#(...but since I still have some time before 11 pm JST I ended up doing them anyway. *sweatdrops while laughing awkwardly*)

[magicalgirlsandcerulean]

YouTube short time: "Yeah, The Child Support's Getting Pretty Rough" from LOVE! LOVE! ep. 11.

At 11 pm (JST) today (the 25th of January 2025), Yamamoto and Shirai will be on Fun More Tune with Haruka Shiraishi and Hiroki Yasumoto.

Tomorrow is the on-stage speech by the director and the cast of the movie [1]. They're expecting a full house for this, so if you want to go, get in quick. More details here.

[Note 1: I have been calling this the "stage greeting event" since the words given literally translate to "stage greeting". However, I apologise for my neglect in checking whether the words together meant something slightly different.]

[ikevampeventarchive]

[ERS] Urgent Bloodsucking ～ Isaac

Duration: 11/8 (Fri) 04:00 PM ～ 11/15 (Fri) 09:00 PM JST

Having been inflicted with a terrible thirst, Arthur and Vincent seek your blood. Though he wants to protect you, Isaac’s sense of reason is slowly reaching it’s limit….?

Once unleashed, drown in the endless depths of sweet desire  ——

Event Prologue | Route Preview

[This is an unofficial work based on fan-translation. Copyright belongs to Cybird.]

Common Route

After drinking the Rosé, nothing odd seems to happen, leaving Arthur disappointed and Isaac relieved. MC is similarly relieved and Isaac apologizes for worrying her. With the matter settled, Sebastian starts clearing up the table when Arthur suddenly grabs his arm. Isaac is surprised, realizing that he looked just about ready to bite Sebastian. Arthur comes back to his senses though, after Sebastian asked what he was trying to do, and he laughs the whole thing off, saying he only bites women.

While MC reprimands him for joking over something like that, Isaac begins to worry that something might really be wrong. On the other hand, Vincent speaks up and informs them he wasn’t feeling well, and it confirms Isaac’s suspicions that the Rosé was affecting them, while he himself begins to feel the thirst. MC notices how much the drink was affecting the three of them, and Isaac tells her that the effects have kicked in.

Their thirst gradually intensifies, and Sebastian comes in with some Rouge for them to drink. He pours them all a glass, but after downing the Rouge, Isaac realizes it wasn’t enough. Arthur and Vincent are similarly unsatisfied, but they’re denied a second glass as Sebastian explains that drinking more would be toxic for them. He advises them to wait out the hour it would take for the side effects to wear off, but Arthur isn’t pleased to hear that.

It becomes clear to Isaac that he was better in handling the extreme thirst compared to Arthur and Vincent, given his condition, but at the same time, it meant that the other two would be suffering a lot more than they are used to. Arthur then speaks up, saying that he couldn’t take it anymore, and hugs MC from behind with his fangs bared.

Isaac pulls her away from Arthur and keeps her close to himself. Arthur tells him not to be stingy and asks to let him drink MC’s blood, but Isaac refuses. He starts thinking of how to best handle the situation, but Vincent takes hold of MC’s hand and brings it to his lips, apologizing and saying he couldn’t control his thirst either. Isaac gets MC away from him too, and tells them that if they bite her now, they wouldn’t be able to stop drinking her blood.

In his mind, Isaac knows that once they bite, they’ll completely lose themselves and he refuses to have either of them to go through that. He then decides that the best option was for MC to hide. Since he wasn’t blinded by thirst yet, he asks Sebastian to handle Vincent and Arthur while he gets MC to somewhere safe. Sebastian hesitantly agrees, worried about Isaac’s condition, but he assures him that he can handle himself.

In reality though, Isaac is just as thirsty as the other two and wants to bite MC, but he swears to protect her. They leave the dining room and he suggests that she stay in her room until everyone calms down. MC voices out her concern for him, but he insists that he’ll be fine. She isn’t convinced, but before Isaac can say more, Arthur and Vince manage to get past Sebastian. Realizing the situation they were in, MC begins to speak up, but Isaac cuts her off, saying that he wouldn’t allow it.

MC: But I haven’t said anything yet.

Isaac: In any case, you were thinking that if you could take away their pain by giving them blood, then you’re willing to give them a little, weren’t you?

MC’s surprised that he was spot on, and Isaac explains just how dangerous her idea was, given their condition. He also refuses to have another man bite MC, but he keeps that thought to himself.

