY, OR JUST THE STAYING-IN-CHARACTER KIND OF BUSY. YOU CASUAL BASTARD, WHO CAN EVEN TELL WITH YOU, I’LL JUST HAVE TO SCROLL DOWN TO SEE

oh hh my go

“LITTLE LATE TO ASK ABOUT THIS STUFF” so he comes from the Bakugou Katsuki school of tutoring, eh

I love that he actually followed through on explaining the PLF’s philosophy to Twice. and Twice is such a good boy. he’s studying so diligently. look, he didn’t ask to join a doomsday cult, it just kind of happened so now he’s just doing his best to figure it all out

and it definitely was a coded message, then. smoooooth, HPSC lady, smooth. so I wonder if the fact that she gave him a specific hospital implies a time jump. because I don’t think she’d have him investigate just any old hospital until they had a better lead and/or a more solid idea of what they were looking for

lol what the fuck

well I sure do not have any idea what this man is talking about

-- HOSDFLKJDLY SHIT WE’RE CUTTING TO UJIKO WE ARE CUTTING TO FUCKING UJIKO RED FUCKING ALERT!!!

HE’S TALKING ABOUT TOMURA I’M NOT CALMMMMMMMM AHHHHHH

FUCCKLKL FUCK THE WHAT HOLY SHIT WHAT DID HE DO

oh my god oh my god oh m

he made Tomura a Noumu. holy fucking shit that’s what he did. of course. so he’ll be able to possess multiple quirks, but because he benefits from Ujiko’s years of high end Noumu research, his sense of self will remain intact

AND DOESN’T THIS PROCESS JUST LOOK EVER SO PLEASANT. jesus christ. he’s not even allowed to lie down, for some reason this procedure can only be done while he’s hovering over the bed Exorcist-style with his mouth locked open in a silent scream (ETA: or is that actually his laughter we’re seeing?? because this panel wasn’t raw enough already I guess??) while random spurts of blood come chucking out all over the place. well that’s just

and Tomura fucking volunteered for this. how many scores of others didn’t?? holy fucking shit Ujiko. it’s not easy to be the most evil man in a chapter where a foil-wrapped potato with eye holes started waxing poetic about all the children he harvested and killed like some kind of bloodthirsty sommelier, but YOU FOUND A WAY. dancing a fucking jig while your so-called masterpiece is being gruesomely tortured in the foreground. man if there’s any justice in the world, we’ll find out in this arc that Ujiko used science to make himself immortal so that once he’s finally captured they can just keep killing him over and over again. I do not like him!!

so that’s it! we really are doing this thing, holy shit. Noumu arc here we come. see you guys next decade har dee har

Sleepy reply to 2AM Theological Thoughts

I probably should be trying to go to bed. :P I’m not going to lie and act like I’m not a bit out of it, so my apologies if this comes off a bit half formed and what not. I was reading @nicstoirm‘s post on Wordpress: https://ofthestorm.wordpress.com/2020/08/18/2am-theological-thoughts/ which I’ll link for reference.

So... what does make a divinity unworthy of worship? And, somewhat tangentially, what even makes a divinity... a divinity?

For the former... I’m not a strict worship kind of polytheist. I believe in many, many, many deities, more than the number of stars in the sky. I tend to think of it as working with them, and for some that isn’t a meaningful distinction, for others it is. But in order to be a divinity, you have to be worth working with. Which is a touch tautological so I’ll elaborate, and also going into the second.

A divinity, to me, is an entity of noteworthy virtue. What matters isn’t how powerful you are. What matters isn’t how much you know. What matters is the nature of your character. This can run a huge gambit of course, and by no means am I saying divinities are perfect. You can be a good person but not mix with others, and that can lead to all sorts of clashes. Someone who needs a gentle and encouraging deity isn’t going to mix well with a more assertive and direct deity (not to say the two are mutually exclusive of course).

What then of mythology? I don’t think there is a mythology out there where deities act consistently (to say nothing of always) in a manner people here and now might approve of. Huge shifts in things culturally, translation issues, mortal agendas, so on and so forth, all of those can come into play and muddy an already wonky mythology. As Nic said, mythology isn’t the same as the religion. Zeus, as an example used in that article, was a deity worshiped for help with marriage, which is hardly an area that one might expect him to govern if you judged him solely by the mythologies. Yet he certainly had a noticeable religious role in that area, leading to the obvious conclusion mythology isn’t the same as theology. Mythologies exist for a variety of reasons, and not always are those to convey literal messages, especially as cultural norms change too.

