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swordgayist · 3 years

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cultural appropriation in ATLA (hinduism edition)

i’m sure there’s already a ton of posts about this, but whatever, i’m still making one idc.

ATLA’s cultural appropriation, everyone knows about it, the white people don’t speak about it, and the asian and indigenous people get ignored. we know the cycle. but i wanted to come here and highlight some of the most prominent examples of ATLA abusing hinduism, as i am kinda sorta hindu (i was raised in a hindu household, i go to chinmaya mission, that kinda shit). i might forget some things so keep that in mind.

this is gonna be divided into 3 main sections, since there are different ways that they disrespect hinduism that i don’t wanna lump together.

and i’d say i know a lot about hinduism but that doesn’t make me an expert, obviously, so if other hindus have anything to add and/or correct then please do !! and if anyone else wants to share how their cultures were appropriated then please do that as well !!

so let’s get started shall we?

appropriating hinduism

1) the avatar

we’ll start with the most obvious example: the avatar itself

i know that there are parts of the avatar mythos that are taken from other cultures as well but the idea of the avatar itself is primarily from hinduism.

basically in hinduism, the term dashavatara refers to the 10 reincarnations of lord vishnu (the god of preservation), with avatar(a) meaning form or incarnation in sanskrit, and das(a) meaning ten. it was said that whenever the world was out of balance, lord vishnu would come down to earth in a certain form to restore balance. Each reincarnation is considered a different life with a different story. the avatars of lord vishnu are often considered the saviors of the world.

so basically, the central idea of the show and the actual name of the show is largely based on hinduism.

2) chakras

many different indian religions have a concept of chakras (chakra meaning wheel or circle in sanskrit), but hinduism is the one that primarily preaches the system of seven chakras, the version used in ATLA.

chakras connect the physical body to the ‘subtle’ body (referring more to the spirit and the psyche) by connecting parts of the body to aspects of the mind. the idea is that through different forms of steady meditation you can manipulate the different chakras and allow the pure flow of energy through the body.

the whole idea of chakras on ATLA is that aang has to unblock them all to let the cosmic energy flow through him so that he can go into the avatar state at will. so yeah, pretty much that whole idea was taken from hinduism.

3) terminologies

these are just a few terms that were taken from hinduism. i’m pretty sure there are more that i can’t think of right now but yeah.

“agni” kai

i’ll be honest i don’t know where the ‘kai’ part is from, i don’t think it’s from hinduism but if it is well fuck me i guess. ‘agni’ in hinduism is the god of fire, so the creators used it in ‘agni kai’, the name for a firebending duel.

“bumi”

this is in reference to the hindu word for ‘earth’, which is bhoomi. this is also in reference to our goddess of earth, bhoomi devi. also this doesn’t really bother me but i wonder if the creators knew that bhoomi is a name typically used for women (as are most hindi names ending in ‘i’/‘ee’).

in general, concepts like having multiple complex gods (the spirits) who are capable of good and evil and the reincarnation cycle are prominent in a lot of asian cultures, including (and arguably primarily) hinduism.

mocking hinduism

now we get into the mockery of hinduism in ATLA, because it is very much there.

1) whoever the fuck that baboon guy in the spirit world was

now what the fuck was this.

i mean i wouldn’t say this is the most egregious example of them making fun of brown people but lord why did this even need to be there? this random guy from the spirit world has an indian accent ? and is fervently chanting ‘om’ for some reason, and it’s clearly meant to be seen as comical. also portraying brown people as monkeys....... really.

2) combustion man/sparky sparky boom man

when rewatching ATLA in 2019 i actually had no idea that this was a thing, because the last time i had watched it was as a kid and i didn’t finish it.

so lord was i in for a surprise when i saw...

now... now what.

if you didn’t know, combustion man’s ‘third eye’ is designed to replicate the hindu god of destruction, lord shiva. right down to the vibhuti on his forehead (referring to the three line markings around the third eye).

in hinduism, lord shiva’s third eye is used to reduce people to ashes, though as far as i can recall, not very frequently. the primary significance of the third eye is that it represents the ability of higher spiritual thought and higher consciousness.

the ATLA writers take the ACTUAL significance of the third eye, throw it out the window, and then take its destructive abilities to make a super duper cool and dangerous new firebending technique.

and if that wasn’t bad enough, the actual person who uses this technique, and is meant to emulate a GOD who is PRAISED, is a scary, burly, half metal man who is a villain and an assassin. not to mention the design of his facial hair replicates that super duper scary “terrorist” depiction of brown people, particularly of muslims, that white people are so thoroughly terrified of for no reason.

this is a parody of a god, and they portrayed him as this terrifying, maniacal fucking assassin who, along with p’li, the combustion bender from LOK, is constantly referred to as a “third-eyed freak”. i’ve made this analogy before and i’ll do it again, this is like making jesus into a hitman.

now onto my favorite example...

3) guru pathik

ah, this motherfucker.

i don’t really have any problems with him as a character, i mean hell, must’ve taken a fuck ton of patience to handle aang’s “why would choose cosmic energy over katara” bullshit.

but we all know it, we see it plain as day, don’t even try to deny it.

“guru” literally just means teacher or guide, so i don’t really know why pathik needed to be referred to as “guru” so distinctively from aang’s other teachers and guides, but that’s just extremely trivial compared to all the other issues with this character.

first of all what is this character design? what is he even wearing? if they’re trying to replicate the clothes of swamis and priests and stuff this is already wrong, realized people don’t dress like this. and why the fuck does he have an indian accent? and why was this indian accent done by a non indian (brian george)?

once again, the poor but extremely heavy indian accent is clearly meant to be mocking, if it wasn’t, they wouldn’t’ve gone out of their way to get a non indian person to DO an indian accent, and instead they would’ve just gotten an actual indian person to play the role.

and oh yeah, the onion and banana juice. because hindus just eat weird shit right.

whether it’s actually weird or not, the show certainly portrays it as weird. and as far as i know no hindu actually fucking drinks onion and banana juice.

ironic because brown people can absolutely destroy white people in cooking. but i digress.

i know what you’re all waiting for. because the guru apparently didn’t have enough fun with guru pathik, so they just had to come back to him in book 3:

where do i begin.

so this is obviously john o’bryan’s super funny and hilarious depiction of pathik as a hindu god.

usually when a god has multiple arms it’s to carry an array of things, from flowers to weapons to instruments, and one hand is typically free to bless devotees (ie. goddess durga and lord vishnu respectively):

but of course white people see this as weird and so they make fun of it, hence guru pathik having multiple arms just flailing about aimlessly (save for the two that are being used to carry the aforementioned onion and banana juice).

then there’s the whole light behind pathik’s head which is usually depicted in drawings of hindu gods to show that they are celestial.

also what the fuck is he holding? is that supposed to be a veena? because this is what a veena looks like:

and i assume the reason this was added was to mock the design of goddess saraswathi, who carries a veena:

but that right there in the picture of pathik looks more like a tambura than a veena.

and it also just kinda looks like a banjo?

but i guess the animators just searched up “long indian instrument” and slapped it on there. actually no, that’s giving them too much credit, they probably didn’t search it up at all.

and then the actual scene is pathik singing crazily about chakras tasting good or something while playing the non-veena and it’s all supposed to be some funky crazy hallucination that aang is having due to sleep deprivation. just some crazy dream, just as crazy as talking appa and momo sparring with swords or tree-ozai coming to life.

our gurus and swamis and sadhus and generally realized people are very respected in hinduism, they’re people we look up to and honor very much. and our GODS are beings that we literally worship. and the writers just take both and make caricatures out of them for other white people to laugh at.

4) other shit

before we move to the next portion i just wanna mention there are also smaller backhanded jabs that i can’t really remember now, but one example was when zuko was all “we’ll be sure to remember that, guru goody goody”. or when a character would meditate and say “om” only when the meditation is supposed to be portrayed as comical or pointless. or in bitter work when sokka was rambling on about karma. small things like that. but moving on.

south asian representation, or lack thereof

now i finally get to the “losing” hinduism part. by this i mean the lack of actual representation there is of south asians (the region where hinduism is primarily practiced) despite the fact that hinduism plays such a big role in the show’s world design.

i think it’s safe to say that broadly the main cast consists of aang, katara, sokka, zuko, toph, azula, iroh, mai, ty lee, and suki.

a grand total of none of these characters are south asian. the writers don’t even attempt to add any south asian main characters.

there are characters with dark skin, like haru and jet, but a) they’re not confirmed to be south asian and don’t have any south asian features or south asian names, b) they’re side characters, so they don’t count as representation, and c) even if they were south asian and main characters, jet wouldn’t even count because he’s portrayed as a terrorist.

the ONLY truly south asian character we get is fucking guru pathik. so yeah. not representation.

i don’t get how the creators of this show rip off of hinduism (among many other south asian cultures they rip off of), mock indians, and then don’t even have the decency to HAVE a main character who is south asian.

i’ve never gotten a chance to compile all this, and this definitely isn’t all the creators have done, but i hope this was somewhat informative.

#atla #cultural appropriation #hinduism #guru pathik #combustion man #chakras #avatar

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capuletoo · 3 years

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He sees everything- Winter Anderson

note: another fic yay! and sorry for misspelling etc english is not my first language <3

dedications: @americxn @mrs-march-ahs @mossybank <3 yall are the best

TW: kai being manipulative and not letting the reader and Winter be happy together likeee fan behavior ;/

Words: 1k

To be in love was to be hurt.

To put your all into someone, to desire and admire every part of someone was to be torn to shreds. It was to feel as if your heart had been shattered inside your chest with no means of ever being put back together.

That was something that you knew quite well.

It might be too soon to call it love, you were still confused.

You were figuring yourself out. Experiencing the real world, whether you liked it or not, you caught yourself staring at pretty girls, imagining you hugging them, and holding hands. You simply didn't have time to fall in love when you didn't even know yourself!

You did not want this to happen, but it happened, leaving you with the thought that you fancied girls, but not Winter Anderson. Especially not Winter. The girl was charming and beautiful- but your entire purpose of speaking to her was to talk about the cult.

The cult.

Being another victim of kai felt terrible. Forced to do things you disagreed with, gossiping about it with Winter at the risk of someone finding out and telling Kai, and this fear grew more when you found out that Kai was waiting for you in the basement.

You went down the stairs, preparing for what was coming.

Kai was sitting at the table, shaking his head giving the command that you sit across from him, pulling his pinky, resting his elbow on the table.

Winter was the first one to teach you how the pinky power worked. You thought that it was a dumb way to get secrets out of a person, an unfair game. You took the seat across from him, intertwining your little fingers. “No secrets.” His steady voice break the silence. “i´ll know if you're lying”

You nodded, waiting for him to corrupt you. That he would open your mouth and get the truth out. You were scared, but of what? Kai? or scared that you knew he knew? “What are you afraid of?” This made you feel lighter because it sounded a lot less callous than you imagined, but there were never good times. Many thoughts at the same time overwhelmed your mind, asking you the same question over and over again. And then Winter came to your mind and with her all the thoughts of love were welcomed. You could never love Winter the right way, there would always be an obstacle,a confusion, a belief, Kai. But was Kai really always the villain?

The villain would always be ourselves.

“Myself” You answered Kais question. His eyebrow raised at the confession, but not really satisfied.

“Are you afraid of yourself or are you afraid of love?” He whispered, and there it was. He knew and there was nothing to do about it, than to expose yourself.

“What do you mean by that?” You tried to act dumb.

“You like Winter” You trembled at the mention of Winter or that you in fact did like her. He stood up from his seat, breaking the contact and walking upstairs. Kai could use this information against you, twist the truth for his own will. The relationship you were starting to build with Winter would fall apart with a single word that left his lips. You haven't even talked to Winter nor anyone about being a lesbian.

“Do you like her?” He asked this time before leaving the basement entirely.

“She´s a girl” You whispered. “It isn't allowed” As you pronounce these words he left.

You stood up from your seat, and headed upstairs. You didn't know what to do next...Should you talk to Winter before Kai would? You found Winter sitting in the living room, her crystallized eyes watching the TV without being turned on. You imagined that Kai already told her, disguising the truth as if it didn't matter.

“Winter are you okay?” You asked, not really sure how to start. A lot of things that you wanted to say to her, but not a single word could describe how you truly felt. If you were confused about liking Winter, hearing it out loud made you feel confident and determined about your feelings. But in the end you didn't know how Winter feels about you. You didn't even know if Winter liked girls.

“Kai said something about you” She finally looked at you. “Is it true?” You walked over to her, hands shaking.

A romance wrapped around your heart, drawing lines on your stomach. You have never been so scared.

“Winter, i don't know what Kai ma-”

“No” She interrupted.

“What? Look, it's okay if you don't want to see me anymore, it's just that I'm scared because I don't know if people will accept me” You said as fast as you can. Letting the words lead the conversation as fast as possible.

“I think i may love you too” Her words were intimate, like the first flower to bloom in spring.

You stopped formulating your next words.

“What?”

“Forget it”

“No, i think i want to hear it again” You smiled to be really sure if this was a good thing. The living room was silent, tension in the air as many scenarios played in your mind. “Come on.” You continued. “You´ve been breaking me the whole night, this could mend me.”

A force making your legs, and spine shake making you stood frozen, but smiled. A genuine smile, something that hadn't happened in the whole day. The smile makes your cheeks grow fuller, making them fill with joy, and for the first time you lived in the present and it wasn't a distant hope. Both of you were happy. You could tell by the way Winter´s eyes glimmered.