They break into a run, heading for MC’s room, but they find Arthur already waiting for them in front of her door. Arthur tells them that he didn’t really want to do this, but he was already at his limit and therefore had no choice. Isaac sympathizes, but he won’t allow them to be caught and tries to backtrack, only to find Vincent blocking their way, who apologizes and begs them to get away.

Isaac realizes that with their thirst, they would still be able to smell MC’s scent, and decides there was only one place for her to hide. He grabs MC’s hand, and they push past Vincent and run up several flights of stairs. All the while, Isaac could feel his own thirst worsen, and simply hopes he could keep himself together until he could get MC to a safe place.

Finally, they make it to the attic, which could be locked from the inside, but at this point, Isaac’s already at his limit and looks about to collapse. MC tries to steady him, but in a moment of weakness, he tells her that he wants her. He immediately takes it back and pulls himself together, mentally berating himself for letting that slip.

He advises her to stay in the attic until everyone had calmed down before turning around and heading for the door. MC tries to stop him, but he apologizes and tells her that he won’t be able to be gentle to her if he stays. He then leaves, locking the door after him, and heads back to his room.

With thirty minutes left before the effects of the Rosé wears off, Isaac worries over how Arthur and Vincent were faring, since they weren’t used to bouts of extreme thirst like he was and were likely in a lot of pain. At the same time, he worries the whole ordeal might have scared MC, and he can’t stomach the idea of her being afraid of them.

Isaac: Haa… I wonder why is it that I’m always being influenced by other people, and then have things backfire on me.

His brooding is then interrupted when MC barges into his room and hugs him. Isaac’s confused and asks what she’s doing when she should be hiding, but all she tells him is that she’s comfortable with him. He doesn’t quite understand, but he feels warm and relaxed now that she was here. He tells her, however, that she should leave since he might not be able to keep himself from biting her, and if that happens, she wouldn’t be able to get away from him.

Isaac begins to think back to a time when her blood stained his sheets, and he swears he wasn’t going to let that happen again, reminding himself of how he promised to cherish her for the rest of his life.

MC, however, tells him that she’s fine whatever may happen since it’s him, and Isaac is frustrated with her stubbornness. He thinks of how he just wants to push her down and how he wants her body and blood, but as he desperately tries to suppress those overwhelming desires of his, MC asks him to rely on her.

—

Sweet (Love’s Devotion) End

The thing he truly wants, even more than blood….

“It’s because, I truly want to treasure you.”

What awaits after he regains his senses is a gentle, sweet time for the two of you.

—

Isaac thinks to himself that he couldn’t take anymore of this, but instead of biting MC, he just pulls her close and kisses her forehead. He tells her he didn’t want to bite her in the state he was in, but he’s still happy that she went to see him. He then hugs her, his mind calming down now that he feels her warmth, and he lets her know that he’ll be okay like this until the effects of the Rosé wore off. MC yields, but then the door opens, and Arthur and Vincent come in.

The two men are relieved to find Isaac and MC, and while the former is surprised, MC asks what they were doing there. They explain that Sebastian had somehow found an antidote and were asked to give it to Isaac. Isaac then asks if they already took the antidote, and Arthur tells him that they have and that they were feeling better.

Isaac sighs in relief now that both Vincent and Arthur are back to their usual selves, and Arthur apologizes for how he acted. Isaac insists that they should let it go and move on, but Arthur lets him know that something like that is difficult to forget and it served as a chance to understand what Isaac goes through. Vincent chimes in, reminding Isaac that he still had an antidote to drink, and holds out a bottle of black liquid.

The color has Isaac skeptical but Vincent assures him it’s safe. He eventually gets around drinking it though, and he’s surprised it actually worked. MC asks if he really is alright, and he reassures her he’s fine. Arthur and Vincent wonders how he was able to endure the thirst, even though MC was with him, and Isaac glances at MC.

Isaac: That is… MC’s well-being is more important to me than my desire to drink blood.

In his mind, Isaac admits to himself that he almost did bite MC and is glad that he didn’t, knowing that if it was the old him, he probably would have bitten her. Now though, he values the time he spends with her and swears to cherish her.