There is also something to be said of modern day people having unhealthy experiences with deities, https://magickfromscratch.com/bad-gnosis/ is probably the most helpful thing I’ve seen on the matter, and while I can’t tell how much it lines up with my experiences it feels like a good thing to insert. I won’t go on this too much as it isn’t exactly my area of expertise.

So... long rambling aside, I think the gist of it is that if you are a divinity then you must have a certain degree of virtue, if you don’t I won’t call you one. If you are working towards the betterment of people even if I don’t always agree with you I’m willing to consider you in that role. Otherwise? You aren’t. Others may view you differently but if a deity was acting in an unvirtuous manner... that isn’t an entity worthy of any real level of respect, regardless of any other factors. People here have the right to renegotiate things if an entity isn’t acting properly. Apotheosis is something shown in a lot of religions, as well as other things, so it isn’t like we are ants doomed to cower before them. Because of that I believe in acting with virtue and expecting the same.

Tip V

Pairing: Nacho Varga x OC

There is one Spanish word in this chapter, and I'm painfully white and don't know anything other than hillbilly English, so I apologize if I butcher anything from this point forward. I did use Google translate and I know sometimes it's a little wonky, so please don't flame me too hard if it's complete nonsense.

As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Nacho didn't know whether to be concerned or furious at the hysterics he found Sarah in when he pulled into the parking lot across the street.

She stood in the grass, her arms crossed loosely over her chest, shoulders quaking as she sobbed. Her head was bowed, but even from the road he could see the tears streaming down her face. She stayed still as he pulled up in front of her, unflinching as the headlights bathed her in their harsh, artificial light.

Nacho cursed, quickly throwing the van in park before he jumped out and ran over to her. His hands shot out before his mind could catch up, frantically inspecting her for any visible sign of injury. When he found none he breathed a sigh of relief and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing lightly, trying to soothe her cries. "Hey, what happened? What can I do?"

Sarah stayed silent, her tearful gaze still trained onto the ground by his feet. Nacho crouched slightly and bent his neck in an attempt to meet her eyes. She sniffed and shook her head, mumbling so low he could barely make out her words. "T-Take me home. Please."

"Okay," Nacho agreed. "Okay, come on. I'll take you home."

He led her to the passenger side of his van, his hands hovering just by her sides, ready to catch her if she were to stumble. He buckled her in, glancing between her face and her hands, his confusion only growing when he saw how they violently trembled. He gingerly caught one between his own hands and lifted it to his lips, pressing a small kiss to her knuckles.

Sarah offered a forced, tearful half-grin and the action threatened to tear his heart straight from his chest. What the fuck happened to her?

Nacho gave her hand a light, reassuring squeeze before he dropped it back onto her lap and shut her door. He jogged around the van, made quick work of his seat belt and then pulled out onto the road, Sarah's plea of 'Take me home' droning in his mind.

The pair made no attempt to fill the silence with meaningless words - Nacho could still see the fear in her eyes as clear as day - but the urge to comfort her nearly consumed him. He slowly reach hand over to her, gauging her reaction through the corner of his eye, and when she didn't flinch away from his touch he let his hand fall to rest on her knee. Sarah sniffed loudly and leaned her head against the window, closing her eyes and taking in slow, barely controlled breaths.

The rest of the ride to her apartment was uneventful. Sarah's tears had finally subsided, but Nacho kept his hand on her leg, his fingers always grazing or squeezing - anything to let her know that he was still there. That he would protect her.

He pulled into the spot designated for Sarah's car and killed the engine. With a final squeeze of her knee he got out and walked Sarah to the door.

Sarah tried to open the apartment, but her unsteady hands only proved to frustrated her further. She dropped the key on the third attempt to push it into the door and Nacho bent to grab it, sliding it in and holding the door open for her. As they stepped into the living area they were instantly greeted with Lola's whines and pleas for attention. The small dog jumped around them with glee, pawing and yipping with excitement. Sarah bent to grab her and placed a kiss to her ear and rubbing her hands along her back and clutching her to her chest.

Nacho watched them patiently, and after she placed the dog back on the ground, he guided Sarah into her small bedroom.

