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twilightmalachite · 7 months

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Raison d'être - Prologue

Author: Akira

Characters: Shu, Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Congratulations, Pinnochio! It’s great to be human, isn’t it!?"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Apartment in France

During ES’ first year of establishment. Mid-March, at the house in Paris Shu is boarding at…

Shu: So, how do I put it? I still feel I am being derided for using a string phone, you see!

Mika: What does “derided” mean again? What a pretty-soundin’ word~. ♪

Shu: So I feel I am being ridiculed, you see! How am I supposed to tell vulgar snobs that way back when I was a student, I had not yet become accustomed to civilization?

Mika: Nnah~, ain’t that a bit different from bein’ looked down on? Doesn’t he just find it amusin’?

Shu: Oh-ho, do you find a difference between the two? You consider the former to be slander and the latter to be well-intentioned?

Mika: I-I don’t really think into it that much…

What's got ya so upset, Oshi-san? Weren’t we just havin’ a fun talk over the rules we have in my room at Starmony Dorms? Just small talk?

Y’know~, how I’d put a put a string telephone out from my room, and my roommate would be thoughtful and say, “Ah, so Kagehira’s talking to his Oshi-san today, huh?”

Shouldn’t ya feel grateful or happy hearin’ somethin’ like that?

Shu: And I resent the fact that a string phone is automatically being associated with me.

I know for a fact that in the minds of those spiteful people back in Japan, I am still nothing but a picky, old-fashioned senior citizen requiring special care.

Hah! The fact they can’t update their personal judgment of me is proof that they are the ones aging!

Mika: That has nothin’ to do with me~? I don’t know what ya want me to say, Oshi-san!

What’s the matter? Did ya have a bad day at university?

Shu: Hmph. Nothing went wrong, it was uneventful and peaceful. Who do you think I am?

Mika: I’m worried ‘cause you’re you, Oshi-san!

Shu: Are you in a position to worry about others? Have you become someone so distinguished?

That’s right!! You are your own person now! You can walk around on your own without me always taking care of you, can’t you?

Congratulations, Pinnochio! It’s great to be human, isn’t it!?

Mika: (Nnah~… Oshi-san really is always irritated~… Whenever I get excited or get in a good mood, Oshi-san seems to get angry in turn.)

(But, what is it he’s really angry at, then? Well, it’s possible it might actually be my fault…)

(I don’t got any clue…)

(I even came all the way to Paris ‘cause Oshi-san told me “I want to take an occasion to talk about the future”, despite bein’ so busy at the end of the school year.)

(Not only did I not get praised, but he started gettin’ all irritated the moment I told him I wanted to continue livin’ at Starmony Dorms fer the next year.)

(I wonder why. I guess it’s not what Oshi-san had in mind fer me?)

(But y’know, Valkyrie basically only has work in Japan, so it’s more efficient to stay in the area.)

(I’m not like Oshi-san, I don’t have anythin’ in particular I wanna study abroad. And I wouldn’t be able t’get into the same university as Oshi-san with a brain like mine.)

(But if I go and say I wanna live with Oshi-san, it’d just be selfish, wouldn’t it?

(I’d end up bein’ a nuisance to those at the house Oshi-san’s boardin’ at, and I wouldn’t have anythin’ to do even if I live here, y’know?)

(It is lonely, but… It’s a pain t’have someone nestle up with ya just ‘cause they’re lonely, right, Oshi-san?)

Shu: Non! How come your hands have stopped moving, Kagehira-kuuun? Have I forgotten to wind up the mainspring?

Mika: Nnaaah, why’re ya callin’ me by “kun”? It makes it feel like we’ve grown apart, it makes me sad!

Shu: It’s about right, isn’t it? Aren’t you always being overly-familiar? Thanks to that, I’ve even misjudged the distance between you and I!

I had been so deluded from that, I even had been preparing a new life for you and everything, in earnest! I’d even bowed my head to the landlady, secured you a room, and even furnished it! Everything was in order, kakaka!

Well, it all was done for naught! I’ve jumped to conclusions and rashly did something so excessive, laugh at my foolishness!

Mika: Nnah~…? I-If it’s what ya want, Oshi-san, I’ll get started on the moving procedures, then?

Shu: No, not necessary! I don’t know what I was doing, take the furniture and everything else I’ve prepared for you back to Japan, sell it, and use that money to fund Valkyrie’s activities!

