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[ad-elie]

The Journal of Doom

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Sato Akari brings Aunt Olga’s journal to be translated by Jun.

2014,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 3,

Akari is growing curious.

Ep. 9

Warning tags: dysfunctional family, toxic dynamics, abuse

Note:

Kinoshita Jun makes an appearance.

Sunada Mamoru is Jun’s roommate 1.

Yamashiro Shigeo is Jun’s roommate 2.

Adélie is still a university student.

⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀

“How long is it going to take?”

Jun looks up from his laptop, straight brows furrowing with her question. She keeps her gaze on the latter.

“A while.”

Sitting face-to-face, Adélie with her own laptop and numerous opened tabs, Jun’s has mostly blank paper.

“I thought you were fluent in Russian.”

A sigh. He taps a finger against the edge of his lit screen, the faint sound of his roommates bickering downstairs.

Little does she know. While Jun does know the language, the complexity of the language itself baffles him.

“It uses the Cyrillic alphabet,” he says simply. “These letters may look familiar, but they mean something else.”

“Now you’re just spewing out facts,” Waving a hand, she opens a fresh, new tab while looking up those facts.

To be fair, he isn’t lying. She heard about how Russian counts as one of the hardest languages. Then again, the same goes for Mandarin.

For a moment, she returns to the task at hand. Somehow attempting to distract themselves with Yamato Sensei’s assignment.

“How about one chapter per session?”

Jun breaks the silence this time. He taps the journal on his bed, red leather contrasting against the white bedsheets.

“I can work with that,” Adélie accepts. She’ll take what she can get for now. “We can start by next time.”

There would be time for negotiation. For him to agree on doing this for her is more than enough.

Even bringing up payment had sent Jun balking. He eventually says, “Just tutor me for this lesson, a dance routine, and I’ll call it even.”

Adélie tells him he is welcome to take any lesson free of charge with her dance studio before she decides to acquire.

Earlier that morning, she remembers going through her routine with a certain jittering in her chest, fluttering with nerves in her stomach.

Picking a bag with a safety zipper for the journal, she slips it in, not wanting to cause any crinkle.

It is an old leather kind and she knows careless hands might cause irreparable damage, one she would never be able to live down.

“Is this real leather?” Jun had asked the moment she hands it to him with a twinkle in his eyes. She knows he is just messing with her.

The spine of the book appears to have raised bands of a darker shade, the spine of the book worn by age.

When Adélie opens her mouth to answer, he adds. “Actually, I would rather not know the answer to that.”

Jun traces a finger down the gold initials branded by the first page, gleaming against the lights.

“Suit yourself,” she remarks, though she has no idea, truth be told. Perhaps it is genuine. It comes from the time she wasn’t even born yet.

Aunt Olga had been the only one in the family to speak Russian, to her knowledge. She taught her bits and pieces, but Adélie spent some time unable to meet her own aunt.

There was school, then moving across the country. A nagging part of her mind whispers how she should have made time and come to visit often.

Then again, her aunt is resilient and incredibly independent. Aunt Olga had insisted for Adélie always put her education first.

It becomes one of the most important pieces of advice on ice that stuck in her mind. With her knowledge and skills, she landed herself a position at this prestigious university.

Satō Olga’s smile had been carved in her mind. It was the day Adélie received the news about her acceptance.

The best of the best with only the most talented artists. Of course, Olga happily ensures her niece is taken care of.

Sneaky allowance and gradually increasing purchases of appliances come swarming in. There was one time she returns home to find a new coffee machine.

It was a nice gift and the coffee tastes amazing, though she was still taken off guard. Adélie remembered mentioning she had to walk several blocks for decent coffee.

Since that day, she tries to be more careful about mentioning things and any excitement towards stuff.

Though Satō Olga is still more perceptive and manages to sneak a few past her. After all, her aunt has known Akari her whole life.

With no preamble, Olga had never swayed nor did she stutters when it comes to calling her name, Adélie.

Olga instead says, “It suits you.” and happily sticks to Adélie and never called her Akari ever again.

To her dying breath.

The thought makes her misty-eyed.

If Jun noticed, he kindly didn’t bring it up. Her partner for the task only clears his throat and offers her a tiny smile.

Adélie distracts herself with proofreading the nearly finished task. Needless since they would have to do it again while polishing the assignment, but she does it anyway.

“Would you mind fixing the references?” He asks. Grateful for the distraction, she immediately starts on it.

Pulling up the university’s official journal site, she delves into it. The logo appears on her screen. “Sure.”

⠀⠀⠀

つづく。

[ad-elie]

Meet the Linguist

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Sato Akari gets in touch with her other side, wanting to figure out what Aunt Olga writes about.

2014,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 3,

Akari is growing curious.

Ep. 8

Warning tags: dysfunctional family, toxic dynamics, abuse

Note:

Kinoshita Jun makes an appearance.

Sunada Mamoru is Jun’s roommate 1.

Yamashiro Shigeo is Jun’s roommate 2.

Adélie is still a university student.

There are many things she learnt about; art in form of music and dance. Among those things include foreign languages.

Unfortunately, outside of the Korean — Japanese — Mandarin languages which hold similar roots, she barely does anything else.

English is a given, in an international school. Her family makes sure of that. She also somehow feels easier about expressing her feelings in English.

Perhaps it is the lack of emotional ties to the language, but she just gets more comfort from the international language.

So when a handwritten journal belonging to Aunt Olga comes into her possession, she is filled with a new purpose in life.

Months before, she takes a few trips back and forth to visit Aunt Olga, who grows older and is even the one telling her to come for a last meeting.

One last time, as she says. Adélie sits by the elderly’s side and they discuss a lot of things, mainly Sato Olga encouraging her to have a good life.

“I only want you to be happy,” she had said, her smile seems to be harder to appear than usual, though the mischief in it is the same.

Brushing her thumb on Olga’s wrinkled hand, she sighs. It gets harder to hide her sadness, despite knowing her aunt had lived a good life.

Before it is time to leave, Adélie leans down to give Olga a kiss on the forehead, a silent goodbye in her despair.