“Fine,” Winter said slowly “,I like you. I think”

Silence.

Both of you frooze, not sure what to do. Was that a love confession? No, how did we get to love, it was only about liking.

And as fast as the first lightning strikes, announcing the rain, Winter got up from the couch and ran upstairs. You felt that she did not run, she escaped. With a pressure in your stomach you followed her to her room where she closed the door.

Winter strayed far from the door and you had only been scared of this one thing. Please let me in! No Winter refused to. You slid your back against the door, pleading and pleading not really sure when the tears started to spill, wanting to get in, even if it was only to say goodbye that would last forever.

“Let me in” You pleaded “Please”

Winter kept quiet. Her silence was almost as scary as the lightning. Her sighs were heavy, as she listened to you beg. Her throat crystallizing. She felt Kai's presence. It was always Kai.

He was like a nightmare tormenting the most comforting sweet dreams.

“I won't hurt you!” You continued.

“Are you alright?” Kai finally spoke.

“I'm fine, Kai”

“Let her in”

“No”

“Did she hurt you?”

“No” Winter said. “But she will”

“I won't!” You shouted, confused but not really surprised that Kai was in there.

“She wont” Continued Kai.

“We don't know that”

“We won't know unless you let her in”

Three seconds passed and the door opened. A cold breeze of silence was upon the three as you went in.

“I'm sorry, Winter” You went to her side grabbing her hand, uncomfortable by Kais presence.

He left the room, leaving them alone, with a smirk on his face, his plan just beginning.

#ahs cult #ahs #ahs fandom #ahs fanfiction #american horror story #american horror story cult #cult #kai anderson #winter anderson #winter anderson fanfic #evan peters #billy lourd

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softboyscully · 4 years

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Public School Stuff I Wanted to Share

public school is both beautiful and horrifying am i right

so ill just go by the grades i guess

Kindergarten, first year

i did kindergartden at a catholic school in a relativly big city so this one’s got some shit

we went to church every wednesday, me and best friend (lost track of her when we moved, wish we’d stayed in touch, she was awesome) would giggle the whole time, pretty sure we made fun of jesus once, can’t remember why, possibly the hair

i had the nicest teacher, she was (as i remember her) young, blonde, and super sweet, that was the first and last year i ever had naptime

SPEAKING of naptime

i never slept during it

once i found what i remember being a nut of some sort on the ground, probably came off someone’s shoe

i grab it, turn to sarah (my best friend), say something about putting it up my nose

sarah, apparently having common sense, says, “no dont do it!! we’re supposed to be sleeping!!”

i put it up my fucking nose

try to get it out, just push it farther in

im crying a little bit now, that shit hurts

go up to my teacher

“you’re supposed to be asleep!”

“i have a nut up my nose and it wont come out”

teacher tries to get it out, but it wont budge

just. sends me back to my mat

that was it

the art room was tiny

like re-purposed broom closet tiny

there was a copy of the mona lisa in the hallway, someone had drawn ray bans on it with a pencil, never got replaced

there was a creepy-ass basement i went down to after school, we ate cheeseballs and sandwiches with some kind of meat, mayo, and that kinda yellow bread

someone broke his leg down there once, think an older kid threw him at the ceiling or something

we learned how to play Silver Bells with actual bells in music class

Kindergarten, second year

i remember these two teachers as the evil step sister-type look, but it might be my little kid imagination

but seriously they were horrible

we learned stuff in a room that was more middle-school styled, except everything was green or black and it was v dark

me and sarah attained a new friend, john

honestly i think we would’ve stayed friends for a while if i didnt move away

i have two vivid memories

one is of me really wanting to go home, so i walked by the teacher’s desk and did a fake sneeze

they laughed at me and told me to go sit back down

the other is john leaning his chair back and then falling, so me and sarah went to help him back up

it was funny, so he did it again

and again

me and sarah were laughing, had the time of our lives

after the maybe fifth time the teachers said “john can get back up by himself. sit down and stay there.”

one of the reasons we moved was bc i got sent a letter from my fourth grade buddie

most of the words weren’t spelled correctly, many letters were backwards

my mother was horrified

ofc now we know it was probably a learning disability

1st grade

this is when i moved

beginning of school i was ASTOUNDED we didnt have uniforms, one of the best things ever to happen to me

nothing wrong with this teacher, she was cool

thing is i was a little shit

told everyone my dogs died (they did but i was maybe three when it happened, i remember it not)

all my personal narratives were bullshit (only one sticks in my memory, wrote it about celebrating christmas AND hanukkah with my dad’s friends who were jewish, i have never even met those friends)

had a crush on this kid, best friend (she was terrible and helped wreck me emotionally) told me to kiss him in music class. me being a stupid ass bitch, i did it, aND HE GOES TO THE TEACHER AND CALLS ME OUT. at the end of class she gets both of us to stay for a bit, AND I DENYIED EVERYTHING. i walked across the fucking classroom, kissed him on the cheek, ran away giggling, told my teacher i didn’t do anything, AND GOT AWAY WITH IT. i’ve embarrassed myself further with this child but thats another story

2nd grade

i loved this teacher but honestly he was absolute shit

like. all he did was play the guitar and sing with us

never actually taught us stuff???

middle of the year, my mom goes in for a parent-teacher conference, he tells her i dont pay attention is math.

“what do you mean?”

“she doesn’t listen, she just takes out a book and starts reading.”

“........have you.... tried taking the book away?”

“sure, i could try that.”

“o....kay”

he also told her i’d be a girl who’d grow up to love spellcheck (which i do lmao)

like ???? why not just??? teach me to spell????

there was this one dude who one day showed up, gave me a pink stuffed cat, and then asked me where i lived

funniest thing was he lived on the same street as me

something that is vivid in my memory is showing up to class one day and realizing that i was wearing my regular clothes over my pajamas

also we had fish

every day someone else was in charge of feeding them

one of the times it was my job, i grab the fish food and walk over to the tank only to find all of the fish floating on the top

i screamed “THE FISH CAN FLY?!?!?!?!?!”

everyone ran over, all of us scarred for life when Mr. G walks over and goes in the most normal voice ever “no theyre dead”

we held a funeral

the cause of death is still undetermined

3rd grade

this year just draws a blank for me

all i know is that whoever the teacher was, they neglected to teach me how to tell time from a clock

also we learned the Cotten Eyed Joe dance in gym around here

4th grade

i had two teachers this year

one was the same one from 1st grade, the other one was a total bitch

made a girl named hannah ball her eyes out once, never apologized

i was (and am) and avid reader, so my reading skills were high above average

instead of being proud of me she told me i was weird, not normal, and too smart for a 4th grader, so i MUST be cheating.

she was the start of a lot of self confidence issues for me ngl

this was around the time i went and got tested for ADHD (me and my grandmother almost broke down on the highway but thats another story), Mrs. M (the nice one) was super supportive when i told her why i was leaving early but Ms. S (bitch) told me ADHD wasn’t real and i just wanted to be special for once

she sucked, Ms. S

5th grade

this is getting super long so this’ll be the last one i do

but my teacher..... Mr. F was A+++++

he legitimately taught me math

we had i guess like,,, a buddie class we switched with sometimes

the teacher of that class was Mrs. R, who had crazy red hair and many freckles

at one point she referenced a meme and my entire class started screaming

also there was another Mrs. S (to differentiate this one will be called Mrs. Su)

she was kind of crazy

she was the astronomy teacher and she told us many times that the moon landing was faked

once she handed out sunscreen and had everyone put it on their whole body (this was in december, fyi)

Mr. F also hosted an ‘archeological dig’ which sounds cool but in reality he had a bunch of arcade prizes from his childhood buried in little flower pots we dug into with plastic spoons

also heres some stuff i cants pinpoint the time of/happened in multiple grades:

someone held a who-can-scream-the-most-like-a-goat contest

a guy named Makenzie won

remember we planned it while the teacher left the classroom so the teacher walks back in and one by one everyone in the room starts screaming, there was some applause, a few kids got a standing ovation

we cleaned out our desks in the middle of the year, i found 3 socks and a dog treat in mine

like how the fuck did any of those things get there

and where’s the fourth sock

b o t t l e f l i p p i n g

but no seriously there were at least five water bottles stuck in the ceiling in the cafeteria

my sorta friend charlie was obsessed with paper airplanes

one time he might’ve broken the world record for longest time in the air but he was counting in his head and it was at recess so there was no video

four square and gaga ball would be played no matter the setting, time, or conditions and it was super competitive

like if you could get to king in four square you got the everlasting respect of everyone

and everyone was super educated on four square special rules, special plays, that kinda shit

no but guys i grew up with bus stop, candy store, haunted house on mondays, haunted mansion on fridays, zombies was fair game unless it was Zach, Ryan, Chrissy or Vee

me and one other guy named andrew were the only known pjo fans, had the time of our LIVES making refrences

“HEY ANDREW IM NOBODY”

“I HAVE WAITED YEARS FOR YOU, NOBODY, COME HERE AND FACE YOUR DEATH”

“hey annabeth, i thought you looked like a princess when i first saw you. i printed out a picture you sent me casually and kept it with me. i snuck along on a quest so i could save you, endangering myself immensely. i held the sky for you. when you talk about your crush on luke, i get jealous. beckendorf understood, but hes dead.”

“ikr we’re literally the best of friends”

“RIGHT”

also the first time we finished mark of athena we were in the same classroom and we individually dropped the book, stood up, looked at each other, and screamed “WELL FUCK YOU TOO RICK RIORDAN”

#public school #percy jackson #percabeth #my childhood #you dont have to read this but i felt like posting it lol #if you've read this far #i applaud you #thanks for listening to my meaningless shit #im gonna be a comedian #school #school stories #adhd #kind of

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lakesandquarries · 4 years

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i’ll be yours (if you’ll be mine)

for Oumota Month day 3 - anniversaries & arguments.

(dates from an actual argument my gf and i had.)

title from this side of paradise by coyote theory.

AO3 Link

Oumota Discord

Kokichi’s laying on the couch, half-watching cartoons when Kaito steps through the door, a massive bouquet of purple, black, and white flowers held triumphantly in his hands. He marches straight to the couch, shoving it in Kokichi’s line of sight.

“Kai-chan,” Kokichi says, tilting his head to the side. “What are you doing?”

“Just like you to forget, huh,” Kaito says, grin firmly plastered on his face. He waves the flowers gently so the petals don’t fall off. “Happy anniversary, Kokichi. Don’t worry, I know how you can make it up to me.”

Kokichi blinks. “Why should I have to make up for you getting our anniversary wrong?”

The grin slides off slowly. A year ago, Kaito would’ve accused him of lying, but a lot has changed over the last year. He’s starting to learn Kokichi’s tells. They’re subtle, but once he got the hang of them, easy to spot. An especially stiff blink, a question where they should be a statement, the movements of his hands - Ouma Kokichi is a puzzle, and Kaito has at least figured out the border.

“I didn’t get it wrong,” Kaito huffs, setting the flowers down on the table. “September 12th! That’s our anniversary!” He fumbles through his pocket, searching for his phone and then through his notes, turning it to Kokichi to show one that simply says anniversary - sept. 12. “See, look, I wrote it down!”

Kokichi rolls his eyes, digging his own phone out to share a similar note - only this one says Momota-chan is mine, october 4th. “I can’t believe you would lie to yourself like that, Kai-chan!”

“You’re the one lying!” Kaito says, folding his arms. “That’s almost a whole month later! Obviously the earlier date is the right one.” He finishes his statement with a decisive nod.

“That one was just a joke, though.” Kokichi reaches out towards the flowers, letting his fingertips graze the petals of a rose. “You’ll just have to buy me flowers again later!”

“What the hell do you mean, a joke?”

Kokichi looks up at Kaito, expression a carefully cultivated emptiness that quickly disappears in favor of a beaming smile. “You know, a lie! I mean, that was only your first confession! It takes three to break the curse and turn me into a prince. So our real anniversary is October 4th!”

“I -” Kaito starts, then closes his mouth. He furrows his eyebrows, trying to parse through Kokichi’s bullshit to find the true meaning. “You thought my confession was a lie?”

“You’re being so boring,” Kokichi complains, rolling over so he faces the ceiling. “Of course it was! First confessions always are.”

September 12th had been the first time Kaito expressed his feelings to Kokichi. It had not been the smoothest confession, but Kokichi’s response had seemed practically rehearsed. “Was your confession a lie?”

Kokichi laughs, sharp and piercing. “That wasn’t my first confession, silly! I was probably onnn...I think that was my fifth!”

He’s still beaming up at Kaito, placing his hands behind his head in that too-carefree way Kaito is familiar with. He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Weeeelll,” Kokichi says, drawing out the word, “I think my first was right after we woke up, and I said I was happy to see you! And then during group therapy, a couple months later, when I said you weren’t boring!”

Kaito wishes his life was a movie, so he could rewind and watch the last two years over again. He thinks back to other moments like the ones Kokichi already mentioned - the rooftop conversation four months after they’d woken up, where Kokichi had held his hand and told him the stars looked especially pretty that night. The conversation they’d had in the library two months later, where Kokichi had asked Kaito what kind of books he liked and checked out the cheesy sci-fi novel Kaito confessed to loving. The movie night a month before they made things official (or, at least when Kaito thought they’d made things official) where Kokichi argued with Kaito about the best genre only to let Kaito pick the movie anyway, and then spent the whole time stealing his popcorn.