While you’re at it, take back the work I’ve made in the past year and sell those off too! I’m confident that they’ll be sold for a reasonable price!

Our performance at SS, the war between worlds, was not very satisfactory, after all…

To think I was made to engage in a slapstick we were not accustomed to, if anything our reputations have been tarnished.

In order to wipe away these defects, we shall use the funds from selling everything off to develop a new artistic venture!

Practically, this is no time to get carried away with a new life!

Mika: My bad… I had no idea ya were lookin’ forward to livin’ with me so much, Oshi-san…

Shu: Me!? To what?! What was I looking forward to!?

Don’t go acting too cocky! You know, it’s because of you always leading me on that I’ve misunderstood—

Hm?

Mika: W-What is it? Oshi-san…?

Shu: Stop acting so jittery like you’re some small animal! It’s irritating!

—My phone is going off. Usually the landlady is very considerate to not call me while guests are over… Is it something urgent, perhaps?

Mika: The phone? Ahh, well I’ll be quiet, then~. ♪

(I-If anythin’, this might’ve saved me… This’ll help break up the strange atmosphere.)

Shu: Hello? Why it’s Nii-sama, isn’t that rare. What is it you need?

Yeah, yeah, aren’t you a bother? I’m doing just fine! Hadn’t I asked you to leave me alone? Why is it that you’re—

—…What?

… … …Understood.

Yes… I’ll return home soon.

Mika: W-What is it? That call was from yer big brother, wasn’t it—How come?

Shu: It’s my Grandfather…

Mika: Hm?

Shu: …It appears early this morning, my grandfather passed away.

[ ☆ ]

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#raison d'être #raison d'etre #event #translation #mika kagehira #shu itsuki

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secretly1nlov3 · 8 days

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old romance.♥︎

#old love #old romance #girlblogging #girlblogger #1920s #1930s #1940s #1950s #1960s #female hysteria #femcel #redamancy #raison d'etre #basorexia #being in love #Spotify #lana del rey #tumblr girls

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raelyn-dreams · 7 months

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Hi hi!! Did you read the valkyrie climax event? What are your thoughts on it? Do you think it was a good development for Valkyrie as a unit (and for shumika)? 🤔

Hi!!! It's lovely to see you again :)

So originally this post started off with a Le temps des fleurs analysis...that got so long that rather than subject everyone to a five page post, I've decided I'll post separately in the future lol.

But yes, I have read through Raison D'etre! To be honest, I don't think this post will be able to sum up all my thoughts, but I'll try to hit the important parts!

I feel that first I need to define what, to me, makes a good climax event. A good climax event, by my personal definition, ties up loose threads of the current storyline, addresses built-up conflicts with good pacing and in-character reactions, and resolves the current story thread of the unit while still allowing many more narratives to be weaved in the future. So far, of the other units we've gotten climax events of (fine, Crazy:B, Ra*bits, Double Face, and as of recently, 2wink), I think this has all been done fairly well - a couple character slip-ups, a few pacing issues here and there, a shoved-in conflict or two - but ultimately, they did their job, and I came away feeling fairly satisfied by their current conclusions.

I think I also need to state that I do not expect, nor frankly want, all of the character's issues and relationships to come away squeaky clean and unproblematic. I'm always for development of course (Neverland's garbage talk made me sob over how far Shu and Mika have come), but ultimately, this game is about a bunch of screwed-up kids in an exploitative industry, and how they navigate it while facing their own personal issues. Like other gacha games, from otomes like Obey Me to fellow joseimukes like Twisted Wonderland, the end goal is not to make the characters perfect, or even relatively good people. It's to weave a satisfying narrative, something that hooks and engages people. And while I will be the first to say the Enstars writing is not always "good" and can be riddled with problems, I still see a lot of potential in it and ultimately enjoy it, which is why I'm writing this.

I'm happy to say that Valkyrie did not break the pattern of satisfying climax events for me, and in fact, has come away as my favorite of them thus far. I readily admit that bias does in fact play a factor in my enjoyment - as it did with 2wink's and I'm sure it will when Alkaloid's drops - but I truly did feel that Valkyrie's climax event was incredibly satisfying for both of them.

So, onto the story!