“おばさん、大好きだよ.”

¹I love you, auntie.

It is a solemn ceremony, one where everyone bows her head and wipes their tear away with a handkerchief.

After all, Olga has lived long. It is not unexpected. Some even recall how the smart woman knows her time has come.

Wondering whether she should wait until the period of mourning to start the process or if it means respecting her aunt’s wishes, she eventually decides it is time.

Adélie needs to find a translator, one that wouldn’t care enough about her other alias: Sato Akari. A whole other life she lives.

While she might need to come up with a plan, for now, the lass has a class to attend. Off she goes.

The class theory is particularly easy, in terms of her getting to just sit and take notes instead of actively participating with improvisation.

“こんにちはみなさん!”

Getting through some theories and anatomical movements, such as footwork, Adélie bites on the top of her pen.

Sakura is seated by her side, where they usually spend time other than during practice. As the star pupil, Nakada is predicted to be the one who debuts from their class.

Going through a rambling lesson of communicative and artistic aspects of dance, their teacher sends them off with an essay to complete.

Making notes of what she needs to get done by next week, adding the assignment into her list, Adélie then packs up her things.

“See you at practice,” waving at her peer, who returns it with a brilliant smile that melts any jury’s heart.

Yamato sensei calls for her just before Adélie manages to escape with a flurry of other students.

“Would you be a dear and lend your notes?” She gestures towards one of the students left, who sits there, unamused.

Proceeding to explain about his recent disappearance beforehand, to which Adélie nods.

“It’s Kinoshita Jun,” the tall, quiet ‘Fujikawa’ says. “Somehow she always remembers me as Fujikawa.”

Offering a small chuckle and her note, she falls into steps by his side. Aware of fairly smaller stature, it is even made more clear with his height.

“Adélie,” she responds, then checks her watch. “You can return that on the next class. I have to go. Study group.”

He rises a hand, waving at her after slipping her notebook inside his binder. Without any other explanation, she vanishes by the corner.

“Seems like fate is pulling you back to me,” Jun’s tone is clear of seriousness. His keenness on teasing her is immense.

Adélie rolls her eyes, a faint smile fills her face. The other students nearby crane their neck in interest. “I doubt that. Yamato sensei does.”

This morning, at the next class, their beloved teacher announce a new group work, which would be in place until the semester ends.

Somehow, she gets her way of putting Adélie together with Jun. The lass wonder if their teacher spent the last week coming up with it.

“Alright,” she takes a moment to assess the upcoming lesson. “We should have more than enough time to get this done.”

Coming up with a plan, since a busy schedule is in place for both of them, she agrees on meeting tomorrow after class.

“I have practice until 5,” she had said, to which he responds about his own practice until 7. “How about 8?”

“Sounds good to me.”

By the time she heads out of practice, sweating and pulling her ponytail tighter, Adélie is glad to take a much needed shower.

“Hey,” Suzu greets Adélie, toweling her damp hair as the other girls chat about the routine.

Closing her locker, she smiles back. “Hi. Sensei seriously was in a mood.”

𝘈 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘥 refers to repeating each routine at least five times, all from the beginning with every wrong move from one student.

Suzu holds both of her hands up, tremors rippling through her limbs. “I know! My hands are still shaking.”

Inspecting her peer’s trembling fingers and offers a sympathetic smile. “Oh, my. I usually try to massage them for a bit.”

“I’ll give it a try later tonight, thanks,” Suzu opens her locker, changing into her hoodie and sweatpants.

“Heard about Yamato sensei’s assignment. Who did you get partnered with?”

“Jun,” she responds, tying her shoes and double-checking both ribbons are tight enough.

Suzu slams her locker shut, having just finished braiding her hair back. “Oh, the new guy. He’s from Europe, I heard.”

“I got Sakura,” the mentioned partner arrives, grinning as she hears her name. Adélie smiles at her fellow dancer.

“Talking about Yamato sensei? Heard she’s a bit strict, but grades fairly,” Sakura dries her hair, musing out loud.

Suzu’s dark eyes glint with sheer excitement. The wickedness means she is up to no good.

“Who told you that? Loverboy?“ Giggles erupt. It is no secret that Sakura happily flaunts her relationship with a senior.

When everyone filters out of the room, Adélie is among them. Suzu and Sakura announce they would work on the assignment and parts way.

A few hours later, she finds herself standing in front of Jun’s house. He lives off-campus with some roommates, which she finds out when a gorgeous modelesque figure opens the door.

“Hey,” he stares at her for a moment.

Adélie offers a small wave, pushing her awkwardness aside. “I’m here for Jun.”

“Kinoshita!” Seconds later, thankfully, Jun himself appears. His hair is dripping wet, clearly fresh from the shower.

Holding a towel against his hair, he regards her with an even stare. His glance finds the clock. “You’re early.”

“I’m right on time,” about ten minutes before their promised time, which to her, is in the nick of time.

Another Adonis figure splays on the couch, watching a game on the television. Goodness. She wonders if Jun’s friends are all that attractive.

Sunada Mamoru, the one who opens the door and Yamashiro Shigeo, the one lounging on the couch, as they introduced themselves.

“Hey, head on up. I’ll catch up,” by the third session, she is comfortable enough to waltz into his bedroom.

On the shelves by his desk, she sees the stack of books, written in Russian. While she might be unable to decipher it, Adélie stares at the novels.

Jun’s voice startle her. A part of her is glad she didn’t touch anything. That would’ve pulled her awkward side out. “Those are my grandparents’.”

Turning around, she hopes she didn’t jump in surprise. “Oh. Sorry.”

“No worries.”

For his credit, he doesn’t seem at all bothered. Simply plops down on the bed and starts skimming through the textbook.

“Just ask your question, Chrysanthe.”

Looking up from her book, a frown etch on her lips. “What? I didn’t say anything.”

“You have that serious thinking face on,” he remarks, his lips quirk in a charming smile. She gets why those girls talk about him.

For a moment, Adélie let the silence hang in between them. Jun doesn’t let on as well. She sighs, relenting.