Arthur is impressed, and Isaac initially assumes he was just teasing him, but he notices the serious look Arthur was giving him as he insists that he wasn’t joking. Vincent agrees, saying that he wouldn’t have been able to endure the pain from that kind of thirst, and Arthur admits that if it were him, he would have caved from the very beginning.

Seeing Arthur and Vincent back to their usual selves, Isaac feels very relieved and warm, and starts to choke up as he apologizes for the whole incident. Arthur tells him that he was the instigator and Vincent drank the Rosé of his own free will, and therefore Isaac had no reason to apologize. MC then giggles, pointing out how everyone is all good friends, and Isaac realizes that it was a word he didn’t often hear in his old life.

Isaac wonders out loud if they really were good friends, and Vincent assures him that they are. Both he and Arthur point out that if he hadn’t met MC, Isaac would have remained distant and unapproachable. Isaac realizes that they might be right that MC brought about his change, and as his affection for MC grows, his thirst for her comes back.

Arthur catches on and comments that he and Vincent should take their leave now that they had already given him the antidote. He also teasingly points out that Isaac looked like he really wanted them to leave already, but Isaac denies it. Vince agrees they should get going though, and the two of them leave Isaac and MC alone.

MC decides that she should probably leave too so Isaac could get some rest, but before she could go, he grabs her hand and asks her to stay. He pulls her into a deep kiss, and when they part, MC asks if the antidote had already worn off.

Isaac tells her that it was something like that, but at this point, the only thing that could satisfy him would be MC. He kisses her again, surprising MC, but she’s happy that he was now actually willing to ask her for something. Isaac wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction from her, and while he’s embarrassed, it makes his desire even stronger.

Isaac comments that if she kept saying stuff like that, he really wouldn’t be able to control himself, before pulling her for another kiss. As the heat between them increases, the time for sweet pleasure begins.

—

Premium (Instinctual Bloodsucking) End

Ensnared by desire, he yearns for blood….

“Sorry. I don’t think I can stand any more than this…. I want to take you for myself right now.”

The awakened vampire instincts, can no longer be stopped  ——

—

Isaac gives in and pulls MC close to him, apologizing as he did so since he won’t be able to be gentle. He then starts to unbutton her blouse and peels it away, exposing her skin. He can practically hear her heart beating, and he’s disgusted by his own reaction, as if he was a beast about to devour his prey.

His hands come to a stop as his thoughts begin to wander, thinking of all the ways he could mess things up, but MC calls out his name and snaps him out of it. She smiles at him and reaches out a hand, telling him that everything will be fine, insisting that he bite her. Isaac is at the same time happy and worried, and yields. He pushes away her hair and thanks her, before sinking his fangs into her neck.

MC tenses up in pain, but after a few moments pass, it becomes apparent that she’s begun to enjoy it. Isaac continues to drink her blood, up until the point he thinks he’s about to lose control, and then pulls away and wraps his arms around him. MC asks if that was enough to satisfy him, and he admits that although it wasn’t, drinking any more would be dangerous for her.

Isaac takes a few deep breaths and is relieved that he had somehow regained control of himself. He then asks if MC was in any pain, to which she answers she wasn’t and was actually feeling pretty good.

Not expecting that kind of answer, Isaac ends up laughing. MC, on the other hand, is relieved he was able to laugh since he looked terrible when she had first come in. Isaac explains that he had assumed Arthur and Vincent had done something, and admits that none of this would have happened if only he hadn’t challenged the other two to experience what he goes through. This time, MC laughs, and Isaac asks what she finds funny.

MC: Yeah, Isaac really has changed.

Isaac: …Changed?

MC: Because when we first met, you told me you didn’t need any friends.

MC: But now, you’re worrying about others, and that’s evidence that you think everyone is an important friend.

(Important, friend…)

Isaac realizes that it wasn’t a term he was used to, and it makes him feel warm. MC points out that everyone views him the same way, and Isaac hopes that the others really do view him as a friend. MC reassures him that they do, and Isaac laughs, the uneasiness and loneliness he felt being replaced by a strong feeling of affection. He then asks MC if he could kiss her, and MC immediately blushes, asking why he would have to ask at a time like this.

Isaac kisses her, but as he does, his thirst comes up again, and he realizes that he might not be able to stop this time. He pulls back and tries to regain his composure, but it becomes apparent that drinking MC’s blood hadn’t completely taken care of the Rosé’s side effects.