Some of my favorite bits:

Shu defending Nazuna's autonomy was so asdfghjkl 😭 GODDAMN that hit me right in the feels! I liked that despite Nazuna being part of the event, the writing didn't try to dredge up ex-valk issues, and instead used Nazuna as a person close to them in order to forward their development, rather than as an angst tool, if that makes sense? He also seems to be doing a lot better since Ra*bits climax (poor man finally caught a break), so good for him! Also, Mika gaining weight! He is finally eating properly 🥺 I'm so proud.

Ok, so adding onto the above, initially the Kuro-Nazuna crossdressing subplot made me wary since I was afraid enstars was backtracking into some of its more...iffy writing choices (*stares at Poltergeist*). However, after reading the story through, I can safely say that the way it ties back into the theme was good, and ultimately, neither Kuro nor Nazuna exhibited any behavior that impacted my enjoyment of the story (+ this thread addressing issues people had with Kuro here, because my dude was getting attacked when this dropped).

Instead of "haha man in a dress", it showed a good progression of attitudes with old vs new era and Japan vs West that I felt was explored pretty thoughtfully, and the way Shu and Mika honored that by having such gnc stage costumes was very lovely! Kuro and Nazuna's good reactions to it also showed how much more open-minded they were as compared to Shu's grandfathers era, and also showed a reflection of enstars own writing changes between ! and !! era (ex. Koga and Subaru dropping their slur usage towards Arashi, Kaoru being more thoughtful towards Adonis's background, etc). I'm not trying to be a suck-up to the writers, since there is some stuff they've written that is...less than lovely. However, I don't think this situation was one of them, and overall, it tied back into Shu's journey well.

One scene I really want to talk about is the foie gras conversation because that was just!!! so!!! It's a very small scene in the grand scheme of things, but I thought it showed their development really well (Raelyn get new phrases challenge lol), so I wanted to mention it here! Mika wants to try foie gras, and Shu is like "why. it's gross and inhumane and there are so many better foods" which is totally fair (foie gras is often inhumanely created). However, Mika doesn't automatically apologize and back down like he would in the past, stating that he knows, but he still finds it interesting. Shu also does not shut Mika down; he states that maybe at another time, though he sticks to his own boundaries of not having it himself.

What I really like about this scene on Shu's end (and his relationship with Mika as a whole) is that he does not regress into treating Mika like he did Nazuna; he does not try to insist that Mika is perfect and should not soil himself with such indelicacies, nor does he put him on a pedestal and automatically throw out his own opinions for Mika (essentially, treating him as Mika treated him). Shu truly treats him as an equal here, by stating his own opinion and having an open and meaningful conversation with Mika, getting his view on it without completely sacrificing his own thoughts. Mika, in turn, does not treat Shu's words as gospel, nor does he feel the need to plead his case; the conversation is entirely casual, a mere exchange between partners, but its so important because its one of the first times they've demonstrated that they've made it to this point. The whole thing is wrapped very nicely in a bow by Shu creating something with a similar taste and texture to foie gras to give Mika a similar experience, without having to cook the actual thing - its a great compromise both are satisfied with, and gives us a look into how their current art and performances are being created.

(Translations below by mika_enstars)

Shu's whole-hearted acceptance of Mika also comes back into play during the grave-robbing aftermath, which is something I have a lot of thoughts on, so I'll save it for a separate post.

Getting into what blew every enstars fan's mind, time to discuss the very queer themes of Raison D'etre. This shocked me when the translations first came out - I think the closest we've EVER gotten to this amount of explicit rep was Beasts and Pretty Mission, and even those can be argued for different interpretations, though I feel their text is pretty clear. Lots of queer fans (including me) gravitate to Valkyrie, and enstars as a whole tbh, for good reason - lots of their story aspects can be considered queer, from Shu's feminine interests and subsequent bullying, Nazuna feeling "trapped" by ex-Valk's expectations, and Mika's alt interests and unwavering devotion.

The doll plot was confusing as hell lol, but I get why it was done in such a convoluted manner, since it was supposed to be left up to interpretation, and force Shu and Mika to come to their own conclusions. Shu's grandfather deliberately set it up in such a way that Shu would be forced to weave the story he wants, and in doing so, accept the parts of himself he had hidden away - a fairly thin parallel to his grandfather's queer youth.