“I’m an idiot,” Kaito says, smacking his forehead with his hand as he drops onto the couch, and Kokichi cheerfully agrees as he shoves his feet onto Kaito’s lap. “Shut up. What I mean is - I didn’t understand, back then.” Kokichi’s still sprawled across the couch in a position that should be wildly uncomfortable, but he’s looking at Kaito at least. “You are the most incomprehensible person I’ve ever met. You know that, right?”

“Glad to hear I’m achieving my goals.”

“But I should’ve listened,” Kaito says.

Kokichi laughs, short and without his usual venom. Genuine, for once. Slowly sitting up, he reaches over to pat Kaito’s knee. “It’s okay, Kai-chan. Not everyone can be as smart as me.”

“Our anniversary is still September 12th, though. I meant it when I confessed, and you meant your confession, so that’s our anniversary.”

“Hmm. Well, you can be wrong if you want.”

“I mean, we could also just have two anniversaries,” Kaito suggests, giving Ouma a sly grin. “Let everyone else decide what the real one is.”

Ouma’s eyes are shining as he leans in close to Kaito. “You wanna lie to our dear beloved classmates?”

“Think of it as an anniversary presen- nmmf!” He doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Kokichi grabs a fistful of his shirt and pulls him close, kissing him hard.

“I love you,” Kokichi says, breathless, stars in his eyes and Kaito’s chapstick stuck to his lips.

“That the truth?” Kaito asks, pulling him back in for another round of kissing, planting them on his face like stars in the sky. Kokichi laughs, soft and gentle, as Kaito kisses his eyelid.

“I’d never lie to you,” Kokichi says, between giggles.

“You said the first confession doesn’t count,” Kaito reminds him, threading fingers through Kokichi’s hair.

“I love you,” he whispers. Kaito pauses, hand still cradling Kokichi’s head. “Kai-chan. Kaito. ” He leans in for another kiss, teeth grazing Kaito’s lip when they pull back. “I love you. And our anniversary is October 4th.”

“I hate you so fucking much,” Kaito says as he bursts into laughter.

“Lies aren’t a good look, Kai-chan.” Kokichi leans back, sitting on his heels. “No more kisses til you tell the truth.”

“I love you,” Kaito says, and then again for good meason, and then a third time just to be certain, then a fourth just for fun. “I love you, I love you, I love you, I l-” Kokichi doesn’t let him finish the fifth.

“If this is how our second anniversary goes, I might just be okay with having two,” Kaito admits.

#oumota #oumotaweek2020 #ouma kokichi #kokichi ouma #kaito momota #momota kaito #cora writes

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the-starless-sky · 4 years

Text

BAE x cozmez / “DESIRE” voice drama part 2

youtube

Part 1 | Part 2 (here!)

Names K: Yatonokami Kanata N: Yatonokami Nayuta S: Sugasano Allen F: Anne Faulkner Y: Yeon Hajun I: Suiseki Iori Mx: Mobs

Nothing much to say except Allen is an actual angel 🤗💕

S: I'm home.

F: How's it? Did you find your metal?

S: I didn't.

F: Sigh. Geez.

S: Don't tell me Kanata really took it...?

F: That's what I've been telling you! What's up with your trustfulness!?

S: You've seen their stage the other day, right!? Someone who could compose such a song wouldn't ever steal!

F: So you understood Kanata so much you can assert that?

S: No, I don't!

F: What the hell, seriously! Aah, geez! We're going!

S: Where to...!?

F: Of course to cozmez's house!

S: But we don't know their address-

F: I've found their approximates. Don't underestimate my connections.

S: Oh... you're amazing, Anne.

F: Stop your gratitude and start preparing! Who do you think I'm doing this for!?

S: Y-yeah...! What about Hajun?

F: He went out. "It has nothing to do with me", he said.

S: That's so like him...

F: Seriously. He's heartless. If something happens to Hajun, I'll never help him.

S: You think Hajun will ever ask for someone's help?

F: Haha. Don't think so.

S: Right?

***

F: What's with this smell...? This place's more awful than I thought...

S: Well... 'cause it's the slums.

F: It's no use complaining. Anyways, we have to find where they are.

M1: God damn it. So noisy...

F: Ah!

M2: What the hell? This ain't a place for sight-seeing. If you don't wanna get hurt, get out, now.

S: We're only looking for someone. We've no intention to bother you guys.

M1: You wake us up from our sleep - you're already bothering us.

M2: Yeah. Leave the nuisance money. All the cash you have on you, and that pretty big sis there.

F: If we said 'no'... what are you gonna do about it?

M: Of course we'd just steal them then.

S: This is bad...

F: Geez, it's because stupid Allen stupidly got his metal stolen that we're in this stupid situation! What are you gonna do now, stupid!?

S: Stop saying 'stupid'! 'Til when are you gonna be angry!?

F: Of course I'm still angry, stupid!

S: You said it again, huh!? Phantoms are, in the end, just some kind of production, right!? It'll be fine if we put our all in the main dish, the music!

F: Then, what? If the taste is good, you think it's okay to serve high class french food on paper plates!?

S: Y-yeah! The most important part is the good taste of the dish!

F: Stop screwing around! If there's no production, then we can't draw out the good quality of the main dish!

S: No, the main dish is the most important!

F: Production!

S: Main dish!

F: Production!

S: Main dish!

M1: Umm... uh...

S&F: What!?

M2: No... it's nothing...

F: Hey, wait, you all!

M1&M2: Y-yes!

F: What do you guys think?

M1&M2: Well... uhm... uh...

S: Which!?

M1: ...Oh, that's right, weren't you guys looking for someone? How's that going?

M2: That's right, what are you looking for?

F: Oh, come to think of it, yeah, we were doing that. What's up, are you guys gonna help us?

M1: Yeah... if you'd get out of here.

S: Oh... I see. We're looking for these twins... the ones in this picture.

***

K: Hey... Nayuta.

N: Hm?

K: Are you still angry?

N: Huh? No, I'm not angry.

(voices from outside)

S: It's here, right?

F: I don't know. Anyways, just go.

S: But, what if we got the wrong place?

N: Huh? What's up?

F: Geez, you're so irritating!

N: Is something up?

K: Ssh! It's BAE...! How did they locate us?

N: Haah!? What are we gonna do!?

F: I know that you're in there! Return the metal to us, fast!

S: Oi! I told you, we still don't know if they actually stole it!

F: Shut up! Allen, you do something too! It's your metal, isn't it!?

N: Hey, Kanata? Isn't it better to just give it back?

K: There's no way I can give them back obediently just because they told me to!

F: Then what do you think we should do!?

S: We could talk it out!

N: Seriously, Kanata...! Sigh.

K: Anyways, we'll talk after we lose them.

N: 'Kay, got it.

F: Oi! What if you answer us!? Geez!! Do you want us to barge in!?

S: Wai-! Please, come out!

K: You guys are still here? Beat it!

N: If you really want it back, here, we'll return it!

(Nayuta throws an empty can towards Anne)

F: What the hell's this...? Ain't it just an empty can!?

K: A phantometal's a waste in y'all's hands.

N: Bring that home and just play house~

K&N: See ya!

F: Those guys...!!

***

K: Haa... haa... if we go through this back street, they won't catch up to us.

N: Yeah. There's not even that much people from around here who knows this route.

Y: Heeh...? I'm surprised. Slums' rats are very big, aren't they?

K: W-who are you!?

Y: I wonder who? At the very least, I'm not on your side, that's for sure.

N: You... aren't you 48...!?

K: Shit...! Why are you here!?

Y: Allen and the others barged into your house. Of course, you'd try to lose them by going through complicated routes. If so, then the only places where you both will appear is here... or the other alleyway. There is a tall wall there. If you want to shake them off easily, then... it's a simple deduction.

K: So you ambushed us... you dirty bastard...!

Y: Could you please look at the mirror and say those words once again? In both meanings... no matter how I see it, you guys are the dirty ones.

K: Bastard...!

Y: I thought that our two members are sharper than that, too... Ah, speak of the devil. You guys are late. Was playing tag fun?

F: Hajun...! Why are you here...!?

S: You came to help us...!

Y: Help? Please sleep-talk after you go to sleep. I came here for the sake of the stage battle. Don't misunderstand.

F: Haha... seriously, you're not honest at all.

Y: Well then. I don't want to be in a place with such bad air. Let's finish our business now.

K: What?

Y: Hm? You can't understand if we don't say it?

K: You don't have proof that I stole the metal, do you?

Y: Haha, hahaha!

K: What's so funny!?

Y: I don't even need proof... why would someone who didn't take it feel the need to run away?

K: That's...!

Y: Stop making excuses. For speaking without thinking, you expose your faults way too fast. If you return it now, I won't press further. Even though I do believe I'm being too kind.

S: Don't tell me, you really...

N: Kanata...

K: Say it. What's wrong with that!?

Y: Oh?

K: To begin with, naive kids[1] like you guys have no right to stand on Paradox Live's stage.

N: People who've lived all their lives in lukewarm water, all fulfilled like you guys doing hip hop? Hah, don't make me laugh. Who'll nod to people with that kinda upbringing!?

Y: To steal phantometals from fakes like us... what an admirable way to fight!

K: I have something to protect... something to get hold of. It's a waste of time to duck it out with you guys-

Y: In short, you have no confidence, do you? You can't see an image of yourself winning against us fair and square... that's why you stole! What miserable way of thinking. Did you pile up your past achievements that way, too? Haha. I thought you were at least mediocre... but you're actually lower than rats.

N: You're wrong! There's no way that's true!

Y: I'm wrong? Hoo...

N: Kanata... the songs Kanata made are the best! Your make-believe songs are nothing! We took the metal just to teach that red hair the harshness of society, just as how we were done in by the likes of you...!

Y: That's just an excuse for yourself, isn't it? Kanata stole the metal because he wants an insurance. Why does he need an insurance? that's because he doesn't believe in you! Am I wrong?

K: That's not...!

Y: How pitiful... Kanata who doesn't have crews he could trust... and you, who weren't even trusted by your only sibling...

N: N-no...

K: Don't lecture us about siblings! You don't even know the feelings we held our microphones with up until now...! And you're telling us we don't believe in each other!? Stop messing around!!

F: T-there's no way we know anything about how you guys went by up until now!

K: We don't even know our parents' faces!! We were made a walking wallet by garbage adults, and got screwed over!!

Y: Even so, it doesn't excuse your act of stealing the metal.

K: We have to win...!! We were treated like trash, and the one thing that made people finally recognize us was hip hop...! I don't care about teams or titles! I'll win the Paradox Live, shut all of the people who've made fun of us, and raise up!

S: If so, then!! We're also the same!

K: There's no way you guys are the same...!! Don't talk rubbish!!

S: It might be true that we were brought up on different environment! But, we were also betrayed, thrown away, and finally arrived at hip hop!

K: The weight is different, red hair!!

S: It's no different!! Hip hop is equal! It has nothing to do with who composes it! Put the things that pained you... the things that that you don't want to face into your lyrics and make it your weapon! Express it to mow down the person you were up until now! There's no difference!

K: ...!!

S: That's how I... how we've been expressing ourselves up until now, right? Us... and you both...!

F: Allen...

N: K-Kanata...

K: ...

S: Even without my metal, I intended to fight with my music. But hearing the exchange earlier made me want to do it with phantoms, too. As the same hip hop heads, I want to fight cozmez head on. I want you guys to crash your whack sound[2], your feelings, all of it into us! We also want to do that to you guys.

K: T-that part of you is what I called naive! Is every rich guy's head filled with flower gardens[3] or something?

S: Kanata... this is my request to you. Please let me fight you as we both go all out, with the hip hop we each think is the best. Exactly because we're all people who can do nothing else but to hold our microphones... that's why, please.

K: ...

N: Sigh. Hey, isn't it time to let go already?

Y: What are you going to do now?

K: Shit!

(Kanata throws Allen's phantometal back to him)

S: Kanata...!

Y: My, my.

K: Bring it on. I'll fight you, SUZAKU. Prepare yourself 'cuz I'm gonna destroy that super irritating face on stage.

N: Well, you won't have any chances of winning against us without that metal, after all.

F: Why are thieves like you guys looking down on us like that!?

K: What? You have a problem?

F: Of course I do!

Y: Anne.

F: What!?

Y: We've finished our business. Let's go home. Unfortunately, I don't have a hobby of staying too long in a dumpster-like place. Oh, sorry! This is your residence, isn't it?

N: Hah. Then go home, now. Because when we see guys like you, we really can't help but to want to send you flyin'.

Y: Aah, scary, scary. Well then, shall we go?

K: We're going home too, Nayuta.

N: Sigh. Yeah.

S: Kanata!

K: Ha?

S: I can't wait to fight you on stage!

K: Shut up, go die.

S: Haha... see you!

F: Hey, we're gonna leave you!

S: Sorry, sorry!

***

F: Aah, seriously. I was worried about what'll happen for a second. To think that Allen's hip hop mania actually had an effect on Kanata...

Y: I really cannot handle Allen's idiocy anymore, though.

F: Seriously. Seems like he'll even die for hip hop.

S: I would - if it's after I take the top!

F: Haha. Ah, Allen. I think you forgot 'cause you're an idiot, but I'm gonna get you to give me your gratitude in full, okay?

Y: That's true. At the very least, we should get Allen to clean up the house for three months.

S: O-Oi, Hajun! Before, you said you came for the sake of the stage battle!

Y: It didn't change the fact that in the end, I helped you. Physical exhaustion, plus mental strain due to having to go to the slum... and...