“Do you speak Russian?”

Jun sets his book aside, regarding her with his full attention. Her brow raises slightly.

“Yes,” he nods slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Why do you ask?”

Adélie bites her lower lip for a moment. She eventually decides.

“Alright,” she toys with the leather end of her notebook. “Have you ever considered being a translator?”

His dark eyes glimmer in amusement. “No, that’s not a part of my dream job.”

Deciding she needs to stop beating around the bush, Adélie heaves a breath, tension rolling off her shoulders.

It’s now or never. The worst he could say is no. Well, maybe he’d taunt her and poke fun at her, but she can take that.

“Would you mind helping me with some translation?”

Jun regards her with an almost amused look, though her assessment could be way off and he is just enjoying this. Who knows.

“What’s in it for me?”

Giving him a look, gauging whether he is serious, Adélie goes through her mind. What could she offer him?

“I’m joking,” he explains, then something in his eyes shift, a moment of seriousness. “What do you need translated?”

“It’s a journal,” she starts, licking her lips. It suddenly feels dry. Adélie is rusty when it comes to talking about her family.

Jun taps a finger against the closed book, his gaze somber. “Mind if I ask why you need it translated?”

“My aunt left it for me when she passed,” Adélie decides to let him know that piece. He nods, mum.

Thankfully, he didn’t push. The lass was close enough to crawl back into her shell and seal it from any other proding.

“Just bring the journal the next time we meet, so I can get started on it,” was Jun’s parting words two hours later.

Their assignment for the day is finished and she is dying to head back for a quick routine before heading back home to Evelyn.

⠀⠀⠀

つづく。

[ad-elie]

A Chaotic Surprise

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Adélie is in for a wee night of chaotic surprise.

Late 2021,

Tokyo, Japan.

At the crack of dawn,

PHASE 4,

Ep. 7

Warning tags:

dysfunctional family,

depression,

abuse,

toxic dynamics.

Surprise cracked into her soft features as the brunette lady struggles to regain her composure, tremors striking her limbs.

“You truly are your mother’s daughter.”

If he notices, Michael aims to further damage her world even further. It already shatters into smithereens.

Eyes glazing over, she grapples with the revelation, in the fullness of time, grasping why he is truly blunt with his distaste of her.

“If only Evelyn’s truly mine.”

His mention of her name lit a match in her heart, blazing into her eyes. Why, why must he bring her into their mutual aversion?

“Don’t,” Adélie halted, as though the word pain her to even breathe it out, willing herself not to cower. “bring her into this.”

A smirk crinkles his face. Michael had been known for his ruthlessness, the endless land he owns only elevate his bachelor status.

“We both know she would do so much better than you,” a short few years ago, Adélie would cry each time he chided and reprimanded her.

There seems to be no right in his eyes, nothing she ever achieves and does to be meeting his approval.

Even when she managed to become the top student while continuing her dance practice and acing in both departments.

Adélie stopped trying then. Simply doing what she does, for herself. For Evelyn’s sake, too. Her happiness matters the most.

Settling in their secretly bought place, which soon became her piece of personal heaven, Adélie thought she could escape his wrath.

Michael, of course, would never let her live in peace, so long as he is walking and breathing on this earth.

The last few years went by with no hitch. In the beginning, she keeps on looking over her shoulder, wary of her past catching up to her present.

It proves to come a couple of years late. Here it is, in front of her. The very thing she dreads to face.

His approval is what she seeks. Adélie used to do everything she thought would make him happy, and proud of her.

He never seems to approve of anything she does. A scrap of validation had been what she craves.

Ever since Maria’s well-kept secret had resurfaced, he grows even more bitter and even repulsed by her mere presence.

Adélie eventually learns the hard way, that she cannot make everyone happy. If he chooses to actively abhor her, so be it.

Fury in his eyes scared her to no end. Adélie never even pretended to be nonchalant about it, knowing the stature he holds.

Michael is dubbed one of the most ruthless entrepreneurs out there. He leads the family the way he does his business.

Somehow, there is some softness, some gentleness spared for everyone else, compared to how he treated Adélie.

Pain colored her childhood. Upon some harder days, he didn’t hesitate to give her a beating. It hurt everywhere.

Adélie refused to let him see her cry. He would never get the satisfaction, she would never give him that.

Aunt Olga occasionally made some quips that aid her to put the pieces together, as jumbled as the wires are.

“Yukio had always been that way,” she would remark. Venom drips out her tongue. “Such a stubborn mule.”

To the best of her ability, Sato Olga would defend Adélie and ensure she feels safe and warm, at the very least around the older lady.

Unfortunately, Akari did not possess the strength nor the luck to be protected, even by those supposed to.

Hence the falling dominoes, a series of events that lead to who she is becoming. Lessons were taught; ones that forged her.

Maria, sweet as she was, had been swallowed whole with his bitterness and ever-growing greediness.

Along the ride, she tried her best to keep the kids safe, somehow. It proved to be hard. Adélie never held it against her.

Somewhere throughout the whole mess she calls her life, Satō Akari, now Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe, ceased rooting for herself.

つづく。

[ad-elie]

Breakdown Your Choreography

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe is invited to record a video and explain her choreographic process.

2022,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 1,

Ep. 6

“Every dancer, and a choreographer, have their own process. Here is mine.”

Adélie stares at the camera, a serious expression overtakes her face, clad in a comfortable black turtleneck as she sits by a white table.

“What I hold utmost, ultimately, is the flow,” she moves her hand, creating a circle with her pointer finger. “There is the opening, the middle, and the end.”

Panning out, the camera shows a half-body shot of Adélie, with her hair tied back into a low bun, showcasing the neutral makeup she has on.

“Each dance is a story,” she holds both hands, settling against the table, the surface contrast with her clothing.

They show a clip of Adélie dancing, her dress swishes and sways with each step she makes, a graceful swan in pink.

Cheers and hands clapping, forms of enthusiasm in appreciation of her performance, as she seems to not hear any of them, deep in her mind.

“Any dancer knows that the dance they perform is their way of telling a story, a narrative they convey with a twirl and a wave of a hand.”