However, the difference here is that Shu does not plan on hiding, he does not plan on bundling away his feelings in a neat little box (or journal, in this case), and leaving them behind. In Antique Legend, we see that Shu's grandfather clearly tried to conform to what was expected of him, and impart those same values onto Shu - though Shu never fully stuck to those principles in favor of forging his own path, which I think his grandfather was secretly proud of him for.

(Antique Legend: Dumps of Dreams, Ep 8)

Shu internally monologues about how different his grandfather's time and the current one he lives in are, and how things are evolving in such a way that he can stand on stage without the ridicule his grandfather may have faced. This, along with the ending of "Let's live together happily, Kagehira" as an ode to his grandfather's dreams, really does read like a love story to me, especially the part right before where Mika compares the love Shu's grandmother has for his grandfather as the same love Shu has for him - which Shu doesn't deny.

A couple other things to wrap up:

I found it so interesting how Mika and Shu had different takes on his grandfather's life, and trying to unravel the truth was both fun and a chore and a half for me lol. All in all, the audience isn't meant to know fully, but I think Mika's theory might hold a bit more water (Shu's grandfather being gnc and dating the landlady), since he had extra info and is bffs with Naru, giving him a bit more insight. However, I can definitely see why Shu went with his theory of "grandpa had many different male lovers in his youth", as not only is it the one that does not imply cheating, but it is a closer representation of how Shu feels, and I think that's what grandpa was trying to get at.

The use of "boku" and "ore" was also pretty good storytelling imo, and adds an extra layer of projection, since Shu uses "boku" while Mika uses "ore" in day-to-day life. "Boku" is also seen as politer and more formal, while "ore" is more casual and was at one point seen as crass, which reflected their story roles well!

The fact that Shu's grandfather just??? Fakes his death on a regular basis is???? So???? I can't even asdfghjkl. Kuro being like "yeah, I comforted him the first 5 times, but then I got kinda sick of it" is so funny too. I wonder if any of the rich enstars kids are gonna do this in the future, my money's on Eichi (for profit), Ritsu (for fun), or Hiyori (for drama) personally.

I know I said I wouldn't talk about it here, but the grave-robbing aftermath where Shu describes Mika as a fairy during their first meeting, as a contrast to how he had always described him as a ghost? That got me so good, especially since it's something so idealistic being used when Mika is currently cold and covered in dirt. It's just such wholehearted acceptance of his partner, it's so beautiful.

Anyways, I think I'll end it here, but again, thank you so much for the ask and patience Dia!!!

(Edit: accidentally included RYUSEITAI with the climax units, it's fixed now)

#this ended up so incomprehensible in some areas but valk just does that to me ig haha #ensemble stars #enstars #ensemble stars music #jpstars #enstars spoilers #raelyn's asks #distortedmoondisc #mika kagehira #shu itsuki #shumika #raison d'etre #enstars valkyrie #valkyrie climax #kuro kiryu #nazuna nito

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vintage-tigre · 1 month

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#life’s purpose #aesthetic #vintage #old school cool #style #raison d'etre #philosophy #stoic #experience #expression

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freminnet · 1 year

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Raison D'etre by Eve

#eve #eve mv #raison d'etre #raison d'etre eve #eve gifs #gifs #idk how to tag this

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yyumemika · 1 month

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A Premature Burial Episode 9

A Premature Burial

Episode 9

Season: Winter

Characters: Mika, Shu

(Lunchtime the next day, the Chinese restaurant nearby ES building)

Mika: *Chewing loudly*

Shu: Non! The way you eat is disgusting as ever, were you raised by animals?

Well, I suppose eating and sleeping properly is what lets one grow big and strong. You were in poor health last year because everything you did was suited to me.

Mika: Nnah~ But Oshisan.

Shu: Talk after you’ve swallowed.

Mika: Nnah~ … *chew chew* *gulp*

Umm… What were ya sayin’ again?

Oh yeah. Ya said ya were gonna leave me in charge of the food while we’re back home, but was this Chinese restaurant really okay?

Oshisan is always livin’ abroad so don’t ya miss Japanese food?

Shu: You might generally think that.

I was a western-minded child, even when I lived at home I had a dislike of Japanese food, and got scolded for eating croissants in secret.

Mika: Nnah~ I guess it’s true when ya say it like that. Ain’t that why ya always kept a furnace at home.