Confused, MC calls out to Isaac, and he asks her how much longer until the side effects were supposed to wear off. She says ten more minutes, and Isaac thinks to himself that drinking her blood had only temporarily given him so reprieve, but the side effects were still going to kick in until the Rosé completely wears off.

Isaac apologizes to MC and tells her he can’t take any more of this as he embraces her. MC asks what he’s going on about, and he informs her that he intends her to take her to bed. MC finally understands, and asks if he’s still experiencing the side effects. He admits that it’s partly that, but there’s something else to it.

Apparently, a vampire’s thirst for blood is tied to their affection, and Isaac points out that because he loves her, he couldn’t help but feel this way for her. He then smiles at her and licks the bit of skin left exposed by her unbuttoned blouse.

“Let me have you right now.”

Note: This is where the paid epilogue starts.

—

Epilogue Preview

Reaching its limits, his desire yearns for you to the point of madness….

MC: Haa…

Isaac: No, don’t stop…. More.

Hands twisted into the sheets to prevent you from moving away, he gives you a kiss that robs you of your breath.

(Even more, I want to carve my mark on your body….)

Thirsting for blood, he lifts your bare thigh up—

Isaac: Sorry…. bear with this for a bit.

MC: … Ah

Signaled by molten eyes, the curtain on an enticing moment lifts.

Isaac: Today… is it okay to be rough?

Event Info | Vincent Route | Arthur Route

[putschki1969]

Japan ~ Summer 2018 #1 🎌🗻

Quick introduction: Hello my lovlies!! As most of you might already know, I went to Japan this summer. It was a rather spontaneous decision based on the fact that both Hikaru and Wakana had announced their solo lives. At that point I was suffering from a serious case of Kalafina withdrawal so I felt like I had no choice but to go. I just needed to see them. Also, it was my 30th birthday so I thought I would treat myself. You only turn 30 once, right? On a side note, the timing finally gave me the opportunity to do something I had wanted to do for a few years now. Climb Mount Fuji. o(〃＾▽＾〃)o So yeah, that’s the backstory of my trip. I stayed in Japan from July 30 till August 14 and pretty much my entire trip was dedicated to Kalafina Pilgrimage. Let me tell you this, it was by far the best summer vacation of my life, worth each and every penny! And believe me, there were a LOT of pennies involved XD

Notes: Once again this is coming pretty late but not as late as my previous travel report so that’s a good thing. It took some time to gather my thoughts and put them all into words. This report will be a bit different from the last one since I thought it would be nice to include some travel tips here and there. I guess you could see this as some sort of travel/Kala-guide. Many of my followers have never been to Japan so I guess some general info would be useful to make things easier for you if you ever decide to travel to Japan.

Please note that this is Part 1 of my report. The other parts will follow in the near future (hopefully).

Without further ado, let’s get to it 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

July 29 (Sun) ~ July 30 (Mon)

My flight to Japan was scheduled for Sunday July 29. Finally a direct flight again. I HATE layovers with a passion. As always I couldn’t sleep on the plane so I watched all kinds of movies (Blade Runner 2049, The Greatest Showman, Love Simon, Red Sparrow and La La Land - I really don’t get the love for La La Land o.O). 11 hours later I landed at Narita Airport (8 am the next day JST). The second I stepped out of the plane and walked through that tube thingy that connects planes to the airport I thought I was gonna die, it felt like I had just opened an oven and a blast of heat and steam washed over me. To say it felt like a sauna is an understatement. Thank God the tube was rather short and I was soon insiden the airconditioned Narita Airport. I took my time there since I knew I wouldn’t be able to check into my hotel before 14:00. Got my luggage, got my wi-fi sim card, got my JR Pass, charged my Suica, got some instant Chai from Starbucks (the one that Hikaru had just recommended in a blog post XD), bought some fancy looking writing paper (for my letters to Hikaru and Wakana). So yeah, I basically chilled and caught up on all the stuff that I had missed while I didn’t have internet. Around noon I took the Narita Express to Tokyo. I always take the N’EX because it’s super convenient and fast. The fare is high but it’s covered by the JR Pass. From there it’s just one station on the Yamanote Line to my hotel. When I am in Tokyo I always stay at a business hotel in Kanda. Cheap and convenient. Ugh, the short walk to my hotel was hell. Carrying a backpack, shoving my luggage ahead of me, all of that in the middle of the day with the sun blasting down on me. Thankfully two locals took pity on me (I must have looked like I was about to die XD). They helped me with my luggage and brought me to my hotel. All the way I kept apologising because I honestly didn’t expect them to carry my stuff. I was like, “no, no, don’t do it, I will carry it myself!!” But nope, they were pretty stubborn about it. Ahhhh, everyone is so kind, it always makes me happy to be back in Japan. I guess those are the perks of looking like a small girl, everyone feels the need to help you XD Anyways, I checked in, freshened up and then I did a bit of shopping in Akihabara. Nothing extraordinary, mostly I just looked for second hand Kalafina stuff XD (as I always do) During this trip I didn’t buy a lot though. A couple of singles (One Light and Blaze), the LEs for “After Eden” and “far on the water”, that’s about it. I came across re/oblivious but meh, it was too expensive for my taste, that CD isn’t too high on my priority list at the moment if I am being honest. Anyways, I didn’t do much else that day since I was pretty exhausted from my flight and I definitely needed to rest considering all the things that were lying ahead of me. Before I headed to bed I wrote my letter for Hikaru (thank God I bought a bunch of stationary because I screwed up so often and had to start on a new paper XD) and that’s a wrap for my first day in Tokyo.