"A shower might help you feel better," he suggested as he rifled through her dresser, pulling out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt he thought she might be comfortable sleeping in. If it were a different time he'd laugh at the insane amount of graphic t-shirts she owned. Instead, he simply tried to tidy what he'd torn through in his haste to find a change of clothes.

He felt her hand on his shoulder before her voice, strained and distraught, called out to him. "Nacho."

He lay the clothes on the top of the dark dresser before turning to face her. He opened his mouth to respond, but instead felt her hands grip him and pull him against her with a strength he didn't know she possessed. She kissed him urgently, pressing her lips against his with a bruising force. Her hands caressed the sides of his face and neck, desperate to touch and feel him. Nacho sucked a breath in through his nose and kissed her back just as urgently.

He felt her hands reach frantically for the buttons on his shirt and he brought his own up to grip her wrists, halting her efforts with a gentle squeeze. He pulled away from her, holding her glassy gaze.

"Let's get you into that shower," his voice was soft. "Then we'll talk. Is that okay?"

Sarah looked betrayed, or angry, he couldn't tell. "Y-You don't want to?"

"Have sex with you?" He clarified.

Sarah's facade faltered a bit, but she straightened her back and nodded. "Yes."

:Sarah," Nacho brought his hand to the nape of her neck, staring into her eyes with unwavering sincerity. "Of course I do, cariño. I'd be crazy not to. But right now I want to take care of you. Is that okay?"

Guilt flashed over her face before she hung her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Nacho, I'm so sorry."

Nacho sighed softly and pulled her into him with the hand that rested on the back of her neck. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face into his chest. He felt her fist his shirt in her hands, pulling him further against her, her tears soaking through his shirt in a matter of seconds. He tangled his hand in her hair, his fingers rubbing along her scalp as he whispered soothing words into her ear. His other hand made it's way up and down her back softly.

Sarah pulled back after a while, her eyes puffy and lined with red. She frowned down at the wet spot on his shoulder, "I didn't mean to-"

"Shh," Nacho shushed her. "There's nothing you need to apologize for."

Sarah nodded and lay her head back on his shoulder.

"Now," Nacho began again. "You go take a shower and I'll make you something to eat, okay?"

Sarah nodded and leaned up to press a chaste, quick kiss to his jaw. She grabbed the clothes he'd picked for her and disappeared into the bathroom.

Nacho ambled around the kitchen, opening doors and searching through the fridge to no avail. Eventually ended up throwing a tv dinner into the microwave, wrinkling his nose at the smell as it heated - it never failed to bring him back to his childhood. His father always did the best he could with the resources he had, and sometimes working long hours meant that he didn't have time to cook a complete meal, so the pair depended on the convenience meals from time to time.

Nacho never liked them much and it made him miss his Mama's cooking even more, but he always ate them without complaint.

He stirred the sauce into the dry looking noodles with a sigh, and then sat the plastic tray onto the table. He found a couple of glasses in the cabinet beside the sink and filled both with water, then sat down and waited for Sarah to return.

It wasn't long before he heard the soft padding of bare feet on the floor and he glanced up from his folded hands to see Sarah coming back toward him, drying her hair as best she could with a fluffy towel. The black shirt he picked for her was loose and very clearly well worn, one side falling to expose her bare shoulder. Her darkened, damp hair hung loose, plastered to the side her neck, and Nacho couldn't help but admire her, red nose and all.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Sarah asked as she sat in her seat.

Nacho shook his head. "I'm good."

"Okay," Sarah said quietly, pushing the food around the plastic container with her fork. "And thank you, for everything."

"Of course." Nacho offered a quick quirk of his lips in response. He watched her twirl her fork around, never taking a bite of food, for what seemed like an hour. She made little conversation with him, obviously avoiding the elephant in the room for as long as she could, and he allowed it until the conclusions he kept drawing in his head nearly drove him to insanity. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for her response before he bit the bullet and asked, "You want to tell me what happened?"

Sarah inhaled shakily, halting her movement completely. She dropped her fork and mumbled her response. "Doug."

Nacho blinked, soaking in the single word. Rage burned his chest and he untangled his hands and leaned further onto the table, trying to catch her eye. "The owner's kid?"

"Yeah," Sarah confirmed quietly. "He... he-"

Nacho waited patiently for her to elaborate, but instead she simply stared ahead, her face completely void of emotion. Images of the man back at the diner forcing unspeakable things on Sarah clouded his mind and he suddenly had the urge to drive back down there and take matters into his own hands. Nacho raised from his chair, the sheer force of his movement caused it to clatter to the floor on it's side, but he paid it no mind.