S: I got it!! I just have to do it, right?

F: Yeah, yeah! You just have to do it. Anyways, I'm glad that we got the metal back~!

Y: That's true.

F: We're gonna go all out to defeat those two, 'kay? With our song, we'll beat them to a pulp.

S: Yeah. Let's fight with our full strength!

***

K: That bastard SUZAKU... he said he can't wait for it? Looking down on me like that...

N: Kanata.

K: What?

N: You look kinda refreshed.

K: Wh... what are you talking about? I'm so irritated I can't take it anymore.

N: Hmm... I see. Haha.

K: Ah, Nayuta, you laughed just now, didn't you!?

N: It's better this way, it's more like us!

K: Shut up. Sigh...

N: You don't have to do something like that. After all, it's us!

K: You're right.

N: Yeah, with our lyrics, our track, and our staging... let's win against them.

K: Nayuta.

N: Hmm?

K: Thank you.

N: Yeah.

K: BAE, wait for us.

N: On top of the stage...

K&N: We'll show you hell.

***

I: It all ended well, huh? Haha, even though I expected an interesting development...

Notes

[1] Ama-chan = naive, spoiled child.

[2] Whack = bad as in 'cool'. I think?

[3] As in, full of good things and optimism.

I-I’m glad that ends well. My love for shounen protagonist Allen keeps growing by day...!! 😚

#paradox live #bae #cozmez #translation #Drama CD translation

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jumukus · 4 years

Text

A3! Event: Starring Party ‘Look Back on Summer 3′ Translation

Last ones for Summer Troupe are Kazunari and Muku.

Izumi: (Last ones from Summer Troupe are those two.)

Muku: Ah, welcome, director-san!

Kazunari: Nice timing, director-chan♪ We're just having tea together!

Muku: Kazu-kun bought some soft macaron crepes. It's popular right now.

Kazunari: It's very popular on Instablam, and tasty too. Wanna take a bite, director-chan?

Izumi: They look so cute! If you insist, then…

...No, this isn't why I’m here! That was closeーI was almost tempted to join your tea party.

I'm here to film the anniversary video.

Kazunari: Oh yeah, you're right! We're gonna put in commentary and something like that, right? That's so lit~!

Muku: If I remember correctly, we're going to roll the dice to decide on the topic and choose a scene, right?

Izumi: Yup, yup.

Okay then, let's start from the lead actor of Summer Troupe's fifth play, Kazunari-kun. Here, take the dice.

Kazunari: 'Kay! What. kind. of. topic. will I get? Here we go!

Muku: The topic is… "An episode where you failed."

Kazunari: Dang~. I was having a hard time since we had a lot of action scenes. If we're talking about failure, it'd take forever.

Hmm… But I think this scene is the one that I remember the best.

Izumi: (This is from the sixth day of night showing. In this scene, Kiichi and Yoshimaru delivered a letter to Young Lordーー.)

Young Lord: "...Is this really from the princess?"

Yoshimaru: "Eh? Ah, this one? Yes~! As you can see, you can write and draw on this!"

Young Lord: "That's paper!"

Kiichi: "Paper is that wide and blue place where you can see ships embark on a journey to find treasures."

Young Lord: "That's sea!"

Yoshimaru: "Sea is the thing that's useful for catching fish."

Young Lord: "That's net!"

Kiichi: "No, no. Sea is like this, y'know? Ride the wave!"

Young Lord: "That's waves!"

Yoshimaru: "Wave helps me hear Young Lord's dignified voice very well…"

Young Lord: "That's ears!"

Kiichi: "Smile, smile!"

Young Lord: "Will you cut it out!? I asked whether this is from the princess!!"

Izumi: (The ad libs were lively and Summer Troupe-like, but…)

...Too long.

Kazunari: That's right~!

As the people who came to re-watch our show increased, the reaction was getting weak.

So that's why we played around with ad libs. But we ended up having so much fun it went too long~.

Tehepero! This kind of thing happens pretty often in Summer Troupe~.

Muku: Ahaha, yeah…

Izumi: But well, that's one of the things that make Summer Troupe's plays different from others.

Kazunari: I know ad libs are merely extra elements that aren't necessary to be put in a play… There's no meaning in putting them in if it's going to ruin the original flow of the play, but…

Exchanging ad libs with one another is fun, and the audience enjoys it too. So it just happens.

Muku: During our debut show, we were told to make it our motto to have fun first before entertaining the audience.

Kazunari: Yup, yup! That's why we can't stop throwing in ad libs…

But we need to be careful not to have too much fun all by ourselves. I think this is a challenge for us.

Everyone might be thinking the same thing, not just me.

Izumi: Yup, you have a point.

Kazunari: I feel like my acting has become a little bit more stable than before, but since I've chosen both acting and art, I have to give my all to both of them without compromise.

Izumi: (Just like Kumon-kun, Kazunari-kun also has his own worries concerning ad libs.)

(Nonetheless, Kazunari-kun is thinking ahead.)

(Kumon-kun who is working hard to catch up, and Kazunari-kun who is walking with his gaze fixed on the future in front of him…)

(But neither of them will leave anyone behind, and that is Summer Troupe's strong point.)

Kazunari: Alrighty! Shall we shoot the video message next?

On second thoughts, angle does matter! Hmm, the camera's position and background…

Izumi: It'll take forever if we cared too much about that. I think this is fine…

Kazunari: Eh, you think so~? OK then, I'll go like this. Kazunari Miyoshi's video message, start!

Muku: Whoa, Kazu-kun's message is so beautiful.

Kazunari: Hehe, TYSM! Muku, it's your turn now!

Muku: Y-Yes. I'm rolling the dice now… woops!

Izumi: Oh? Muku-kun got the same topic as Kazunari-kun, "An episode where you failed."

Kazunari: Seriously!? As expected of roommates, we're so close~!

Muku: An episode where you failed…

Since the opening show, I was so nervous that I messed up my lines, and I almost fell down during that sceneーー.

I couldn't respond to the ad libs well at the time, and I almost dropped the props in the next scene after thatーー.

This and that happened back then. I'm really just a weak, withered radish that fell to pieces…

Kazunari: Mukkun? Mukkuuuun?

Izumi: Uh, uh…. Oh, yeah! Since you got the same topic, let's change it! I'll allow it just for this time!

The topic that has yet to come out within Summer Troupe is… "Unforgettable scene". Let's go with that one, shall we!?

Muku: Unforgettable scene?

If that's so… There's a scene that remains deep in my heart.

It was during the final scene of the closing show…

Izumi: (After the curse has been lifted, Florence and Rose get married…)

Florence: "Still, I was really surprised to find out that Rose is the princess."

Broto: "You didn't seem to notice it at all, your highness."

"*sighs*, you're as carefree and easy-going as ever, just like a flower garden*"

Rose: "You have a point…"

Florence: "Do you mean my beauty is that of a glorious flower garden? That's obvious!"

Rose and Broto: "I've never said that."

Broto: "My, my…"

"...But you're fine just the way you are."

Izumi: (What a tender smile… The last line was Kumon-kun's ad lib.)

(Before the closing show, Kumon came to me and Tsuzuru-kun to discuss this.)

Muku: I tried my best to act as the prince that I've been dreaming of...

Hearing Broto's lines in the closing show, I felt like all my efforts had been acknowledged.

It made me so happy and emotional.

Because everyone believed in me, I could be a prince just the way I am.

I'm really glad I could confidently stand on stage as Prince Florence.

Izumi: Yeah…

Kazunari: Mukkun's Prince Florence was so cool, he could bring miracles. I love him too!

Muku: Ehehe, thanks…!

Izumi: Okay, let's shoot the video message.

Muku: Yes!

Muku: Phew… thank you.

Izumi: Good job. With this, I'm done filming Summer Troupe's part.

Kazunari: Mukkun's comment was so good, I can't wait to watch the others~!

Izumi: Your personalities came out quite a bit in the videos.

Kazunari: Really!? I'm hyped!

Muku: Whoah, I wonder how the final product will be. I'm excited to see it.

Kazunari: That's a mood~. I'm fired up to edit the footage!

Izumi: ...Say, Kazunari-kun, do you need to use a video editing software to edit them?

Kazunari: You do need editing software for this, but there's various kinds of itーー.

But you can make a pretty high-quality video using free softwares, or the ones that are already installed on your PC!

Izumi: I see.

Muku: Hm? I think I heard loud noises from the corridor…

Kumon: Sorry for intruding!

Yuki: Good work.

Misumi: Kazu~, Muku~, director-san~? Are you done filming?

Kazunari: Huh? Sumi and Kumopi!

Muku: Even Tenma-kun and Yuki-kun…

Izumi: We've just finished filming. What brings you all here?

Kumon: We found some paper waste when we were cleaning our room!

Misumi: That's whyーー.

Let's hold a paper airplane contest!

Tenma: We got dragged by those two all of sudden.

Yuki: They were so noisy.

Muku: Whoa, it's been a while since we last held a paper airplane contest!

Kazunari: Sounds fun! I'm in, I'm in! Join us, director-chan!

Izumi: Eh, me too? But…

Misumi: Flying paper airplanes is fun~!

Muku: I want to fly paper airplanes with director-san too!

Izumi: Well, I'll join for a bit. I'm free, anyway.

Kumon: Yeaaay! I'll make a paper airplane that will fly far away~!

Tenma: Sorry, but I'll beat you and win this time.

Yuki: Look who's talking, when you always make paper airplanes that can hardly fly.

Tenma: Shut up!

Misumi: Tenma, I'll teach you how to make one that can fly far far away!

Kumon: Once we're done making paper airplanes, let's fly them in the courtyard!

Izumi: Yeah!

T/N:

The puns in Kiichi, Yoshimaru and Young Lord's dialogues go like this: 手紙　(Tegami/Letter) → 紙 (Kami/Paper) → 海 (Umi/Sea) → 網 (Ami/Net) → 波 (Nami/Wave) → 耳 (Mimi/Ears)

花畑 (Hanabatake) can also also be used to describe someone who has a tranquil image and whose train of thoughts is carefree.

< Look Back on Summer 2 | Masterlist | ‘Stories of 24′ 1 >

#a3!#a3! translation #summer troupe #tenma sumeragi #yuki rurikawa #muku sakisaka #kumon hyodo #misumi ikaruga #kazunari miyoshi

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toku-explained · 3 years

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The Darkest Swordsman

Z: GAFJ have developed D4 from Barabas' horn, a dimension destroying weapon, and have ordered it's installation in King Joe STORAGE Custom, the installation overseen by Yuki Mai. The Maintenance team make clear from the start they are against this, and the main squad are clearly against it as well, and the Director makes clear he is against using D4 as well, but orders have come down, he's not well, and Celebro encounters him. When Kelbim arrives, drawn by the energy at the initial test site, it quickly heads to where the next D4 weapon is, and the Director brings down the orders from on high to use only King Joe STORAGE Custom and make use of D4, even as more Kelbim descend from the sky and hatch. It's pretty obvious what has happened to the Director, but it's not outright shown. In defiance of orders, Hebikura dispatched Haruki in Windom, but even as they take out one another spawns, and Z is forced to come out. As they continue more appear and Yuka detects the Mother Kelbim in space. Z Delta Rise Claw goes to face it, but even as it wins the numbers become to much and Yoko is forced, out of desperation, to use D4. The attack does take out the Kelbim, but the dimensional collapse keeps spreading, only being stopped by Z. Hebikura makes clear he is angry about all of this, and Yuki Mai seems to have ideas about Ultraman's power. But the big this this time is, as every single member of STORAGE, the entire maintenance team lead by Bako, Yuka, Yoko, Haruki and Hebikura defies GAFJ orders, and the entire unit is being dissolved.