❗ Some tips ❗

Try not to travel to Japan in the summer time! Flights are crazy expensive, there are lots of typhoons, most places are brimming over with people (Japanese and tourists alike) and the awful humidity makes you want to kill yourself.  

Get a JR Pass if you plan to travel a lot by train/shinkansen (long distance trips). Believe me, it pays off to have one even though the price might seem a bit scary. I like to get to places fast, don’t wanna waste my time by using slow trains or buses. That’s why for me the JR Pass is perfect but it might be different for some of you.

Get a Suica. While the JR Pass is quite convenient, it doesn’t cover any of the metros and other stuff. In most cases you will be able to get around using just JR lines but sometimes it will be much easier to just take the metro or a bus and in these cases a Suica comes in quite handy. You simply charge your card and off you can go.

Get a rental sim card or a portable pocket wi-fi. The first time I went to Japan back in 2014 I didn’t have either of the two and man, I still don’t know how I survived, having no internet sucks. Wi-fi is super important, you can use google maps for orientation, you can always stay in contact with other people. You really shouldn’t travel without it. I recommend sim cards (if your device is unlocked) because the coverage is just much better. Some pocket wi-fis don’t work well in rural areas or underground. Definitely pre-order and don’t get it at the airport (so over-priced there!). I always have my rental delivered to the airport post office. In the past I have used the CDJapan service because it’s super reliable but there are other (cheaper) options I think.    

I’d recommend you stay in the Kanda area or close to it: This only goes for people who want to stay in a hotel, if you are wiling to stay in hostels/shared housing the Asakusa area is probably better suited for you. Anyways, this area has a lot of so called business hotels. The rooms are small and basic but really, it’s all you need. And it’s not too expensive. While there are business hotels in other areas, Kanda is just a super convenient location in my opinion. Just one JR station away from Tokyo (down)/Akihabara (up). There’s a direct JR express connection to Shinjuku. Last but not least you have the Metro Ginza Line which connects you to the fancy-schmancy area of Tokyo.

July 31 (Tue) ~ Hikaru Birthday Event

I already posted a pretty extensive report about this day (☞^o^) ☞ HERE! Be sure to check it out if you haven’t already (I have edited it a lot ever since I first posted it). However, there are still a couple of things I didn’t mention there. That day I got my package from Fril with the Keiko Lily Brown blouse and Wakana Candy Stripper sweater I had wanted for a super long time. Too bad it was too hot to wear either of those. Aside from the two clothing items, I also finally got my Harmony magazine and my Hyakka Ryouran key pendants. And of course all the Hikaru merch. Ahhhh! It was a truly glorious Kala-day and I felt like I was being showered with all kinds of Kala-stuff. This was also the start of my Kalafina Pilgrimage (as I like to call it XD). As I have mentioned in my report, my friend Sai and I went to La Maison Kioi. I had already been there during my January trip but it’s such a lovely place that I didn’t mind going again. Still haven’t been to the private room though T_T Such a shame. But it’s on my to-do list. One day I will be in that private room!!! Then we went to Afternoon Tea - Tearoom. It’s the place where Hikaru bought her calpis lassi. We went to the shop in Shibuya Mark City in case any of you wanna go there too. The lassi was okay, nothing spectacular but not too bad. I guess you need to like the taste of calpis. After the live when I got home I immediately had to look for Hi-chan’s blouse. And YAY, I managed to find it super quickly. The price shocked me to be honest. It was almost 100 bucks even though it was already 50% off. At that time I didn’t really wanna buy it because I thought it was too expensive but oh well, I changed my mind XD (but more on that in a later post...)