Instead, he stalked around the table and knelt down beside Sarah, his hands finding hers in her lap. "Are you hurt? Did he-"

"No. No, he didn't - I wasn't," Sarah closed her eyes and sighed. "There's just some bruises... on my hip."

Nacho released her and pulled her shirt up her side gently, zeroing in on the small splattering of bruises just above her hipbone. He traced his fingertips over them, his touch feather light. "What'd he do to you, Sarah?"

Sarah turned her body toward him, putting her hands on his shoulders before she started to speak. "Before I tell you you have to promise you won't do anything."

"Sarah," Nacho warned. "That piece of shit put his hands on you."

"I know," Sarah admitted quietly. "But Nacho you have to understand, I need this job. The diner is my only source of income, if I lose it I don't know what I'll do. I'll lose my apartment! I won't be able to pay for school or food."

Nacho shook his head. "Let me worry about that."

"Nacho - "

"I'll find you another job," Nacho offered quickly. "I know a place."

cariño - sweetie, honey, dear. A sweet term of endearment.

[Violet Fan]

Arno x Jerico

I used Google translate so if anything Wonky y'know why

Often times parties were a sign of richness and greed.

An special event to celebrate something perhaps too.

Arno,always attracted to these kind of events found his way in.

The colossal Palace was brightly lit with chandeliers hanging from the ostentatious ceilings ornamented with gold and contrasting the white walls.

"Why this big of a party?", he asked himself.

The french Man bumps into someone,they drop their purple fan.

--Oh my most sincere apologies madame

He picked the item up and handed it to the person.

Their eyes meet, its a beautiful woman, porcelain skin and sharp features,big green eyes.

Her eyes were most peculiar, arno felt his breath hitch, he swore they were shining under her cute Hat decorated with sunflowers,Like emeralds under a candle.

Her hair in a bun covered by said hat with a few loose strands of hair.

Her attire was most peculiar, It looked familiar yet New to him.

18th century gown with earthy colours, another dress or something with some kind of turtle neck stamped with sunflowers.

--Oh dont worry--she said in a subtle accent he never heard before-- im too clumsy too

Then a Man,taller than arno looked at this mysterious girl, and spoke to her in a foreign tongue.

--hir kazwiv--(yes father) she answered back--Im sorry but I have to go

And so like that the Man and that enigmatic Lady dissapeared Into the crowd.

Who was she? What language was that?.

--You really outdid yourself this time Ray!

Jer pulled down on the Mans sleeve.

--Dont give me that look we still have to wait 100 Years more to reveal ourselves.

The Man sighed,he loved her daughter dearly but he had to admit that sometimes she was too much to handle.

--That doesnt mean you shouldnt let me have fun!besides he only gave my fan back!.

--ah mr Karuma Von terra and ms. Jerico Von terra,glad you could make it, is france too much to handle?

Ray wants to roll his eyes so bad,but he shakes his head and forces a smile-- not at all

--we Will discuss our arragement with you mr.von terra , let your daughter enjoy her stay at the Palace and have fun , oh and heres the keys to your bedroom ms.Von terra

Jer quickly takes the keys and puts it in her dresses inner pockets,terrans fashion was way out of this centuries reach.

Ray cant say anything before his daughter runs away from his grasp.

Both men walk alongside the other.

--Sadly mr Morgan couldnt make it,being a doctor took a toll on him,however he did say he Will come by to say hello.

Ray nodds

--Children huh?

The terran Man smiles --Yeah, rowdy bunch,however jerico seems to be having fun, shes a Smart kid,sadly until our reveal to the world isnt done I am afraid I cant let her get into trouble,we cant delay this any longer

His companion nodds and guides him to an Office.

Meanwhile,her daughter was talking with some of her father acquaintances.

She politely excused her leave and decided to find some more food to munch on.

The crowd seemed thick and busy.

Arno was looking everywhere for that girl, so much he started to sweat and he rested against a wall.

A soft breeze reached his face and when he Turned to see what was causing it, he felt dumb.

--too warm?--It was that woman she was looking for.

--Im afraid so...., Arno Victor Dorian

--Jerico Von Terra

He softly grabs her spare hand and kisses the back of it.