Ultra 6 Brothers The Live: I laid actual money to watch this, since it seems to tie into The Absolute Conspiracy. After Nice warms the crowd up, the story introduces us to Baltan Seijin Baruru, a child alone on a world save for his robot friend. Baruru seems to remember his grandfather, but that's it. One day Red King, Hellberus, Astromons and Giestron rampage, and Man, Seven, Zoffy, Hikari and 80 arrive to stop them. Afterwards the brother discuss why the Kaiju are acting out before all but Ultraman leave. He meets Baruru and befriends him before leaving, asking the robot to look out for him, and after it's gone Baruru and the robot plan to plant a flower, when a gang of Valkie Seijin, Magma Seijin and Zarab Seijin arrive, and start beating up Baruru, calling Hellberus back to assist. The Robot, inspired by Ultraman's words, fights back and does a decent job until losing power, but as more Kaiju come the day is saved by the arrival of the Ultra 6 Brothers. Zoffy fights Zarab, Man fights Red King, Seven fights Valkie, Jack takes Giestron, Ace battles Hellberus, Taro deals with Magma. After the brothers win, they save the Robot and leave, Baruru and his companion continue their journey, but in the end Baruru walks away from the robot, which continues the other way with the flower. Absolute Tartarus appears, commenting on a power. After an intermission the plot moves forward, and to an earth in 2020, where Bemstar and Telesdon come down from the sky, and the narrator explains the Devil Splinters, this is followed by Z Alpha Edge's stock footage, the Rise accompanied with a new one for Zero. Zero and Z Alpha Edge face the two Kaiju, then discuss about the Devil Splinters when an effect devices the Kaiju. Zero defeats Bemstar only for Tartarus, who Zero is aware of, to appear and revive Bemstar, and reveal his servant, the adult Baruru, who created the system reviving the Kaiju. Zero and Z are overpowered until Ultraman and Seven arrive and help defeat them. Ultraman recognises Baruru, and Baruru remembers him, Tartarus arrives and explains their plans. Ultraman asks him to stop but he lashes out, and uses the system to revive Zetton and EX Zetton, which overpower the Ultras, before taking them aside and fusing their genes with himself to become a Zetton Baltan Seijin (variants previously appeared in Orb stages, one being a Dark Ring fusion), and join the Zettons in their battle. While the other Zettons take Seven and Zero offstage, Man and Z fight Baruru. Nice comes onstage to guide some audience interaction to power up the heroes here, which brings Seven and Zero back, and the rest of the Ultra 6 Brothers. After a moment where Man and Baruru wordlessly reflect on their past, Nice somehow finds himself faced with Tartarus, who trounces him before the Brothers minus Man pull him away, they then defeat the Zettons. Zero and Z face Tartarus until he decides to leave, but Z pursues. Ultraman and Baruru fight, although really it's just Man trying to remind Baruru of his true self, Baruru wakes up and returns to normal, but Zetton Baltan Seijin still exists on its own, now mindless and Ultraman is injured taking a hit. Zoffy, Ace and Seven take care if it long enough for Baruru to revive Man using his device, and he destroys Zetton Baltan Seijin. Tartarus murders Baruru and calls on Tyrant, which already mostly defeated Jack and Taro, and Man, Zero and Z struggle with, until Nice leads the audience again. Together the Brothers Zero and Z defeat Tyrant. The dying Baruru is shocked by the robots return. Ultraman informs him they're on earth. The robot uses the system to save Baruru, and presents the healthy plant. After sharing some parting words Baruru and his friend leave. The assembled Ultras thank the audience and leave some last words. All in all good, but about as important as those Ultraman Festival Stages or the Final Stages. Also this is pretty clearly pre-Z so I don't know why they didn't just have Z in his initial state.

The Absolute Conspiracy: The highly anticipated event begins. New Generation Heroes was a prequel to Taiga, and featured the first live action appearance of a character previously only seen in a Pachinko machine. Similarly, The Absolute Conspiracy is a prequel to Z and features several characters previously only seen in the Ultraman Festival Stages. There are differences too though. The central villain here is, to my knowledge, wholly original, and while New Generation Heroes was a a single narrative from start to finish, this is a story in 3 "parts", and while New Generation Heroes focused on only the New Generation Heroes, as well as the two most direct mentors to that group, and an Ultra who debuted in the era but is not considered part of the group, here we have quite a diverse group. So we start here in Part 1, starting Ultraman Ribut. In the M78 timeline this would appear to be set sometime in the 1000s of years gap between Mebius and Ultra Galaxy. Cool to see there's a proper OP this time, evidently going to switch up for each part. After our brief appearance by Absolute Tartarus our focus moves to young recruit Ribut, who is working alongside Civilisation Guard Max (original VA), who is one of a number of M78 Ultras who was originally believed to be from his series' universe version of the Land of Light, but since the Zero movies we now know them to be from the main M78 universe, and traveled from there to the timeline of his series. The planet is having it's energy drained by a Maga-Orochi egg, the existence of which is concerning due to the Maga-Orochi being sealed on Orb's earth....by a group of Ultras that included Zero....this might be later in the timeline than I thought. Hellberus might be an indicator Tregear is behind what's going on, he has interfered with several other New Generation Kaiju, but Sran Seijin is the only mastermind we have at the moment. Gudis Cells are infecting Max now, and I presume they want the Maga-Orochi to evolve into something more. We go to Planet Kanon. This is before the event of The Origin Saga, as the Tree of Life is still standing. The present War God, Queen Izana, is also part of the Galaxy Rescue Force, which seems to draw from an old idea from the 70s of a Galactic Federation that Tsuburaya's heroes were all part of, in this instance though the alliance is multiversal. Anyway here we have Sora, making her first appearance outside of stages, she started out as one of the generic Ultras, but now have that armour to stand out. She's accompanying Yullian (new VA) princess of the Land of Light, who is wearing a mantle here for the first time. Leucocyte attacks, which may further point to Tregear, and 80 (original actor) appears to help, until Leucocyte flees. The 80 sequence heavily reminds me of the Ace and Leo Brothers sequences in Ultra Fight Victory, giving the classic Ultra a strong showing before the newer hero takes centre stage. Ribut reports what happened to Zoffy, Taro and Hikari (all have their longstanding VAs) when the other 3 arrive with their own report, giving them a lot to deal with, and establishes the history of Ribut and Sora. They have to create an antibody to Gudis' cells in 3 days or Max is lost, and Ribut is sent to train on K76, where he meets for some intense training Great (New VA) and Powered (Kai's actor Kane Kosugi in English, Kai's dub VA in Japanese).

Saber: Tassel on the phone to somebody, interesting. I've gotten over my issue with Touma's memory from last time, knowing he was friends with Kento and finding Kento was in the memories that seemed to be dreams are different things. It's only natural that Kento is confused, and he decides getting Kamijo to tell him everything is the only option. Apparently the 6 swordsmen being present is reason for Legeiel to step up Megiddo plans using Goblins. Kento and Rintaro argue before the activity starts, Sophia gives Mei a key and heads out, leaving Northern Base to her. Kenzan goes to face one Megiddo, while Buster's mission to face another is interrupted by Desast. Rintaro and Kento argue about duty to Sword of Logos when Kento is called by Reika to where Sophia is confronting Caliber. Saber arrives at another Goblin. Sophia is trying to get explanations from Kamijo when Kento and Rintaro appears. Kento asks if the worst possible scenario is true before confronting Kamijo, Espada and Kamijo clash, Slash joins Saber and lends Bremen no Rock Band, when Zooous arrives to face Slash. Caliber claims he cut down Hayato for being a traitor, while calling himself a seeker of truth, Espada uses Golden Alangina and pushes Blades out the way. Kento gets a good hit in, and Caliber decides to use Jaou Dragon, becoming Caliber Jaou Dragon. While they fight Sophia suddenly vanishes. Mei uses the key an unlocks the screen, and Saber uses Dragon Bremen to defeat his Goblin as Kenzan does the same. Unfortunately, this is exactly what Legeiel, Zooous and Desast wanted, opening gates of Fire and Wind. Caliber overpowers Espada on the end, and tries to make the killing blow, but Blades takes it, and Rintaro is in critical condition. I think Kento's probably going to act less rashly now. Tassel has a guest, and I have an idea who. I might be wrong.

Kenshin Retsuden: This time we have an episode of Kenzan, listed as being "another side" of episode 9. Ogami and Ren are both looking for Caliber when Ogami realises Sophia is about to do something reckless. Desast, who is looking for Caliber to reclaim his book, confronts Ren and mocks him on the nature of ultimate power, Ren showing some serious might makes right thoughts, before leaving, thinking something about him afterwards about Ren's nature. Ogami saves Sophia as in the episode, but afterwards Sophia comments that Kento will be hurt regardless of who Caliber is, opening Ogami's eyes to the possibility of someone else behind the mask.

Kiramager: Whatever it is the guy wants to say to Sayo, he's clearly nervous. Sayo has gone into the dinner with certain expectations, but isn't sure how she feels quite yet. The team tries to let her keep the evening for her date. While the team is busy, she really wants to hear it at least. Garza's plan is to unleash multiple Jamenju, which Riddle Kamen is making plenty of energy for. As for Sayo, it's not like she doesn't like the dude, but she won't know until he says it, but I like how everyone is just desperate to know more. Sayo solves the riddle but doesn't tell the others what it is. Garza is bending Hakobu to his will. While it appears what Kusaka had in mind was something different, Sayo gets straight in to helping him. I am a little disappointed that we're having a marriage would mean quitting being a ranger plot for a female in fucking 2020, but that doesn't matter because turns out, surprise, Kusaka was working with Yodonna. Garza is off to eliminate Oradin. Sayo still protects him, but any chance of anything more is done for, but she still entrusts him with warning CARAT. To be fair about the marriage plot, Sayo herself had every intention of making it work, and there is the whole surgeon thing giving it more justification here than in other plots. I like how we have this goofy scene of Juru making Riddle Jamen answer a riddle of his own interspersed with the fairly serious drama of the Sayo plot. Garza has arrived in Atamald, the plant is sprouting, and 3 Jamenju arrive.

#toku explained #ultraman z #ultra galaxy fight #kamen rider saber #mashin sentai kirameiger

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make-it-mavis · 5 years

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The Right Thing (pt 2 of 3)

Wreck it Ralph AU 3639 words Content warnings: drugs/addiction, mentions of death Characters: Turbo, Make-it Mavis, Maribo ( @nijimarii‘s OC )

Premise: After a harrowing evening, Turbo is finally allowed to join his sick, injured, unconscious friend in her hospital room. However, said friend’s unfortunate victim pays her a visit as well, and he faces some ideas he would rather not think about.

>Part 1<

Turbo had honestly lost count of the times he had accompanied Mavis to Dr. Mario’s hospital. That girl always had a bizarre appetite for things that no one should ever ingest, and too frequently needed something removed from her stomach or some sort of poison flushed from her system. He had become so accustomed to the routine that it eventually felt like nothing but a chore.

He never considered that he might someday be confined to the hospital waiting room, legitimately unsure if she would survive the night.

After a brief, infuriating encounter with the Surge Protector, the minutes dragged at a painful rate. Too restless to sit, he paced around, idly arguing with Fix-it Felix over things he lost track of. He hated to be stuck with Felix of all sprites, but he was at least grateful for someone to distract him a bit.

That is, until someone from another game came looking for Felix, going on about some big accident that urgently needed his fixing skills. Felix was loathe to go, but swore he would be right back when the job was done, and asked Turbo to relay that promise to Mavis if she woke up before then. Apparently, it was a big job, because he did not come back.

After a lonely, anxious wait that felt like forever, Dr. Mario appeared with good news, and he was finally allowed to join Mavis in her room.

She looked worse than he had ever seen her. The hospital gown, the IV drip, the tubes and wires, that much was routine. But if not for the monitor by her bed showing her heart rate and code stability, he would have pronounced her dead on the spot. She was unconscious and breathing so weakly that she was being fed oxygen through a thin tube under her nose. There were bandages on her head, and her pixels were discolored by this sickly, hazy blue tint. He almost believed he could see right through her if he squinted. It all just sent a nauseating burn into the pit of his stomach. He could not decide just what he felt, only that it was nearly too much to handle.

As he was taking his seat next to her bed, the volunteer nurse warned him not to touch her until she reached 65% code stability, and that she would be good to leave at 75%.

It was 57% when he came in.

So he settled in for another lonely, anxious wait that felt like forever.

By thirty minutes in, Turbo had developed quite the headache. A song recording had been playing for her all night to help keep her brain active, but he felt like his own brain was slowly melting. It was just the same boring, generic instrumental refrain again and again and again.

“Can ya believe this crap they’re playin’?” he muttered to her. “I mean, is this doin’ anythin’ for ya? ‘Cause it’s sure doin’ things to me.”

She gave no response.

His jaw clenched a bit. She was fine, according to the doctor. She was very much alive, and her code was stabilizing at a steady rate. She was fine. He was just having trouble believing that, from the way she looked. The urge to lean in and try to nudge her awake was so tempting, but she was still only at 60% stability.

“Hey dumbass… You’d better be okay, y’hear me?” he said lowly, and paused. “...And if y’can hear me n’ you’re playin’ dead to be funny, I’ll kick your ass through the wall socket.”

There was no sound from Mavis, but another sound stirred him to attention. A weak, wheezing cough came from the door, and he saw someone just before they staggered back into the hallway. It was… what was her name again?

The little orange potato with a hat and feather? The one Mavis tried to throttle?

He was drawing a blank.

Whatever her name was, he was not thrilled with the fact that she had been there without him realizing. Once he heard the coughing fit finally die down, he called, “Hey, you!”

There was a pause, but her cutesy little face soon appeared, sporting a tired, regretful glare. In a raspy voice that was barely even there, she replied, “What?”

“How long were you standin’ there?”

The potato stepped fully into the doorway and folded her arms with a shrug. “I’unno, like, two seconds? I didn’t hear whatever you were mumbling, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Ah,” he smiled, “nah, I was just tellin’ Mavis here how I dropkick little spuds that like to eavesdrop.”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping, dufus,” she spat. “I just didn’t wanna interrupt whatever sappy garbo you were telling your sick girlfriend.”

“She ain’t my girlfriend,” he groaned tiredly, those words just sounding like noise to him by that point.

“‘Kay. Then why are you here?”

He furrowed his brow. “I’unno. She ain’t your girlfriend. Why are you here?”

The little one opened her mouth to reply, but came up short. Tapping her foot a bit, her gaze fell to the floor. “I’unno, I…” she shrugged and held a breath for a second, “...don’t know. This is stupid. Nevermind.”

She turned back to the hallway, and he heard the tiny frustrated slaps of her feet wandering away. Leaving him alone with the music and catatonic Mavis again.

“Hey, hey-- uh-- lil’ spud! Wait!” he called out.

She may have tried to call back, but all he heard was another coughing fit. After a moment, she appeared again, eyes glassy from the effort of wheezing. She looked equal parts confused and pissed.

“My name’s Maribo, you jerkwad,” she hissed.

“Whatever,” he waved his hand. “Just get in here n’ see Mavis already. I don’t care.”

Maribo looked thoughtfully at the bed, but she hesitated, anxiously squeezing her folded arm. There seemed to be an internal debate going on under that little plush-looking hat, one that Turbo had zero desire to be an audience of.