Each move holds a transition, the smooth flow in which dance would captivate the audience and enrapture their attention.

Finding out through required dance lessons, soon evolved into her lifelong passion. It is as though she needs to dance as she needs to breathe.

Once, she watched a movie she had been assigned to. It had stuck in her mind, a saying by the well-known thespian.

“... poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”

Since that day, those words becomes her guidance through life. The tragic death in that movie becomes a cautionary tale.

Whether alone in her bedroom, dancing in front of the mirror, or front of a huge audience, twirling her heart out, she would never let dancing go.

Stubborn as a mule, she would rather find any way she could survive and manage to dance at the same time.

Even if it means cutting back and ‘living vicariously’ as she would be called reckless and ‘going through a phase’.

For Adélie, this is her purpose. What she is meant to do, for she has that belief in herself, that she would be able to do this.

She has to. There is just no other option; none that she wants to live through.

At first, Maria tries to bait her attention elsewhere. Putting other lessons and dividing her time.

Music, drawing, or any other creative skills that might be something she could pick up in the meantime.

Something to kill the time, rather than kill herself after, with blisters on her feet and bruises on her knees.

Unfortunately for her parents, she inherits Michael’s stubbornness. Insists on what she wants and sticks with it for life.

Head to head, it is inevitable for the two to meet and blast into smithereens, therefore causing the crack in their relationship to the point of no return.

Of course, there are other factors to weigh into the said ruin, from her decision on love to the way she chooses on living her life.

“Why can’t you just let me live my life?” That had not ended well when she asks. Livid had been an understatement for how Michael responded.

None of these things is mentioned, as she would never be able to live them down. Adélie subtly mentions how no parents dream of their kids becoming a dancer.

A photographer. Most of the creative job industry has lower parental support, she had carefully said, before moving into a different angle.

How passion and purpose might be able to stand side by side, to live with a ‘hobby’ and a job that go hand in hand.

“... medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life.”

Not everyone is meant to be saving the world and changing it with nobleness and selflessness, some are meant to be changing it one step at a time.

Most of all, Adélie could never get enough of the thrill when she dances. Her body comes to life; every nerve buzzing with excitement.

⠀⠀⠀

終劇。

[ad-elie]

Flights of Fancy

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Sato Akari (tries to) escape.

2006,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 2,

Akari is hurting.

Ep. 5

Warning tags: dysfunctional family, toxic dynamics, abuse

Note:

Adélie was only 10 years old.

Heaved breathing fills the silence. Long brunette hair covers her sweating temple, clinging and damp.

Commotion from the carnival outside decrease within the enclosed walls. Candles light up the altar front and centre.

Tightening her tiny fists, beady eyes unable to stop from flitting back and forth, her steps halt inside the building.

A church. She winces, as though the holy spirit would burn her to dust if she makes any other move.

Deciding to step further, though unsure with the tremors rippling through every fibre of her being.

Akari’s hesitant touch rests on the back of a pew, smooth and cold against her skin. Her mouth falls open as another harsh inhale of breath is taken.

“What brings you here, my child?”

Perhaps it is meant as a recreational activity to other families, but to her, when he takes her out, it means putting on a show.

Playing a part. The happy family.

High ceilings and decorated walls with paintings greet her. There seem to corner for Mother Maria.

Soothing, she recalls each time the memory comes to mind. The Father’s voice.

Adélie never dares to play into the scene too far. It always causes her chest to tighten and her breath catches. Too hard to relive.

“F—father,” she finds her voice, hoping she didn’t accidentally call him wrong. The possibility of a consequence brings a waver in her tone.

Minutes later, Adélie finds herself sitting in the back room, probably some sort of cafeteria for the caretaker of the church.

It takes a while for him to coax her to talk, the child’s answers merely short. Too fearful of what might be coming.

Inevitably.

“What is your name? If you do not mind telling me.”

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘱.

Akari’s mind whispers not to mention anything that would lead the holy man back to that ... man.

Eventually, she did mention her name. It would, as always, bring recognition to light up his eyes.

That second, she knows he would pick up her scent. He knows where she is.

Crying wears her out. Akari could barely keep her eyes open, drifting off to sleep as her head bobs slightly.

“Do not fret,” he tells her, making the lass wonder how did he learn to speak so softly, yet it still makes her want to listen.

Has it been minutes, or hours? All she knows, the soothing voice is now preoccupied with a less comforting one.

Michael sounds apologetic. Charismatic. A worried father, looking for his beloved daughter.

She scoffs.

The talking ceases.

“Oh, Akari!” Freezing in his hold, which tightens in warning of what is to come, she whimpers quietly.

The father looks relieved. He didn’t seem to notice her current discomfort.

“Thank you for keeping her safe, father. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬.

Father Peter exchanges some good-natured topics with Michael, who delights in humouring the good man.

Sometimes, she wonders if he just prefers to think he was better, perhaps closer to a decent person than he truly is.

“Akari, honey, go gather your things. We’re leaving soon. We don’t want to impose, Father.”

Father Peter only waves it off, easily telling them to stay as long as they wish to. Clearly, one of them would not let that happen.

“I would love to talk to you about becoming a donor, Father. Perhaps it is fate that leads us here.”

Laughter. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙛𝙖𝙠𝙚.

“Fate is your little one, Michael. 𝘼𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙞, isn’t she? A bright one.”

Michael smiles. The young Sato wonders how long did it take for him to learn to attune his expression and gestures so seamlessly.

One day, she will be able to. Maybe that will be the moment he accepts her as his blood and flesh.

Gathering herself, taking her time as she wishes she would even trade her life for this convent, Akari sighs.

Long ago, her tears dried. It would be a waste and would only serve as a motivation for him to punish her horribly.

Ever since that day, Michael gets involved with that particular church, becoming sponsors its sponsor.

Her t̶o̶r̶m̶e̶n̶t̶o̶r̶ father would set up a foundation in a few years to come, ensuring his reputation is intact.

A loving dad.

A̶n̶ a̶b̶u̶s̶e̶r̶.