Her cheeks flush and she lets him hold her hand for a bit longer.

They Keep eye contact for a bit too, and suddenly, realizing that it was in fact too busy for their liking.

The french Man noticed that something was wrong,jeri seemed twitchy and unconfortable.

--Everything okay mademoissele?

She can only shake her head and thats when he realizes shes overwhelmed by the huge crowd.

He nodds and puts a hand on her Lower back trying to find an exit.

There, a stair that leads up to the guest bedrooms.

He pushed her closer to him as they passed the gatherings of people,helping her up the stairs.

Once on the upper floor she makes a signal to arno, he follows up to her bedroom.

Its spacy with decorations on the walls and ceilings,flowers And a big bed, he thought that maybe three people could fit in there.

Jerico sat on the bed, the Man sat with her and grabbed the fan from her shaky hands, using it to cool her down.

She hasnt spoke and whatever was left for him to do was to hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder and then down to her bicep to push her against his chest while still fanning her.

--Thank you

She whispers pressing her head to his chest.

The frenchmans cheeks flush red and tightens his grip around her.

He hasnt felt this way since....since elise,rest in peace.

His heart healed from old wounds a long time ago, and suddenly he felt it Flourish again at the sight of her.

--Anything I can get you?

He asked.

--Maybe water,and could you tell a servant to inform mr von terra that im here?

--Hes your father I suppose?-- she nodds- very Well miss ill be right back....

Arno leaves giving her back the fan, asking for a glass of water and telling a maid to deliver the message to jericos father.

Now the night went on , so did the party.

Altough Ray did not approve of arno being alone with jerico in her room,he trusted his daughters judgement for once.

Jer was looking out the balcony, arno comes from behind and squeezes her shoulder--How are you feeling now belle? (Beautiful?)

--alors vous demandez à tout le monde comment vont-ils?(so thats how you ask everyone how are they?)

--seulement ceux qui me semblent jolis(only to those I find pretty)

--And you find me pretty?

--oui (yes)

Arnos hand holds jericos as they lean into the other,his spare arm hugs her waist and Jers falls loosely around his Lower back.

Their lips press togheter for an instant,before parting away and then again meeting the other.

He felt like not letting go, he didnt want to leave tonight.

He felt his heart explode in Many colours as the vitraux in the cathedral when the sun hits it.

--Stay?--she asked softly as their foreheads pressed togheter.

--How long Will you stay?I cant say goodbye now

Jer felt her chest warm, and pressed a soft kiss on his lips again--A month maybe,but I do wish to see you again monsieur dorian...

Arno lifts her up like a bride and carries her back to the bed where he promptly lets her back rest and hover above her, letting his head fall on the crook of her neck to then cuddle her in said bed.

--Then ill stay

Jerico smiles , hugging him tightly.

Arno knew almost nothing about her,but this whole night felt right.

--bonne nuit chéri(good night sweetheart)

--bonne nuit mon prince( good night my prince)

And they were just getting started.

Every afternoon while Ray discussed the affairs that had brought them there, jerico and arno would sneak out to eat something at the most beautiful cafes in france.

Walk among the shore, and travel the markets.

When the clouds were present and the rain fell mercislessly upon france, they would be found in bed, cuddling eachother in the dark as the fireplace cracked.

And slowly,jer started to reveal who she was.

But not things like,what she liked, what interests she had,wich books she read,he found out about that the first week they spent togheter.

No, where she came from,why so much mistery upon their arrival.

She was a princes from a Place yet to be discovered,or to be revealed to humanity.

He had to spend a whole day processing all the information he was given.

And, yet that only made him want her more.

But love grew and the month fled away fast.

Both lovers were scared of separation, they couldnt be appart for long.

Ray,who had loved as strongly as his daughter did, decided to let her stay in a Palace in the outskirts of france in wich arno would move in a couple of weeks after.

Jer had the opportunity to leave france whenever she wanted.

But seeing that her love for arno was too big,as were his, it seemed that it would be a long time before that would happend.

Now,in a hot summer day, jer was under a tree, Reading when she felt a breeze.

--Mon amour...--her boyfriend said using the same purple fan who helped them meet to cool her down- May I get a kiss?

Jeri giggled at the dorkiness of arno, and nodded, kissing him softly.

They were not letting go any time soon.

《OKAY TO RB AND GUSH IN THE TAGS》