“Okay,” he said flatly, “are ya scared bitless of her now or what?”

That earned him a sharp look. “I’m not scared,” she growled, and continued to grumble as she determinedly strode into the room. The little potato was, in fact, so little that she was obscured by the bed as she came closer, but before long, a chair scooted itself a bit closer to the opposite side of the bed from Turbo, and Maribo hopped up onto it.

Once she actually saw Mavis, all the moody snark on her face seemed to run away. Turbo could not quite read the peculiar way Maribo was looking at her, but he got the impression that she would not soon forget what she saw. She was dumbstruck. In awe, confused, sort of repulsed, and a little… worried, almost.

“Yeah,” he sighed, fidgeting with his pant leg a bit. “She’s real pretty, huh.”

“Uh huh…” Maribo muttered absently. “Yeah, she’s, uh… she looks… hmm...”

“Don’t hurt yourself, kid,” he grumbled.

“Don’t call me ‘kid.’”

Aside from the annoying music and soft beeping, a long, tense silence settled between the two. The air was heavy and suffocating, so much that Turbo almost envied Mavis for her breathing aid. It took a long time of staring at Mavis’ haunting sprite before one of them piped up.

“Did she break anything, or what?” Turbo asked, just for the sake of talking.

“Huh? No, no. Just some… bruising. I feel like a million creds already,” Maribo wheezed weakly.

“Mmm,” he hummed boredly. “Yeah, well. I’unno what they did to ya here, but go bug Fix-it Felix to heal ya the rest of the way if you’re so inclined. Actually, I kinda wonder why they brought ya here at all. Your code didn’t get jacked up.” He paused. “Right?”

Maribo did not respond to that. She merely stared at Mavis, her crossed arms hugged tight to her body. It was clear that she was lost in thoughts that rode heavy on her shoulders. Once again, Turbo felt unjustly exposed to her emotional drama, but he felt too run down to even object. He just leaned his arm against the side rail of the bed and rested his chin on the back of his hand. His eyelids grew heavy quickly.

He had just fallen into a thick, muggy, half-asleep daze when Maribo’s voice snapped him out of it.

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Wh-- Huh?” he startled up a bit. “What?”

“I mean…” she still had not taken her eyes off Mavis. “Does she… Has she ever, well… attacked anyone else?”

Turbo paused to think.

“Define ‘attack.’”

Maribo slowly gave him an unimpressed glance.

“Arright, yeesh,” he half-rolled his eyes. “Uh… yeah-- well-- y’see, kinda? The gal likes to fight just for the fun of it, n’ she’s got a temper hotter than a fire flower sometimes, so, yeah, she’s thrown some punches. But this-- I mean, like this level of attack? Not so much.”

Maribo was quiet for a moment. She sat down, resting her elbows on her bent knees. “I guess I just… didn’t know she had it in her to do something like this.”

Resting his cheek on the rail, Turbo watched Maribo thoughtfully for a minute. He tapped his fingers idly against the bed sheet, debating whether or not to have that conversation. He would have been perfectly content to never go deeper than petty sass with Maribo, but… it seemed like she was about to buy into an unfair idea that too many already believed -- that Mavis was actually dangerous.

He would consider it a favor to his friend. She could owe him later.

“So, judgin’ by… everythin’ about ya,” he began with a low sigh, “I’m guessin’ ya never tried buffs before.”

Maribo cocked her head. “Buffs?”

Turbo’s brows raised. “Really? Y’don’t even know what they are?”

“Not really. I’ve heard the word before, but...” she shrugged.

“...Arright, well...” he tapped a finger against the bed and smacked his tongue. “It’s like this, kid. Y’know how, in games, there are power-ups that the Good Guy uses to do cool crap?”

“...Yeah.”

“Well, if ya take a power-up that’s not from your game, your code goes all, ‘Ahh, what the hell’s this, I ain’t built for this,’ n’ it gets all jumbled up n’ confused for a while. So ya feel some real weird crap. It gets ya high, s’what I’m sayin’.”

Maribo merely watched him, listening.

“Mavis likes ‘em,” he shrugged. “I do too. But sometimes, y’know, she goes harder than she oughtta. And… y’gotta get that buffs make ya feel, think, hear, and even see things all wacked out. If someone goes overboard, they can kinda… lose it for a bit. And, uh… I mean, I’ve seen her freak out and break stuff before, but-- well, hey, you’re roughly vase-sized ain’t ya?”

Maribo squinted. “...What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ugh,” he grunted, “what I’m sayin’ is, she wasn’t in her right mind. She could’a flipped on anybody at that point. I can pretty much guarantee that she didn’t know it was you.”

She pondered that, watching Mavis again, processing it all. “...Huh.”

“Yeah…” he muttered. “This thing that happened with you? This doesn’t happen a lot. She might be an aggravating, nasty lil’ gremlin pest, but she doesn’t wanna actually hurt anybody.”

“She was just high,” Maribo stated quietly.

“Y’got it.”

“So, was that… I mean, was that why her eyes were all…” she gestured an odd circle around her face.

“Glowing? Yeah. That’s just another fun thing buffs do.”

Maribo fell silent for a moment, just looking at Mavis with an odd sort of melancholy. There was something about it that Turbo did not appreciate. He could smell some more skewed ideas wafting around in her brain. It was hard to say just why it bothered him so much. It felt almost like a backhanded insult to him and his own tastes that one would think badly of the sprite closest to him.

“Hey,” he said sharply. “Quit lookin’ at her like that.”

Maribo shot him an irritated look. “Like what?”

“Like she’s some pitiful addict or somethin’. She doesn’t have a buff problem, she’s just--” he stopped short, an ugly cocktail of emotions bubbling in his chest. He looked at his sleeping friend, giving her a sharp stare that he hoped she could feel. Even though it was the Surge Protector that put her in the hospital, and even though Turbo would never forgive him for that, it was her own recklessness that put her in the position to be shocked in the first place. Turbo would use any excuse he could to justify his belief that she did not have a buff problem. Seeing her nearly killed for attacking another sprite while buffed out of her head was starting to change his mind a bit, and that was never a comfortable sensation for him. He did not feel ready to face all that would come with admitting she had a problem. But what else could he do? Wait around for Surge to fry her to death again?

He finished in a low, unsteady voice, “She’s got a stupidity problem.”

“Ah,” Maribo raised a disbelieving brow. “I guess you’re well equipped to diagnose that, huh?”

He glared. “Yeah, ‘cause I’m fully immersed in a culture a’ complete morons every day.”

“Has anyone ever said to you, ‘Takes one to know one?’”

“Mavis, every other sentence. You ain’t clever.”

“Maybe you just ain’t even worth the brain power to diss cleverly.”

“Nah, your hat’s just blockin’ signals to that lil’ satellite brain you got under there,” he spun his hair around his finger.

At that, Maribo hopped to her feet and grasped the bed rail. “Alright, PAL--”

Mavis’ body glitched.

Both of them startled so hard, their chairs creaked against the floor. Turbo’s heart raced as he pulled himself up close, watching for any other movement. All seemed still for a while. He slowly let out a heated breath that he had been holding and settled back into his seat, his head reeling from the emotional rollercoaster he had been riding all night. When he looked at Maribo, he found her frozen, pressed to the back of her chair, gripping the side. Her breaths came in quick and shallow, and she almost seemed reluctant to blink.

“What the hell’s your problem?” Turbo growled miserably. “I thought you weren’t scared a’ her.”

Maribo swallowed and eased up her death grip on the chair. “I’m not. She just startled me,” she rasped. Then her eyes wandered to Mavis’ vitals monitor, and her brow furrowed a bit. “Uh… did that number just go down?”

Turbo’s heart stumbled. “Down?” He read the monitor -- she was at 63%.

“Yeah, that definitely said 64% just a minute ago,” Maribo mumbled, her voice so concerned, it was almost fearful. When Mavis glitched again, she audibly gasped.

The monitor read 62%, and Mavis stirred.

Turbo immediately grasped the side of the bed, watching her take in her first deep breaths in hours. Finally, finally, she was waking up.

But there was still a third wheel present. Maribo did not look like she particularly wanted to be there anymore, but she seemed to have trouble looking away. Her eyes were just screaming with conflict. Turbo went ahead and decided for her.

“Hey,” he hissed. “Beat it. You’re gonna freak her out or somethin’.”

She gave him a resentful, offended look, but there was a sad sort of understanding there, too. “Fine by me,” she wheezed before hastily hopping from her chair and scampering for the door. To his frustration, she paused in the doorway and looked back, craning her head to get one last look at Mavis, who was starting to grunt a bit.

“Go!” he snapped in a hushed tone. “Give us some privacy, will ya?”

Maribo rolled her eyes into her turn. “Fine, fine, go on n’ kiss your sick girlfriend!”

“She ain’t my--” he stopped as she disappeared into the hallway. “Ugh, whatever.”

“T?”

Mavis’ soft, weary voice snapped him to attention. She had only turned her head, and was watching him dreamily, her pupils still glowing brightly. He wanted so badly to continue being pissed at her, because she did deserve it. But in that moment, all he could think about was how he was not sure he would ever hear that voice again hardly over an hour ago.

It took him a long time to say anything, but eventually, he managed to breathe, “Hey.”

The corner of her mouth twitched for a second. As he pulled his chair up as close to her head as he could, she looked around the room slowly. Her breathing was a bit labored, and she winced weakly now and again, but she seemed more than calm. She would not be strangling anyone for a long time.

“Hospital,” she whispered. “Uh huh… man, what’d I eat this time? I feel like crap.”

Turbo kept his hands to himself beneath the bed, fidgeting with his fingers. The anger started to bubble up in him again, but he found it hard to process just how much of it came from worry. He hoped that it would not show, but somehow, that felt impossible.

“Y’didn’t eat somethin’,” he said lowly. “Ya took somethin’.”

She looked at him and blinked slowly. “‘Kay… what the hell did I take?”

“You tell me,” he glared. “I sure hope ya had fun, because ya nearly corrupted for it.”

Mavis’ eyes just widened a bit.

“Yeah. Yeah,” he nodded tightly. “Y’almost died. For a buzz. Must’ve been real freakin’ good to risk your life over -- what was it, Mav? ‘Cause if you tell me it was GC, I’m pullin’ your plug.”

“GC?!” she tried to sit up, but her body glitched and dropped her right back down. Groaning a bit, she rubbed her brow. “I did GC?!”

“I dunno, did ya?” he asked.

“No,” she shook her head. “No, I don’t do GC. It can’t have been. I… don’t remember taking… but… wait-- wait-- I remember that I still had…” she pushed her hand over her face, squeezing her eyes shut in thought.

“Spells,” she whispered.

Turbo let that sit for a few seconds. “...Spells.”

“Yeah.”

“Y’were doin’ Spells. Alone.”

Her hand fell. She sighed, “Yeah, I guess I was, T.”

He dropped his open palm on the bed. “Why? Why the hell would ya do that?”

Mavis pondered that one for a long while, but ultimately shrugged. “I’unno. I felt like it. So what?”

“So wh--” he stammered, gesturing to the entire room. “Whadya mean ‘So what?!’ This is a big freakin’ deal, dumbass! You’re in the hospital! You nearly corrupted-- you almost died!”

To his disbelief, she actually smiled a bit. “Yeah… it’s pretty badass, huh.”

He wanted to rip all the linens off the bed and tear them apart with his teeth. That was so typical of her to just laugh all the way through it, to blatantly disregard how anyone else might have been affected. Granted, it was something he did himself, but being on the receiving end was infuriating.

“No,” he hissed wetly, “no, Mavis, it’s not. It’s really not. Dyin’ ain’t badass. Dyin’s dead.”

“But I didn’t die,” she slurred, rolling her head to smile at him. “It’s like I’m invincible.”

“There’s a real big difference between bein’ invincible and just countin’ on bein’ lucky.”

Maddeningly, she chuckled. “Maybe Easter Eggs really are good luck charms, after all.”

Something in him snapped. “That’s not ENOUGH!” he snarled, slapping both hands on the bed as he stood, nearly toppling his chair behind him. She watched him, eyes wider than they had been, as he loomed over her.

“Luck is nothin’, Mav! What happens when it runs out?! What happens when some stupid, reckless, ‘because-I-felt-like-it’ stunt gets you killed?! What happens when ya die?! Huh?! Y’gonna just laugh that one off, too, chucklenuts?!”

Mavis glitched twice in rapid succession. Turbo froze as his words ran dry, looking down at the sick, blue-tinted girl lying in a hospital bed, and he fully realized just how much of an ass he was making of himself. There was no fear in Mavis’ luminescent eyes, at least. She returned his gaze with a numb calmness, but her pixels still shifted and flickered, and he could not help but think it was his doing.

Automatically, he checked her monitor. She flashed, and it dropped from 64% to 63%.

Trembling with adrenaline, he pulled his chair up again and slowly sat down. He had no idea what to say, so he picked the usual route and said nothing. Mavis was good at reading his silences… when she was in her right mind.

Gazing at her feet uncomfortably, Mavis pulled her arms in close over her body. As if nothing had happened, she asked miserably, “Why didn’t they give me any blankets? I’m freezing.”

He mumbled carefully, “Y’got three.”

She sighed, closing her eyes. “Freezin’ cold…”

“Y’got a button to call a nurse if you want more.”

“Nah,” she breathed, falling quickly into sleep. “Nah, just come n’...”

She was out, just like that.