Ahaha. This time I really feel like I’m gettin’ to know Oshian better, I’m real happy.

Shu: What does that mean… Now’s not the time for this carefree idle chatter.

My family are trying to respond seriously to my grandfather’s unreasonable behaviour. That troublesome old man gets angry if we cut corners.

Of course, none of my other family members are artists.

I’m a nonconformist, a freak. My grandfather is similarly so, and I was called his second coming.

Therefore, it seems my family members will likely hire renowned artists and funeral service professionals.

Mika: Usually, it’s best t’ rely on professional funeral directors fer a funeral.

Shu: Yes. If we want to defeat such a formidable enemy and win this “funeral contest”, we need to come up with a new idea.

Even if it's done the usual way, they’re not likely to win. Although we are artists who are regarded highly in society, we’re amateurs when it comes to funeral services.

Mika: Nnah~ I agree with ya, but what’re we really gonna do?

Ya said we’re schemin’ but… Ain’t it no good to have a funeral that eccentric?

Shu: Hmph. It’s because these old fashioned narratives have started to break down that we have fine art today.

Of course, I, too, have no plan to behave in such an indecent manner.

Properly mourning my beloved grandfather is my top priority, and the results of this “funeral contest” can be said to be secondary or even tertiary.

Mika: Yeah.

Shu: In that respect— We have an advantage over my other relatives, as I have a stronger bond with my grandfather than anyone else.

I know the deceased the best, therefore I believe we can capture his most desired funeral.

Mika: But, yer grandad ain’t “deceased” yet… Well, I get what ya wanna say.

This ain’t really the same as our usual performances aimed at the general public, it’s different from weavin’ up stuff specifically fer fans—

It’s more like something made-ta-order fer a specific person, fer yer grandad.

Honestly, it makes sense to adapt it to the person’s preferences an’ stuff.

Shu: Fufu. I’m glad we can have a decent conversation like this. Back then, all you would do was listen to my endless explanations, confused and not understanding a word of it.

It was as if I was a mother bird feeding her chick.

But, now that you have grown like this, we can fly alongside one another.

The truth is, I’m happy… You’ve gotten big, Kagehira.

Mika: W-What’s goin’ on, yer talkin’ like an old man, Oshisan.

Rafaello: “—I apologise for the inconvenience. I don’t mean to trouble you.”

“Do you mind if I barge in on this conversation too?”

Mika: Nnah? Where’s that strange voice comin’ from? Ain’t that the voice of that suspicious guy Rafaello who says he’s yer grandad’s illegitimate child?

Shu: I don’t mind if you want to join, but shall we move to another place?

The grease from the food will splash here.

Because of that, I have your doll packed up neatly into my bag.

Rafaello: “I think that’s a good idea.”

”I want to express my regret that even things that were originally daily necessities are kept in the back of museums and treated as nothing more than works of art.”

“Dolls are meant to be cherished. I cannot help but say that getting dirt or scratches on them is inexcusable.”

Shu: There are people who love dirt and scratches, isn’t that right, Kagehira?

Mika: Uh, uh, why’re ya shakin’ me?

Rafaello: “Fufu. You will have to travel quite some distance. My— No, your villa’s storage room should do.”

“I have something I must tell you two there.”

Shu: We have to return to that building again? It takes quite some time to get to.

Rafaello: “Of course, I’ll wait. No, I’ve always been waiting.”

“I don’t think of it as anything other than a little more useless waiting time.”

#raison d'etre #ensemble stars #enstars #shu itsuki #mika kagehira #english translation

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funakounasoul · 16 days

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Oh, hey, I guess it's pretty obvious, huh?

#raison d'etre #webcomic #lgbtq comics #urban fantasy #update #boost

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magpiewithacamera · 1 year

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"The next morning I put on every single piece of clothing I’ve brought with me and venture out for breakfast. Schools are closed, many shops are shut and the whole city sparkles with a holiday air. At Raison d’Etre, a restaurant with faux marbre walls, real marble tables and walls filled with good art, people are wrapping their cold hands around cups of cappuccino and eating great puffy brioches and omelets filled with fancy ingredients like Icelandic shrimp and hollandaise.