⠀⠀⠀

つづく。

[ad-elie]

M.A.C.

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe is born.

2014,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 1,

Akari moving to Japan.

Ep. 4

Warning tags: dysfunctional family, toxic dynamics

“How are you, honey? Settling in well?”

Moving the phone to her other hand, she presses it against her ear, heading towards the exit door.

A flock of students make their way inside. Spring is just starting, the sun is bright and it’s warm. Such fine weather.

“I’m fine, mom. We’re okay.”

Maria questions about their well-being and what they have been up to for a few more minutes before moving to a life update.

Informing her of Michael and what she has been up to, although the lass only acknowledges with a mere affirmative response.

Heading down the bustling city, pedestrians crossing the road as she melts right in, her steps even.

Bright, colourful words are designed eye-catching and attract tourists. Not minding the offers, she continues her steps.

All the while, her mom talks about anything and everything that comes to mind.

It seems that she had an eventful weekend.

Maria used to talk about how she believes in becoming her kids’ friends as they get older, rather than the parent as they were younger.

It was nice, and she means well, but sometimes, knowing all of her parent’s turmoil and a bit of information overload means more burden on her shoulders.

Knowing how she is expected to take over the family business is not a fun trivia night topic either.

You can never get away from your family. Perhaps they did not say it that way, and she might have paraphrased it.

“Why are you so keen on going to live abroad?”

“You are coming back here after you graduate, of course.”

But, she can read between the lines. They do not want her to be away from home forever.

There is no moving out of home and leaving it behind once you turn 18.

“You have to remember who raised you, to know that kids nowadays would just leave their parents in nursing homes ——— ”

Leaving them behind would only be interpreted as abandoning the people who raised her.

One of the only ways they would let her out without getting hitched ——— the thought alone makes her shudder, is to study abroad.

If she cannot move out from home, then at least she can do it temporarily, as her parents would believe.

Here and there, she forms interpersonal bonds with people over the fact that they too have their family’s expectations on their shoulders.

Responsibility is placed upon them, weighing their minds and affecting their decision-making.

Funny, how similar inner and some outer turmoil would bring people together.

There are some friends she met over discussions about parents’ expectations.

“Remember, you must study well. Make your family proud.”

Don’t bring shame to our name, is what she regains from her words. She knows what is expected of her.

Making a shortcut past some liquor stores and souvenirs, she tries to enjoy herself and clear her mind off things.

Unfortunately, the more she wants her mind to not think of certain things, the more it seems to make her relive the memory.

Snapping out of it as her mom mentions a name, she holds back a small smile from growing wider.

“Tell Evelyn to take care, will you?”

“Of course.”

Returning to the task at hand, this time heading towards a different building, she signs her name on the board.

𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘈𝘥é𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘦.

⠀⠀⠀

つづく。

[ad-elie]

A Second Chance

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: It is Adélie’s first time teaching. Nervous is an understatement, even with her previous teacher’s assurance.

Early 2022,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 1,

Ep. 3

Tags:

Inner dilemma,

Supporting Character:

Iha Aiko <Dasom> (Face Claim: Park Kahi)

“おはよう ございます, せんせい!” Grinning at her previous teacher, and now co-worker? Well, she would rather refer to as her senior, Adélie enters the classroom.

¹Ohayō gozaimasu, sensei!

Letting out a small chuckle at her antics, she waves her in from her current position by the corner of the room. “Good morning to you, Adélie-𝘴𝘢𝘯.”

Putting a steaming glass of coffee down the desk, as she steps aside to wait. Iha Aiko is renowned as Dasom, an internationally known dancer who taught Adélie in her advanced class.

Minutes later, the students start to stream in. Her teacher is standing by her usual spot, eyeing the class.

Dasom Sensei gathers their attention, before nodding towards the new addition to their class. “Class, meet my teaching assistant, Adélie Chrysanthe.”

“She was a student of mine, and now we work together,” Iha Aiko has a fond smile to her face, one that is rare.

With a clap of her hands, she announces. “That’s all, we should get started now. Adélie-𝘴𝘢𝘯, please lead the stretching.”

A nod, then, “Of course, Sensei,” she stands front and center, easing the students to prepare for the day.

“Five, six, seven, eight,” counting as she goes through the routine, not to forget helping any who might need a hand.

Knowing the level of this class’ ability, she mainly stays around for supervising them for now. Keeping close eyes and ears.

Her true responsibility and dependability is counted upon later on, especially if Dasom Sensei is indisposed.

By the third meeting, she is trusted to lead the class. Iha Aiko comes in about the time they start with the full dance routine.

Adélie stands at the side then, watching and help the students repeat, taking note of each mistakes and what needs to be fixed.

Other than the technicality, she helps with grading matter, sometimes correspondences. Anything her Sensei require.

It is a fall from grace compared to her financial condition when she was the student, but she has come to enjoy her new responsibility.

Sometimes she would sit back to unwind, doing the scarcely entertained task of scrolling through her SNS to see another old classmate’s achievement.

There are times when she hears it through the grapevine, whispers from the other students or the teachers.

A just becomes the background dancer here, B is an idol there. That had been a surprise, but it is not impossible.

One of her dreams is becoming a dancer. Seeing the latest reality show sometimes make her chest surge with want.

Getting a second chance means she needs to take this seriously, even though it has never been a part of her dream to become a teacher.

There was a moment she might consider it, although not this early in her career.

Adélie initially thought it would take her a few years before she takes more time to focus on teaching, not before she choreographs some powerful pieces and take over the industry by storm.

Wistful thinking. Today, the said dream feels further and further away. There is a huge cliff between her and her lifelong wish. Adélie vows to not let anything to sever her wings.

“Adélie-𝘴𝘢𝘯, would you mind helping me with the latest assignment?” Sitting haphazardly on her desk, Sensei had asked.

Snapping out of her murky daydreaming, Adélie nods and approaches from her spot across Iha Aiko, by the couch.

Options. Many, many choices. There will always be a path for her to choose, from soldering on with heavy heart to the fickle one of giving up.