Turbo sat, watching her, waiting for her to move again. He was not sure how he felt -- she needed her rest, but he did not like the feeling that he may have upset her into unconsciousness somehow. But if she were asleep, she could stabilize without his big, hideous feelings getting in the way.

He draped himself along the bed rail, resting his cheek on his arm. As Mavis relaxed, one of her hands dropped back to her side again. The sight of it gave him an urge, but he checked the monitor first.

There was only 1% to go until he could touch her.

#wreck it ralph #turbo #make it mavis #maribo #fanfiction #oc #au #'turbo handles emotions gracefully' said no one

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shimmershae · 7 years

Text

Counting Stars, Chapter 1 (a Walking Dead story, Caryl + Sophia, more).

The story continues.

The real story starts with a little girl lost in the woods.

My response to the Nine Lives "Find Your G-Spot" June challenge. Think The Princess Bride meets The Walking Dead. Sort of, lol. AU with appearances by multiple characters. Rating subject to change.

Author's Notes:

The story continues.

Counting Stars

xx1xx

He settles for some coffee, fixes himself a mug and takes it to the front porch, the wide, worn planks warm beneath his bare feet. Eyeing the wilting plants on the top step in their clay pots, he shakes his head. He’d told Mrs. McLeod they weren’t a good idea, not a practical one, at least, with him being gone so much on various jobs, but the arthritic old widow just wouldn’t be swayed, and now he’s stuck, performing life-saving measures on the pitiful petals every few weeks to avoid hurting her feelings. He adds Miracle-Gro to his ever growing, ever-evolving mental list and drains the last dregs of caffeine, scratching idly at his chest as he takes in the still-slumbering neighborhood.

<3<3<3

“I know a Mrs. McLeod!”

“Don’t say.”

<3<3<3

The mailbox catches his attention again, and he leaves his mug on the porch railing, heads down the steps.

Weeds poke up through the stones that make up the walkway, stubborn and proud. A bird, round and cheerful, flits from stone to stone ahead of him before finally deciding to take flight, darting to a low-hanging branch nearby and watching him curiously.

He grunts out a laugh. Something so small shouldn’t act so suspicious, but he supposes it’s no surprise. He’s been gone a long time, almost a month this time. Spring was just a faint scent in the air and the days were just beginning to warm last time he traveled this same pathway. Surely, he’s a stranger to his feathered friend, and that’s not all, it seems.

The house across the street, vacant since the Fords’ last, more permanent split, shows signs of new life. The overgrown flower garden that Rosita never seemed to find time for is a vibrant rainbow of color, not tamed exactly, but obviously cared for and appreciated. The shutters wear a fresh coat of paint, and a child’s bicycle rests on its side in the tidy yard.

He wonders at this new development as he gathers the various flyers and envelopes into his arms from the mailbox, bends to retrieve the rest. The mirroring clay pots resting on the top step, though, tell him he won’t have to wonder long, and so, he takes his mail and goes back inside. He’s got that list to work on, after all.

<3<3<3

“That’s it?”

“Don’t have to sound so unimpressed.”

“Where’s the princess?”

“Y’ain’t payin’ attention.”

“Am, too.”

“Patience, Baby Girl.”

“M’not a baby.”

“You gonna fuss all night or listen to the story?”

“Fine.”

“Where were we?”

“You was skipping to the good part.”

“Not so fast. Still some story to tell ‘fore then. Don’t make that face.”

“What face?”

“That one. Look like somebody else I know.”

“Who?”

“Never you mind ‘bout that. Think you’ll like this part, princess or not.”

“Fine.”

“That it? I’m a good mind to save my breath. Tell this story to somebody more appreciative-like.”

“M’sorry.”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t stop. Please.”

“Since you askin’ so nicely.”

<3<3<3

The ride into town isn’t far, and it doesn’t take him long to stock up on groceries and all the other necessities because he’s a man of simple tastes. Before he knows it, he has everything on his list taken care of but for one thing, one very important thing.

The gateway to the Greene farm stands open when he rounds that final bend in the road, Otis’s truck nearby.

He nods at the man himself, drums his fingers on the steering wheel as he lets his vehicle idle and the friendly farm hand approach.

“Good to see you made it back.”

“You thinkin’ I wouldn’t?”

Otis draws his hat down from his head, fumbles his fingers through his graying goatee. His face breaks into an amiable smile as soon as he realizes he’s being teased, in George’s deadpan way, and he replaces his hat, the sun already high and beaming overhead and the Georgia heat making sweat bead on his brow. Noticing the bags in the floor of the truck, he doesn’t waste any more time, directing him onward. “She’s up at the main house with the girls. Doc Greene thought she’d benefit from the company. She’s missed you something awful.”

“Missed her,” he admits.

Otis doesn’t make a big deal out of the confession. He just nods and slaps his palm against the truck’s sun-warmed door. “Best be gettin’ on then. Might take you awhile to convince that young-un to part with her.”

“Thanks.”

<3<3<3

“Does George have a little girl? Is it Princess Sophia?”

“Got a one-track mind, Baby Girl.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Do, too.”

“Do not. I didn’t even ask…”

“Didn’t ask what?”

“Nothin’.”

“Ain’t nothin’. Know you. Don’t give me those eyes. Might as well spit it out.”

“Is George’s Doc Greene our Doc Greene?”

“Didn’t know he was ours, but maybe. Just gonna have to listen and find out for yourself.”

“Well…”

“Well, what?”

“I’m waitin’.”

<3<3<3

The little one cries when he drives up, fat tears welling in those too-big eyes of hers and her shiny blond ponytail shaking as she hurries inside. Ms. Annette just shakes her head at him and smiles because it doesn’t take two seconds after he’s opened that creaky-old door before he’s got his arms and his lap full.

“That dog knows the sound of your truck.”

“Everybody in King County knows the sound of his truck, Annette.”

He ducks his head, dodges the most exuberant of the canine’s slobbering kisses, but he can’t miss them all and he soon gives up trying. “Thanks for lookin’ after her.”

“You know our Bethie’s always been partial to her, has been since the beginning. It wasn’t no imposition, Son. You know that. Fact of the matter is, there’s been a time or two while you’ve been gone that I’ve experienced some regrets.”

He doesn’t press the man for more because he doesn’t have to. He knows exactly what he’s referring to. He rears his head back to look into a pair of intelligent brown eyes, and he’s sent back to that very first moment, when she was nothing more than a tiny, shivering wet ball of black and white fur abandoned in a road-side ditch. One small whimper toward him and pink swipe of her timid tongue, and he hadn’t the heart to leave her behind as others already had. He’d wrapped her up in his flannel over-shirt and turned the heat on high blast, making the old truck sputter and groan all the way to the veterinarian’s country-side practice. The little one had been there that day, and she’d fallen in love, straight away. Fate and Doc Greene, though, had had other plans, and it wasn’t even a week later that he was puppy-proofing his whole house. That little bit of fluff had made coming home worth it ever since. Still, sometimes he wonders if he’s doing right by her, leaving her so often and for so long. Ms. Annette kindly intervenes before he can voice those thoughts.

“Seems to me Tsu made her own choice a long time ago.”

Her husband echoes his agreement with a grin. “Reckon you’re right. She’s been missing you.”

“I heard.” If he sounds a little happy about that fact, well. He missed her, too. Giving the dog’s ears a playful tug, he smirks when she barks at him. He looks down when he feels a soft touch on his arm. It’s the older girl, tomboyish and independent where the little one is soft, and she looks up at him with eyes as green as gems.

“Stay for a little bit. Please. Just long enough for Bethie to see that Tsu’s happy.”

“I’d like to, but I got groceries needin’ to be put in the fridge.”

Ms. Annette comes to her stepdaughter’s aid, closing her hands over the girl’s sturdy shoulders and giving them a fond squeeze. “I can put those in our fridge for you, just for a little bit, and you can join us for a bite of lunch.”

“When’s the last time you had a home-cooked meal, Son?”

His stomach growls before he can formulate a response. It really has been a while. Gruffly, he agrees, “Alright. Sure you don’t mind?”

“Mind? You know you two are always welcome.”

<3<3<3

“It is our Doc Greene!”

“What makes you so sure ‘bout that?”

“Because he’s nice.”

“That all you’re basin’ your assumption on?”

“What’s ‘ssumption mean?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout that. How else you know it’s the same Doc Greene?”

“He has a Bethie, too. But she’s not little.”

“Maybe she’s not little anymore.”

“Maybe he’s not our Doc Greene.”

“Confusin’ you?”

“No.”

“Sure?”

“Maybe a little bit.”

“You sleepy yet?”

“No.”

“Could swallow whole watermelons with that yawn.”

“M’not yawnin’.”

“Sure ‘bout that, Baby Girl?”

“Don’t stop the story. George still hasn’t seen his presents or met the princess yet.”

“You callin’ my story borin’? Done told you…”

“Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

“And chocolate sauce?”

“Lots.”

“Alright. Don’t want you bein’ disappointed though. Presents ain’t always what you think they are.”

“Huh?”

“Just listen and let me tell my story.”

“’kay.”

“Sure you ain’t sleepy?”

“Real sure.”

“Real real sure?”

“Real real real.”

“Alright.”

“Finally.”

<3<3<3

He forgets about the mail until he’s back home, groceries packed away and Tsu lazing around on the couch like she never left it, tuckered out from a sun-drenched afternoon filled with games of tag on the Greene farm. He sits at the table and sorts it into piles, and sure enough, most of it’s junk. Some of it’s not, though, and he takes care of the bills first. He hesitates over the envelope from West Georgia Correctional Facility, but in the end, he chooses to let it wait. It’s been a long first day back already, and he’s not sure he’s physically or emotionally ready to deal with picking out the truth between the lines of his brother’s words. Soon, he comes to the bottom of the pile and he frowns. It seems Stookey has struck again, the proof right there in front of him and addressed to one Mrs. Carol Peletier, apparently the proud new owner of Sergeant Ford’s old place.

<3<3<3

“What’s a ‘rectional cility?”

“It’s a place where…know what? It ain’t important.”

“But what is it? What do people do there?”

“They learn to be good again.”

“Were they bad before?”

“Some of ‘em. Some of ‘em just got lost.”

“Like that time Gabby got lost and we found her up in a tree?”

“Not exactly.”

“How then?”

“That’s a conversation for another time, Baby Girl.”

“I’m not a baby.”

“Not a big girl either. Not yet.”

“Yes, I am.”

“No. You’re in between. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. You’ll grow up soon ‘nough.”

“How soon?”

“Too soon.”

“How soon is too soon?”

“Blink of an eye. ‘Fore you know it, you won’t want me tellin’ you stories no more.”

“That ain’t true.”

“Why?”

“Just ain’t.”

“Tuck your toes in, Baby Girl.”

“M’snug as a bug in a rug.”

“That so?”

“Uh huh.”

“Good. Just a little bit more and that’s it for tonight. We’ll save the rest of the story for later.”

“M’kay.”

“Sleepy, ain’t you?”

“Don’t wanna be.”

“Know. You’ll have sweet dreams. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

<3<3<3

The sun is setting before he finally works up the nerve to walk over there. The crickets are out in full force, and that quiet little girl from three doors down is chasing after lightning bugs with her dad, mason jars in hand. He can’t remember her name. It’s short and foreign-sounding, and he wonders if the family are travelers, must be with a name like that, but it’s a fleeting thought because it doesn’t take long at all to walk up those three wide steps. He clenches the envelope between his sweaty palms and swallows. He doesn’t have a chance to knock on the door before it is pulled open and another little girl and a woman spill through it, nearly plowing into him. There’s a blanket tucked beneath the woman’s arm and a melting popsicle in the child’s hands, and they look just as startled or more so than he feels, and it takes a few moments before any of them rediscover the power of speech. The little girl reaches for the woman’s free hand, and that seems to do the trick.

“I’m sorry. You are?”

“M’your neighbor,” he offers.

“My neighbor? Oh. You think I’m Carol.”

“You’re not?”

A small voice butts in then, soft and shy and apologetic all at once. “Aunt Andrea. You promised.”

The woman stoops to the little girl’s level, hands over the blanket with a reassuring smile. “Why don’t you pick us out a good spot for counting while I talk to the nice man, okay? I’ll be right there.”

They both turn to watch the little girl scamper across the yard and arrange the blanket just so. He smirks a little when he sees her lick a trail up her arm, the popsicle fast dwindling in her hand and painting her skin in cherry stickiness. His amusement fast fades when he catches the woman watching him with hawkish blue-green eyes, her mouth curling at the corners. Feeling uncomfortable under her scrutiny, he glances away for a brief moment, shoves the envelope into her hands. “Postman left Mrs. Peletier’s mail in my box by mistake.”

“Thank you for bringing it by.”

“Ain’t nothin’.”

She laughs a little, the sound not unkind. She crosses her arms across her chest and considers him.

He doesn’t miss those eyes of hers glance downward at his left hand. He can feel the usual heat of embarrassment creep along his skin in response, and he burrows his hands deep in his pockets, nods his head. “Just wanted to make sure she got her mail. I’ll just…over there.” Her voice stops him before he can fully turn around.

“You’re the man with the dog.”

“Lots of people in this neighborhood with dogs,” he answers. He’s not sure why, though. It’s just prolonging this whole uncomfortable encounter and he wants nothing more than to escape to his own little piece of peace, close that door behind him. The woman has other ideas. She just keeps talking.

“But your dog is no ordinary dog.”