❗ Some tips ❗ 

Try using pages like Fril or Zozoused to find old Kalafina fashion items. On my twitter account you can find all my detective discoveries (there’s pretty much nothing else there). You can make awesome deals on those sites. Kala-clothes are super expensive as we all know but when you buy them used, they are MUCH cheaper. The Japanese take a lot of care of their clothes so even their used items will be in great condition.

Try to get to the venue of a Kalafina live as early as possible if you want to buy all the merch. Yes, I know it’s rough and it feels like a waste of time to stand in line for hours on end but believe me, it’s worth it. I have seen many people underestimate the whole lining-up thing. As a reference, we were there at 10 am, the sale started at around 1 pm iirc. It was a small event on a weekday but still, by the time we arrived at the venue there were already around 25 people lining up and afterwards there came a ton more. 

Try to bring little souvenirs from your country when you plan to meet up with fellow Kala-fans. Doesn’t have to be much, maybe some small chocolates or something. Everyone will appreciate the gesture and you won’t feel so bad when you receive a ton of stuff from the people around you.

Aug 1 (Wed) ~ Aug 2 (Thu) a.k.a. Mount Fuji Climb

The toughest two days of my trip (my entire life if I am being honest). Ever since 2016 (when Keiko first voiced her wish to climb Mount Fuji) I have had this idea stuck in my head. You know me, I am a crazy-Keiko-fan, she is my idol, my inspiration, literally the love of my life (♥ω♥ ) ~♪ When she said that she wanted to do it I KNEW I had to give it a try too. However, for the longest time I didn’t know if I would ever be able to do it. For one I am basically the least active person on this planet and two, summer is the official climbing season and I had never actually planned to travel to Japan in the summer time. But then all of a sudden the stars aligned and everything fell into place. When I decided to travel to Japan this summer I also decided that I would use the opportunity to climb Mount Fuji. There was no way around it. Plus, I thought it would be a great challenge for my 30th birthday (which was on Aug 2). In preparation I did a lot of cardio and leg strengthening, I also tried to walk AT LEAST 5 km every day for about two months. I met up with Sai at 11 am on Aug 1 (I am so glad I convinced her to come with me - she is a fellow crazy-Keiko-fan XD). We had some lunch at Shinjuku Station (I went for pizza because I thought I could use a lot of energy - and yup, I was right!). Then we took a direct bus to the 5th Station on Mount Fuji where we ate even more food (some overpriced curry). After acclimating for a while we started our hike at around 6 pm. We tried to be all inconspicuous and pretended to be part of a group led by two tour guides. These tours usually cost a lot of money and you can’t just take part in them but I think the tour guides took pity on us because we were all by ourselves (and we are both small so we probably looked like little girls). Or I don’t know, maybe they thought we were annoying gaijins but at any rate, they didn’t tell us to get lost so I guess that’s a good thing. The pace of the group was SUPER slow (which was good because it helped save a lot of energy). I had my issues walking in the group because I can’t stand crowds but it was probably for the best. After about an hour it started to get dark (thank God we all had our head lights because the darkness up there is unbelievably black, you don’t see anything). Soon after it also became freezing. You didn’t notice it when you were walking but whenever we took a break, you could feel the coldness creeping up on you (especially with all the sweat on your body). The entire climb took about 10 hours I would say (much longer than most reports had suggested). Obviously we took some breaks in between but for the most part all we did was climb (at a very slow pace though). Half of the hike we walked together with the group but then they stopped at a hut to rest there. We hadn’t booked a hut so we continued by ourselves but at that point there were so many people on the mountain that you were never alone.