This is a wonderful place for breakfast; the corned beef hash comes with homemade catsup, and omelets are garnished with tangerines cut in half and dotted with pomegranate seeds, the ruby seeds glowing against orange fruit. The food, like the clientele, is an odd mixture of self-conscious artiness and a certain sweetness. The food is delicate, but the portions are enormous. I can’t think of a better definition of Northwest chic.

~~article by Ruth Reichl, LA Times, Dec. 1985.

Raison d’Etre, 113 Virginia Ave., Seattle, (206) 624-4622.

Andy and Jeff (and possibly Stone) were working at the Raison when this article was written. Photos are from the designer - Sheila Kline's - portfolio c. 1982.

Same address, changed a bit through the years.

Stone, Jeff and Andrew, all of Mother Love Bone, used to be baristas here, a long time ago. It's right around the corner from the 1st Street World Headquarters of Sub Pop records, less than 100 feet from the back door of the Oxford where Jeff lived at one point.

Photos mine, 2019-2021.

#seattle #grunge historian #the grunge tourist #grunge #mother love bone #Andy Wood #Stone Gossard #Jeff Ament #raison d'etre #this is our history

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unstablemable · 1 year

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Réveillon de Noël - UnstableMable

One-shot - 8894 words - sequel to Raison d’Être

The door to the book store jingles joyfully when Trixie pushes it open, as though it too is happy she’s back. She’s immediately greeted with the welcome warmth of a little space heater stood near the reading nook. A couple of people browsing the bookshelves look up and greet her with soft, muted voices. Trixie barely has time to close the door behind her when Katya rushes over. She barely manages a “hi” before grabbing Trixie by the wrist and swiftly guiding her to the back of the store. Katya opens the door to the little hallway and pulls both of them, and Trixie’s gigantic suitcase, inside, before pressing Trixie against it.

“Hi, hello. You’re here,” Katya presses out. She sounds almost out of breath and it makes Trixie giggle and press her cold nose into Katya’s cheek. Katya shudders a little.

#here i am again #after a long hiatus #with a #one shot #sequel to #raison d'etre #hope you like it!#happy holigays everyone #trixie & katya #rpdr #trixie mattel #katya zamolodchikova #AO3 fanfic

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beware-thegemini · 11 months

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“Then why are you so determined, my dear? The military is hardly the place for a widowed woman.”

The faraway figure turned, and she imagined that she could see his dark eyes and that cursed shark’s smile. The smile of the man who was responsible for her father’s death, and now her husband’s as well. Riza crushed the dirt harder and let it fall as dust. Like the dust that her husband’s bones were quick becoming.

“Why? I want to ruin Roy Mustang’s life.”

A royai AU equal parts FMA ’03, Weimar-era Cabaret, and a noir reimagining of R&H’s The King and I. The stage: a dark and dazzling Gatsbyesque world lost somewhere between reality and performance. The players: the cast of FMA doing their best to distract themselves from conspiracies and secrets too terrifying to entertain.

Come for Royai Week’s raison d’être prompt, stay for the 1920′s cabaret-inspired AU full of dark conspiracies, musical references, and some good old-fashioned enemies to lovers. Riza has someone she needs to avenge.

Happy Royai Day!

#royaiweek23 #raison d'etre #royai day #royai week #royai fanfiction #royai #roy mustang #riza hawkeye #fanfic #fma #fma fanfiction #shameless self promotion

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fyodcrs · 8 months

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Chuuya, it looks like this is goodbye. It's a shame that it had to happen this way. It's been seven years since we met. We never did get along, did we? But...come to think of it now, there were times when we understood each other. For example...Sorry, I couldn't think of anything. Anyway, goodbye!

#bsdedit #Bungou Stray Dogs #Dazai Osamu #BSD #*edits #Dazai #raison d'etre #usergojoana #userdabiluna #usermoonz #userartless #userinahochi #userjenny

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twilightmalachite · 6 months

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Raison d’être - Epilogue 3

Author: Akira

Characters: Shu, Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Just like how ya love me, right, Oshi-san?"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Spring

Location: Apartment in France

Shu: Yes. It seems that Grandfather really wished to be buried with the woman he had separated from himself.

Embrace it as himself, without denying or forgetting her existence.

So that at least, he can spend eternity with her, the woman who was undoubtedly his “beloved lady”, in the afterlife.

Fufu. Although I’m sure when he does go to heaven, he’ll get a scolding from my even stricter grandmother. Seems my grandfather hid this fact from even her.