Another woman steps outside, and the two link hands. Her eyes are just as deep and warm as the color of her skin, and her smile bright as she regards him. “Definitely not an ordinary dog. Not according to Sophia.”

“She does tricks. I saw her, Aunt ‘Chonne.”

He looks down, surprised to find the little girl at his side and staring up at him in something akin to secondhand wonder. There are freckles on her pale skin, all across her cheeks and her button nose. She’s small and she’s delicate, and he’s sure she’d weigh next to nothing in his arms. It’s a strange thought, one that finally spurs him into action. “Not tricks. She just listens. Make sure your mama gets her mail, ‘kay?”

“Yes, Sir,” the little girl solemnly promises.

It takes less time for him to cross the distance this time, but his escape still isn’t quick enough.

“She’s not married! In case you’re curious about her. Carol.”

“Andrea!”

<3<3<3

“Sleep, Baby Girl. There’ll be more tomorrow.”

End Notes:

Thanks for reading!!!

Feedback would be wonderful.

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cosmosogler · 7 years

Text

hello. i had a little trouble falling asleep last night. i like to pet eve while she falls asleep, but it’s not the most comfortable position for me, as i usually prefer to sleep on my other side. i think for the first time in weeks i actually DIDN’T have to get up after laying there for 30 minutes, which was nice, as that means i actually fell asleep 30 minutes earlier than it usually takes me. since when i get up i usually have to start falling asleep all over.

i didn’t manage to do anything productive before i left for lunch. i met with linda and david and we hung out and nibbled on our food and talked for two hours. it was nice. i made a mistake though. when they asked how i continued studying physics without any emotional support from my parents i said “because i hate myself” and they got REALLY concerned.

i guess that is kind of a vicious comment. i tend to laugh after i say it so people my age react like it might have been a joke. they cut through the usual bs i pad my depression admissions with though and asked if i was doing ok and if i was talking to a counselor.

they talked a lot about pearl and al. i remember that pearl liked to talk about linda and david whenever i went to visit, but i filed them away as “people i don’t know” even though she would tell me they lived in the same area as me. but now i know them, so now i am visiting with them.

when i got home i played outside with wiley until we were both exhausted. eve ran around a little bit, but i think she got hot really fast. wiley has thick, long fur, but eve is black.

i was way too sore and pained to do anything all afternoon. i didn’t make any phone calls. though i did pick up my prescriptions from the pharmacy and checked on my refills. and i called and talked to oz and mario for a while. oz showed me a really fun app for your phone where you throw paper airplanes around the world and stamp ones that come to you. i found airplanes stamped from all sorts of places. i showed it to dad later and he liked it too. there’s no names attached, just cities and dates.

i spent a long time downstairs hanging out with the dogs while i waited for mom and dad to make a decision about dinner. and i cleaned the pool while dad did yard work. the tree on the sidewalk that runs behind our backyard is in bloom and the little yellow flowers and pollen have coated our backyard. birds mistake the pool for a bed of flowers and try to land in it. dad had to fish a poor drowned bird out of it the other day. basically we just take a net and run it along the pool’s surface around the outside and that clears it up a little bit. the vacuum and filters are always clogged after two or three days this time of year.

then we had pizza for dinner. i don’t like the restaurant mom gets the pizza from very much. they don’t seem to mix the toppings and sauce very well. at least domino’s gets the right sauce/cheese ratio and their crust doesn’t take up half the slice. even little caesars is like, the taste is bland enough that you just kinda taste the dipping sauce.

while i was waiting for dinner i did some research on the effects of aging on dogs, and symptoms to look for that aren’t just age. i’m gonna try moving to hand commands with eve over the next few weeks and see if she picks it up while she can still hear. did you know that macaws can live like 80 years? even pigeons can hit 15 when kept as pets. urban pigeons only usually make it to 3 or 4, which is really sad and also a sign that they are probably more suited to life as pets. maybe if i figure out how to keep birds i will take in some pigeons.

hmm. tomorrow i am going to gramma’s house to prepare for the easter gathering on sunday. it mostly involves painting eggs and maybe baking a cake. according to gramma i am PRETTY GOOD at making cakes! i, at least, always like what i bake with gramma. baking and cooking are actually fun when you’re with a partner. when i’m doing it by myself i just kind of stand there and wait.

i did draw a picture today! i drew my character fern heckling asher’s character kai. it wasn’t anything complicated, really just head and shoulders, and i didn’t finish the line work or ink it, but asher liked it. and... it felt good. and i think i somehow got better without practicing.

like, this drawing wasn’t better than my previous art by a long shot, but something about it... if i draw more, i could refine it i think, in a way i couldn’t before. and i did hang on to one of the fan character “candidates.” and there was one other person i kinda looked at but wasn’t sure about because she already knows who i am haha.

god i’m so shy. it’s hard to, like, be friendly and supportive to random people when you see their profiles like “I HATE GROWNUPS” and like, i’m a grownup now??? when did that happen?

i’m also shy about people on tumblr. i haven’t followed anyone new in a long time because i’m afraid they’ll look at my posts... but i still check their pages. i am aware this would be a lot easier for me if i just followed them. i mean, i see most of their posts anyway. i feel more comfortable following other people who, like, write about their depression and stuff. even though my tumblr is about 70% not depression blogging and more “whatever i saw that i liked or thought was interesting and wanted my friends to see.”

am i the only one that finds it extremely difficult to interact with teenagers? even just to be friendly and supportive, because i know how difficult being a teenager was? i don’t even talk to my usual internet friend group any more because they brought in a new teenager and she shuts down the conversation when it isn’t about video games because she doesn’t want “the discourse.” it took two bad experiences and i’m already avoiding interacting with her... i don’t even talk to my brother about anything and i see him every day.

today i had a veggie burger with a fruit cup. it made me extremely ill. it made driving home kind of hard and disorienting. then i had some pizza with sun dried tomatoes and spinach and pesto sauce. i almost actually threw up. i went in the bathroom and stared at the toilet and put my hand against the sink and sweated and tried to breathe for a few minutes. i only forgot my medication at lunch. of course... my parents didn’t end up getting dinner until two hours after i had taken my dinner dosage, so maybe i had waited too long between taking the meds and eating.

in the evening dad started taping down some paper to the tile in preparation for painting the walls. eve was terrified of the noise the tape made as dad unrolled it. wiley joined us and “helped” by putting the roll of floor paper in his mouth repeatedly and chewing on dad’s hands and feet and then licking the paint we dripped on the floor when we wrote some stuff next to my brother’s door. dad said it was non toxic so i’m not TOO worried, but the dog would eat rat poison if we didn’t stop him. we ended up putting him and eve in my room while dad taped down my side of the hallway, so i put on some dog music and wiley and eve were dozing within 15 minutes.

we wrote “goofy goober” next to my brother’s door with an arrow pointing into the room. i snap chatted a picture of it. then my brother came home and went in his room to look for the “prank.” i took a picture of him standing there with “goofy goober” pointing at him and sent that to asher.

so i did some of the things i wanted today, but not all of them. that’s ok. i find it hard to do TWO of the things i want to do in a day, let alone three or four or five. which is the number of things i need to do. and i did three! i picked up my meds and went to lunch and drew for a few minutes.

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licencedtoretire · 6 years

Text

After a quiet night camped surrounded by bush at the Pukeiti Gardens followed by the group morning tea I mentioned in the previous blog it was time to set off for an explore of these world famous gardens. Sarah and I planned to walk some of the back trails so for the first time in ages we also dug out our tramping boots just in case the trail got a bit muddy.

It’s a very imposing entrance to the gardens with what must be millions of dollars spent to make this part of the gardens accessible to people of all sorts of fitness or mobility levels with huge steel framing walkways and ramps that surrounds the main building making access very easy to this part of the gardens.

For those in the safari less mobile than Sarah and I there was also the escorted tour of the gardens running every 20 minutes or so. With space for 10 or 12 people in the back of the stretched golf carts. These where free of charge as was admission with costs met by the Taranaki Council and private donations.

I cannot say that we really needed our tramping boots at the start of the walk with lush lawns and well formed paths around this part of the garden. What I thought was really special were the number of pink rhododendrons that they had grown especially to match Sarah’s pink raincoat in fact sometimes it was hard to tell where the plant stopped and the raincoat started.

While Rhododendrons and Azaleas form a huge part of this garden it’s not all it has to offer with other offerings like the orchid above growing in between branches of a pohutakawa or the plastic beetle sitting on top of one of the information boards.

Most people visiting the gardens would be content walking through the garden area admiring the plants but there is also the walking track at the back of the gardens and the reason we had worn the tramping boots. Following a gentle stream the track which was quite muddy in places leads you down towards the swing bridge which crosses the stream and should you wish take you to the summit of the hill behind the gardens.

On the day of our walk though there was a huge mud puddle at the far end of the swing bridge with no easy way around and although we had our tramping boots on we didn’t feel like walking through such a muddy mess. So we didn’t get to walk to the summit which is according to the brochure about an hours walk each way. Maybe next time.

Back at the main buildings there was a display of all the different rhododendron flowers growing in the garden. It must be quite the task to get out and pick these every couple of days to keep the display fresh or maybe they had just done it the once and we lucked in.

There are many tranquil scenes amongst the gardens and the waterwheel is one of those. Hidden away behind the main buildings and down a rather narrow track it’s a moment of stillness admiring the water. It was here that we called our visit to Pukeiti Gardens to an end returning to the carpark to move our vehicle so other visitors might have somewhere to park.

Looks like we got ourselves a convoy! heading back to the coast from Pukeiti it seemed like most of us had the same idea about leaving at the same time with 5 of us heading down one of the narrow country roads. Thankfully there wasn’t a lot of traffic coming up the hill, in fact I think only 1 car.

While the others heading towards the beach at Okato we carried on and arrived first at the Cape Egmont Boat Club where the group was spending the night. Since it was such a nice day we thought we would jump on the bikes and ride to the other lighthouse a few kms up the road to fill in a bit of time but also to enjoy the coastal ride as the road hugs the coast here.

Sadly we never made it as far as the other lighthouse as the road turns back inland where this stream outflows to the sea and although we could have taken off our shoes and crossed it. There didn’t appear to be a path to the lighthouse. So I have inserted a picture of Sarah taken in June last year when we happened to be in the same area. The weather then wasn’t as pleasant as it was this year as you can probably see by the large rain coat she is wearing.

Returning to the camping area which was beginning to fill up with fellow travelers we wandered up to the clubrooms for the boating club to see the sign in the window about the honesty box being stolen. Pretty sad to think that some lowlife would go to the trouble of stealing this for a few bucks when they are depriving the local community of it’s income. I thought about suggesting that our group all chip in to help fund a new one but it turns out that they already had that sorted with a hole in the wall of the building. So much more secure.

You wouldn’t want to be launching your boat here unless you knew what you where doing with even on what was a semi calm day the sea was bigger than I would feel comfortable going out in. We came also across this little green monster who had been cemented into the boat ramp someone’s bit of fun I guess.

There were locals out whitebaiting in both of the streams with the ones next to the lighthouse having had quite good success. Given the sea conditions this is probably more my sort of fishing around these sort of coasts.

It was a busy time at happy hour that night with Neale running the raffle to help raise funds for the EBOP NZMCA. I had the pleasure of drawing the winner which of course was neither Sarah or I but the club was a few bucks richer and a bit of fun for all. After the rain the previous night it was nice to be sitting back out in the sun enjoying a cold class of whatever you are drinking. The wind on the west coast can be a bit of an issue and so it might have been here during the night but with the camping area surrounded by a 3 metre hedge there is really good protection and the expression slept like a baby applies it was so peaceful.

The following morning one of the guys from the boat club and marine rescue unit invited us into the clubhouse to view the rescue craft. It was impossible to get a good photo of the boat and tractor as it’s inside the garage but it certainly was an impressive sight. Talking about good photos if you are having trouble with viewing some of them on this blog I have all sorts of problems loading them and wish to apologize but I just haven’t been able to do anything about it.

Probably most impressive in the clubrooms is this world record Bluefin Tuna weighing in at an incredible 303 Kgs sort of puts my 5kg snapper to shame. I honestly think my arms would have fallen off trying to wind that one in.

Other than that it’s your usual sports clubrooms with tons of photos and leader boards making for some really interesting viewing. If you are staying here over summer they do dinner on clubnights (Friday) and we where told the plates are large and full while the prices are low. Just how most motorhomers like things. @$10 per van per night which goes towards club funds it was a great place to stay. So not quite freedom camping but still a cheap place to stay.

From here the plan was to head towards the Hollard Gardens another place were they didn’t want us to arrive before 3.30 pm so Sarah and I took the day at the boat club to just relax, read and chill out rather than scoot off to look at another place. The camping ground at the boat club is just that sort of place and I can quite easily see us coming back here for a few days.

Continuing my feature of who is on this safari with us are Neale and Kay who live just out of Whakatane and purchased their Autotrail Comanche about the same time we brought our Dethleffs last year. They have moved down in size from a much larger motorhome and initially found the adjustment quite difficult but now love the Comanche. At the time of writing they still own their old motorhome so if you are in the market for an 11.5 metre custom built check motorhome out their listing on Trademe.

To view the places we have visited click here to see them on Google maps. You can click the links to read the blog about that area. [cardoza_facebook_like_box] To view the ratings for other places and camps we have stayed click here [jetpack_subscription_form]

Camping @ Cape Egmont Lighthouse After a quiet night camped surrounded by bush at the Pukeiti Gardens followed by the group morning tea I mentioned in the previous…

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