It is, simply put, not an option. As ironic as that sounds, she refuses to hang her dancing shoes and let the world kick her while she is down.

“Of course, Sensei,” that answer escapes her lips easily, despite the hardness filling her initial burning dream when she first arrived to Japan.

Fetching her own laptop, she starts to load up the campus portal, finding the submitted work to be checked.

Dasom Sensei looks up from her correspondence as her previous student turned assistant continues. “That is what I am here for.”

Talented as they are, the current students need to learn more. There is always something else to taught.

That is, so long as the students in question are keen on knowing more.

She learnt that with the open-minded approach, which tends to surprise one with what they are able to take from.

It is true what they say, learning is a lifelong process. There is no end to education.

[ad-elie]

First Time?

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe drinks alcohol for the first time in Japan.

2014,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 1,

Adélie’s early days in Tokyo.

Ep. 1

Warning tags: alcohol consumption,

“すみません,” a softly firm voice used to make her way through the throng of people, Adélie knows she should expect this from rush morning hour.

Crossing the road reminds her of a choreographed dance, a steady stream of hastening pace with the businesspeople.

“Adélie!” One of the dancers she had known for a while greeted her the minute she passes through the entrance door.

Her name sounds endearing when said in a Japanese dialect, and it brings a smile to her lips, painted in coral for the day.

“A bunch of us are heading out for drinks after class. Do you want to come?” Her first invitation. Sure, there were others.

But, this is the offer she would not want to pass up. These dancers have a bit of a reputation, known to be semi-famous, too. It helps to keep some people close.

“Sure,” she nods, setting her bag down by the locker, pulling out her hairband and starting to brush her long, brown tresses back.

Faintly remembering the girl’s name as Sada Suzu, if she is not mistaken, Adélie brings her water bottle out. “Great! I’ll text you the details, okay?”

They exchange a few comments about the current choreography assignment they have, debating on which one is going to be picked by the 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘪 as the best routine.

“𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘪 is here!” One of the dancers with streaks of pink in her hair, Yamanaka Yuki, exclaims. They all scramble to find the position.

Everyone gets into place, streaming out of the locker rooms and their corner where they often sit down together.

Nakada Sakura, the teacher’s beloved dancer, takes her place in the middle, the center of the routine. She is deserving of the position, even Adélie admits it.

It goes on for about two and a half hours, the last part with their teacher repeating certain parts they still need to polish.

Practice makes perfect.

Even if it takes a thousand times until their feet are blistering and bruises mark their skin, that is. Raise your hands, and twirl on your toes.

There is numbness on the supposed pain, and bandages on her skin, and Adélie thinks she must have been one of the biggest donors for the ointments company.

One of the relief providers she found is a pain relief patch. Any ache is relieved with a small amount, cut by her into tiny pieces.

Sometimes, she wears them for class, too. Mostly for places unnoticeable, when the pain in her limbs is just too unbearable.

”One more time, and we are done for the day.”

Adélie knows they are nowhere near finished, if she is lucky, it would only be less than five more times.

”Good, good ——— ” a slight pause, then the teacher’s whole expression morphs into a grim façade. ”But, why are you changing the already correct part?”

Every curse she knows flies around in her mind, but she says nothing and gets back to place instead. There is no use complaining.

It would just make them spend more time, and waste more energy. She stands back in her position, hands raising above her head.

”Last one,” after nodding in approval for their recent try, the teacher, an older lady with a stern glare that makes any newbie dancer tremble in their place, finally promises.

This time, she sees the truth. After years of training and going through teachers, she can analyze their tone, more or less.

”5, 6, 7, 8!” Jumping to get through their choreographed dance, flowing and gliding past the moves, mouth slightly open in a ragged breath. ”Yes! That’s it! We’re done for the day.”

Thank any God who heard.

Once they thank the teacher, along with some dancers, Adélie returns to the locker room to change her clothes. A shower is long overdue.

Wiping the sweat dripping ——— at this point, pouring down her body, not to mention how she could squeeze it out of her hair, she finds her water bottle.

The girls chatter about drinks, excited for the prospect to kick back and relax after a long practice.

Piled into the train, changed out of their dance attire into crop tops and dresses, they head to the club.

Adélie dresses in an all black outfit, since she had initially planned to head back home afterwards. The crop top stops above her midriff.

Before she leaves, the dancer finds a moment to message Evelyn, notifying that she is going out with some friends.

They go through the usual, checking IDs, then the bouncer let them in. The party is in full swing, with blinding lights and dancing bodies.

There’s always a first for everything.

Adélie is no exception, who is recently just settling in Tokyo. The heart of Japan, with its glimmering nightlife.

It might not be uncharted territory for her, who has had enough experience with alcoholic beverages back home.

Yuki orders for everyone, proclaiming the first round is on her, returning with what she tells her as Yuzu Mule for everyone on a tray.

“This isn’t your first time drinking, right?”

“Of course not.”

Sipping a bit of the cocktail, she can taste the kick of fragrant aroma from Yuzu juice. A bit unusual, but welcomed.

Adélie did once try Moscow Mule, and she wonders if the two drinks are inspired by one another. Who knows.

One drink later, they all head to the dance floor. Maybe it is questionable, since they all do this on a daily basis, whether it already bores them.

Though the difference with dancing in a club is, they get to move however they want, be it a mere wiggle. There is no technicalities to be enforced.

“Sakura!”

Yuki immediately abandons the guy she just met, who seems to be hanging on to her every word, let her rephrase that, every sway of her hips.

“We need to get her home,” holding onto a swaying Sakura, whose gaze is unfocused, Adélie nods in agreement.

Having only had that one drink, she trusts herself to be sober enough. The two of them collect the other girls, before piling into a taxi.

Since most of them are drunk, though fortunately no one seems to hit the jackpot, at least not in front of her, she starts to list the addresses.

Adélie is the third to get home, with Sakura being dropped off first, helped by Yuki, who is sweet enough to promise she would take care of the star dancer.

“See you tomorrow, Chrysanthe!” Flashing her gummy smile, still intact despite the exhaustion, she waves at the two, though Sakura is too out of it to respond.