She’ll be wondering why she was never told something so important.

Because she would have loved my Grandfather with all her heart, including that “truth” of his.

Mika: Just like how ya love me, right, Oshi-san?

Shu: Don’t get any strange take-aways from this.

Mika: …But, there’s still some things I don’t understand.

Though most of the mysteries have been solved.

The diary was written as if “MADEMOISELLE”-san was real was jus’ a fantasy Grandfather dreamed up as “the way he wished it could have been”.

He truly wanted t’live in Paris with the non-existent “MADEMOISELLE”-san as a friend.

Shu: I’m sure you’re right. Those faint lies blended in with the reality in that personal novel were my grandfather’s desires.

There’s also much meaning to the title, “The Taming of the Shrew”. I presume it symbolizes my grandfather’s suppression of his youthful impulses within him.

Rather than the shrew being a real woman, it was a conflict that existed within my grandfather.

But aside from that, what is it that you don’t understand?

Mika: Right. So it’s about a “Mademoiselle”, but…

Shu: ? I told you, “MADEMOISELLE” is an imaginary friend brought forth from my grandfather’s youthful indiscretion, based upon himself in woman’s clothes—

It was likely hidden away by the landlady once he returned back to Japan, as there was no longer any use for it. Beside the cabin in the woods, a place of memories of where they had met.

As a side note, I do not think you will be accused of grave robbing just because you simply dug up a doll that was put away and buried in a coffin.

It appears the land in that area belongs to the landlady. As long as the landlady does not press charges you are acquitted, and she has told me she has no intention of doing so—

Mika: Not that. Um, I mean Mado-nee.

Shu: Ahh, you mean the Mademoiselle with us here. Having the same name makes this complicated.

Mika: How come “MADEMOISELLE”-san looks so much like Mado-nee?

Shu: Hmm…?

Mika: “MADEMOISELLE”-san was a stand-in for Grandfather from that time while he was in woman’s clothes, right?

Even though Grandfather was younger back then, doesn’t Mado-nee look too young to be him? It’s like she were “MADEMOISELLE”’s younger sister, or daughter.

Shu: ……

Mika: Hey, Oshi-san, maybe I’m jus’ talkin’ nonsense again, but…

It’s possible the landlady doesn’t think of Grandfather as just a friend.

I think she really loves him as a person of the opposite sex.

A-And thought of Mado-nee as the child of the both of them.

Shu: ……

Mika: Meanin’ the landlady gave Grandfather Mado-nee with such sentiments in mind.

But, even knowin’ her feelin’s, Grandfather didn’t respond. He had already gotten married to his fiancée.

Pretendin’ to pay it no mind, but unable to bear t’throw it away, he stored Mado-nee away in the cellar.

And that’s when ya discovered her as a child, Oshi-san—

Shu: …There’s no way to know for sure, and even if it was true, there still was no romantic affair between Grandfather and the landlady.

They parted and began their own families in their respective hometowns.

It is a story that has already ended—A comedy, and a tragedy.

All we can do now is pick up the wreckage of those stories left behind, and connect them together and fantasize about them.

And by doing that, you might as well have them be happy fantasies.

You’ve destroyed it, but there was another doll here in Paris that looked like Mademoiselle.

The real one was mistakenly shipped back to Japan—and remains to be safe and sound.

One was with my grandfather, and one was with the landlady.

Shu: They were a memento of the lie, the deception they both told the world back when they were young, weren’t they?

So that whenever they see it, they can laugh as they remember the joyful days of their youth.

The little Mademoiselle was nothing but a memory, a symbol of this happiness.

That’s how I choose to interpret it.

And now, the fragrance of happiness left behind by our predecessors remains fragrant even in our midst.

Like the aroma of a rose that remains forever.

Mademoiselle is not the crystallization of things such as sorrow and regret.

She is the crystallization of happiness that our predecessors have passed down to us—I still pale in comparison to them, but that’s how I’d like to interpret it.

~…♪

Shu: Ah, the city of beautiful flowers.

Hey, Kagehira, let’s weave happy stories here just as they did.

So we too can laugh. Let’s get along, for now and ever.

That would be the greatest offering we could give to those who have come before us, wouldn’t it?

[ ☆ ]

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#raison d’être #raison d'etre #shu itsuki #mika kagehira #event #translation

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