Not only she is dedicated, she notes of how responsible Nakada Sakura is. That thought crossed her mind as she sees the star already warming up in class the next morning.

Yuki chats with the other dancers, the social butterfly that she has always been. Her burnt orange jumper makes her complexion seem lovelier.

“Hey, there you are,” Suzu, the one who had invited her out yesterday, greets. She is less talkative compared to the others, but Adélie notices how attentive her classmate is.

From the way she always sees when the teacher is coming to class, and how she fusses over Sakura needing to rest sometimes, which everyone knows since they talk about it in the locker room.

Her decision to secretly ——— something she never thought possible with her parents’ meddling, choice to pick this major seems to go well.

Starting their warmup, one by one, taking turns to count to 8, as their teacher instructed on the first day.

So far, so good.

⠀⠀⠀

終劇。

[ad-elie]

Sportsmanship

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: In which Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe refuses to compete.

2022,

Tokyo, Japan.

First Plot,

The beginning of Adélie’s adventure as a part of the academic teacher.

PHASE 1,

Ep. 0

Tags:

There are many sports competitions, with the first one dating back to the Olympics, designed as a religious event, to honor their God.

Nowadays, it is still held for numerous other reasons, though in this case, made to alleviate the tension between two strongholds.

Sports and Art.

Gakema and Hoshino.

Adélie, as one of the staff, her beloved professor reminds so cheerfully, has a right to come and participate in the competition.

Competitiveness might get the best of her, and she would rather not have those students see her unleash that side.

Although, the lively event might be fun to attend, she thought she could ask a certain person to have a look around.

Objectively speaking, it is unfair for those two to be compared, with their own advantages and strengths in their respective field.

Yet, here they are, with continuously rising issues regarding both sides, refusing to back down.

Who comes up with this friendly competition idea?

Moreover, how is that supposed to ease the growing rivalry?

Adélie has never been related to either side, especially since she has always gotten one too many thoughts gnawing in her mind.

There are too many things going on in her life, she would rather not add another complication to it.

Some of her peers at the time tried to recruit her and get her active support, though she managed to dodge them.

Narrowly.

Others have been respectful enough about her perspective, especially since she spends most of her time dancing.

Dedicated has been one of the nicer words used to describe her. Not that she ever listens to it a lot.

There are more things to worry about for now, and she would rather spend any waking moment with Evelyn, and dance her heart out.

According to what they were taught, there should be no rivalry beyond the games and what happens in the competition.

That is also the same message they hope to convey on this chance. Friendliness and prove there are no hard feelings between institutes.

At least, that is what they make it to be. Adélie chooses to be a part of the audience, subtly cheering on students she knows.

“𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘪, why don’t you come and join us? There is a dance competition!”

Plenty of invitation comes, from the students and some lecturers, though she prefers to be their cheerleader.

Adélie did help a bit with choreography, pointing them to which routine might help gain some bonus points.

“I would say, emphasis on the transition steps. It shows a flow, makes it seem more seamless and effortless.”

Energy of a dance rely a lot on that forgotten step, the most important one when a dancer moves from one to the next move.

So simple, it might get overlooked and over time, forgotten. Adélie, who have always been told to be a little traditional at times, loves to bring a piece of modernity into any old-timers move.

“Tricks might be cool to the audience, but the effectiveness of your transition steps would earn those points.”

In short, it makes the dance complete, a whole story instead of bits and bobs.

Adélie decides to save that thought for her next class.

“You know, Adélie-san, it would be easier for you to just join them instead of teaching them. They’re running out of time!”

While she loves her old professor dearly, at times, Adélie sure feels a bit differently. This is one of those times.

Cheering and pleading her, to which she firmly shakes her head with an amusedly wry laugh, then tells them to start training.

“I’m still not competing!“

⠀⠀⠀

終劇。

⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

⠀⠀

References

[ad-elie]

A Day in the Life

as told by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

Summary: A day in Adélie’s life.

2022,

Tokyo, Japan.

The beginning of

PHASE 1,

Ep. 2

Tags:

Every morning, Adélie walks to her beloved creative arts space, unlocking the space and cleaning up before the teachers even arrive.

Before 9 o’clock, all of the staff have filled in, chattering among themselves and getting ready in the locker room, before the first class starts.

Warmups and stretches is done, never forgotten as she relishes in the empty space for herself, a small window of time.

There are a few classes she teaches every day, mostly in a group. The beginners’ class is handled by a different teacher she hired.

Intermediate to advanced, that is where she mostly teaches. Choreography made by her, although she is open to suggestions.

Not only she teaches the dancers, but they also aid her in something new every day. It is a mutualism symbiosis.

“Five, six, seven, eight.”

From their start position, then a simple pirouette before getting into the faster rhythm, constant and consistent. There is no room for error.

Adélie’s gaze finds each student moving along the floor, lights illuminating their faces and each movement they make.

A clap of her hand's echoes. Then, she twists and turns with her students, her eyes staring at each and one of them.

“One more time!”

They seem to haven’t been able to get it quite right. Adélie heaves a breath. At this point, her sweat is not only dripping, but squeezing out of her hair kind of drenched.

Considering herself to be a hands-on teacher, she implements what she thinks with what she does, hence the same exhaustion inhibiting her joints.

“If you get the last part wrong, we are going to try this five more times.”

Before she heads out, Adélie makes sure everyone is out of the building. Locking up behind herself, she starts the journey home.

Dark skies with only the moon above, stars obscured by clouds, as the city is lively with crowds of couples and friends going downtown is a stark contrast.

There were days when she was a student, and her teacher used to make her repeat it countless times, until her fellow dancers would cry and sob. She did cry, in a more subtle, quiet way.

Hiding in the restroom or the locker room, to be precise. Sometimes she had to blink it away and pretend there is dust in her eyes.

Walks home used to be filled with listening to the current song used for the choreography, she either dances her heart out or taps her fingertips according to the beat.

Hair tied back into a bun, having to wash it by tomorrow, she makes the walk back home. The distance from her dance studio to the place she shares with Evelyn is not that far.

Blisters and bruises often mark her skin, mostly her feet and knees. Worn as a mark of honour, and considered usual with the amount of work they went through.

Adélie likes to use the way back home as her chance to reflect or simply clear her head, sometimes she would recite the dance routine she is working on.

Sacrificing her weekends and occasionally, weeks before a competition or an important show, they would increase the amount of practice to almost every day.

Gym bag sling over her shoulder, she clutches it with one hand, sneakers hitting the pavement with a dull thud. Her light jacket is zipped up with a little gap left to feel the evening breeze.

Often, she has to pick: to study for her next dance routine, or her actual exam, especially during school days.

A warm shower and a nice dinner. The promise of those things put ease in her steps, hoping the night is clear enough she won’t be rained out.

Each step echo against her ears and out of her paranoia, or perhaps it has just been drilled into her mind, she occasionally glances back to make sure no one is following her.

People come and go, heading home from a day of work or kids after intensive classes catching a break in the bright supermarkets for snacks and coffee.

終劇。

Glancing at her shoes, she takes note of how she needs to wash them, and how she has been putting them off.

⠀⠀⠀

[ad-elie]

SELF-REFLECTION

PERSONA

Jika ditanya bagaimana sifatnya, Akari akan menjawab: pendiam dan pemalu.

Padahal, kebanyakan teman-teman dan kenalannya akan mengatakan soal bagaimana ia kerap berbicara seolah tanpa filter, tidak khawatir soal konsekuensinya.

Namun, sebetulnya ia terlihat tidak banyak bicara dan lebih tertutup saat perhatian betul-betul tertuju padanya, atau dalam situasi interaksi sosial yang lebih kecil, seperti berduaan dengan teman atau orang asing yang tidak dikenal dekat.

Kreativitas Adélie sudah terlihat sejak usia dini. Ia kerap menghabiskan waktu dengan pensil warna.

Impulsif merupakan bagian dari diri yang sulit dilupakan. Namun, ia selalu memastikan untuk berpegang teguh dengan apa yang telah ia mulai.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀━━━━━━━

TRIVIA

Akari senang mengajar, biasanya ia dengan senang hati membantu teman-temannya mempelajari bahasa asing yang ia ketahui.

[ad-elie]

THE COMPLETE STORY.

When her dreams to become a dancer is dashed, she returns hope and finds lots of fulfillment teaching dance to little ones.

Her parents find out about what she has been up to in Japan, not pursuing textiles as they wished, and instead focusing on her dreams to be a dancer, she thought she was done for.

Cut off by her parents, having to scrap by as a dancer, she resorts to working here and there. Just as all hope seems lost, there is a light.

Her old professor, and another help, a friend from her department offers her the job to come in, fill in the guest professor/coach position in the Gakema Institute of Sports.

Now going by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe, shortly just Adélie, like the penguin as she would say, the dancer has to readjust her dreams.

Choreography.

Adélie thought she would have been a choreographer by the time she was in her late 30s, not in the early beginning of her budding career.

One of her aunts from home, Sato Olga had accidentally revealed why her parents keep on insisting she would continue their legacy.

Her father had taken the right of his own brother. Convincing him to sign away his rights and taking advantage of her uncle’s trust in him.

As though that is not enough, Olga, who passed away just a few weeks after that revelation, left behind some letters for her, and a diary.

Inside that diary, Aunt Olga wrote in Russian, her mother language. She tells the story that Adélie is unable to decipher.

With help from a trusted translator, she finds out about the whole story, the truth about her family.

Her father is not her biological father, but her uncle is.

It shook her world, tears it in pieces, and turns upside down. Suddenly, up is down and left is right.

Disoriented and confused, Adélie has to attempt to live her life, putting back the pieces, and makes it right.

But, maintaining a relationship, a job, and finding out who she truly is, definitely not an easy task for one person.

[ad-elie]

RELAYING THE INFORMATION

Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe.

An odd name, for a stranger who hails from Auckland, though she was unsure of where exactly she comes from.

January 16 1996.

Capricorn.

Maria’s beloved baby girl, who has always been such a ray of sunshine, with her wonderful dancing ability and a gummy smile.

Michael occasionally would make a jab at little Akari, who has no idea why. She never asks outright, but even a baby knows when she is not truly liked.

Even more as they adopted a baby daughter, named Evelyn, who sometimes, Akari would think is treated better than she ever was.

Fair as she is, Akari Adélie never quite harbours any hatred towards the new daughter. In fact, it is a whole different feeling.

Pursuing her career and lifelong dream to become a dancer, she focuses on the major she picks, throwing all she has into it.

Only for her parents ——— more her dad, to find out and cut her off.

Undeterred, she finds any way to fend for herself, keep a roof above her head, and somehow still be in the running towards her dream career.

When her dreams to become a dancer is dashed, she returns hope and finds lots of fulfillment teaching dance to little ones.

Her parents find out about what she has been up to in Japan, not pursuing textiles as they wished, and instead focusing on her dreams to be a dancer, she thought she was done for.

Cut off by her parents, having to scrap by as a dancer, she resorts to working here and there. Just as all hope seems lost, there is a light.

Her old professor, and another help, a friend from her department offers her the job to come in, fill in the guest professor/coach position in the Gakema Institute of Sports.

Choreography.

Adélie thought she would have been a choreographer by the time she was in her late 30s, not in the early beginning of her budding career.

Now going by Marguerite Adélie Chrysanthe, shortly just Adélie, like the penguin as she would say, the dancer has to readjust her dreams.

A diary comes into her life, from an aunt’s deathbed’s confession. Adélie finds herself at a crossroads.

In pursuit of a translator to decipher the diary written in Russian, and ensuring her own livelihood, Adélie’s life is threatened to go down in shambles.

To continue, please use a restricted, level 5 access.

[ad-elie]

Will I ever be accepted in this place we call life?

or will that all this ever be, a place called 'life'?

✵ RELAYING THE INFORMATION,

✵ SELF-REFLECTION,

✵ REWRITES,

✵ KEEPSAKES.