Here comes the embarrassing part. Half-way up I had a full on panic attack. Like literally, I was hyperventilating, I was crying, believe me when I tell you, it wasn’t pretty, I was a mess. Some of the people around us thought I had seriously hurt myself or something but really, it was just me having a meltdown. Quick backstory: I suffer from a serious case of vertigo, I mean sometimes I can’t even walk stairs without getting dizzy. Now for the most part the climb wasn’t too bad. At least until we reached the 7th Station. It was exhausting of course but we had chosen the easiest trail (Yoshida), I was trying my best to always face the mountainside, I never looked down and I had my friend walk between myself and the hillside. But between the 7th and 8th Station the terrain was HORRIBLE: There are lots of steep, jagged-edged rocks. It’s very dangerous (or at least it FELT very dangerous to me). I was frightened to death. I had to use my hands and because I am so small I often had to hoist myself up the HUGE rocks. I was pretty much on my hands and knees for who knows how long. I tried to find the small rocks but sometimes there just wasn’t a way around a big one. The path got narrower as we continued along and there were sections where the ledge of the mountain was barely half a metre away from us! Can you imagine??! HALF A FREAKING METRE! That’s nothing. (*/ω＼*) Sometimes there wasn’t even a rope! Not that a tiny rope would have saved me from falling down (but you get my point!). You couldn’t really see anything, you just saw the blackness next to you. I tried to focus on myself and the person in front of me. And I held onto the mountain as best as I could. This is where being in a group came in handy. Because I was surrounded by people, I was literally FORCED to continue, I couldn’t just stop. This was honestly the scariest and most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. And then when we were taking a short break at one of the huts, I was having my crazy breakdown. I don’t know why it happened at that point, maybe because I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Or maybe I was scared of what would still happen. No idea, but I was close to giving up. I am so grateful to Sai for being by my side, she provided so much support and comforted me. I tried to think of Keiko and how I was doing this because of HER. Somehow, it helped a lot, keeping her in mind provided me with lots of strength. I am not a religious person but I guess this comes close to what people feel when they ask for a little aid from God...(sorry, this might sound blasphemous to religious people but I think it really was like that. It was like having a comforting presence around me that guided me ahead). Oh well, slowly but surely I managed to calm down and then the tour guide said that these had been the scariest parts and the rest of the hike wouldn’t be as bad. What a relief!! Soon after the group took shelter in a hut while we continued onwards. I really wanted to see the sunrise. The final parts were tough, I am not gonna lie. There were so many people that the trail got congested, the terrain was steep again and the summit felt like an eternity away. Then FINALLY at around 3 or 4 am (I don’t reallly know anymore) we reached the top. Sai and I fell into each other’s arms. We cried, we celebrated. We had done it!! ( •̀ᄇ• ́)ﻭ✧ All thanks to Keiko!!! BANZAI!! We found ourselves a nice place and waited for the sun to rise. At this point we were freezing and exhausted so the sunrise didn’t feel as epic as I had expected (or maybe my expectations were too high). It also started to get a bit cloudy so the clouds obstructed the view. But still, mind-blowing experience.

We warmed ourselves up a bit in one of the huts, had some breakfast (or at least Sai did, I just had a coffee - was still feeling a bit off due to my panic attack) and checked out the crater. Then it was time to make our way down. Thankfully you are taking a different trail than the one up. The way down is basically the trail the bulldozers use to transport stuff up and down the mountain. The road is slightly steep but nowhere near as steep as the way up. It’s also not as narrow so you don’t feel like you are falling off the mountain any second. What makes it difficult though is the slippery gravel. You have to be really careful not to slip. Walking downhill is also really hard on the knees and feet so we were in quite some pain. Once again it took longer than expected. I think we walked for about five hours in total until we reached the 5th Station. We took a lot of breaks though and listened to Kalafina. It felt amazing and eased our pain. The further we went down the hotter it got. [I am really surprised I didn’t get sick after the whole thing, so many temperature changes, so much freezing, so much sweating, so much physical exertion and sleep deprivation...I am really proud my body made it through all of that XD] Unfortunately we missed the bus we had reserved for 11 am but thankfully that wasn’t a huge issue because we managed to get seats on a later bus at around 1 pm I think. At around 3 pm we arrived at Shinjuku Bus Terminal and were hit by the Tokyo humidity. The air was so nice and crisp up on the mountain (even on the 5th Station)!! It was a huge shock to be back in the oven that is Tokyo. The plan was to go back to my hotel to freshen up a little and then have some celebratory dinner together. That’s when I had my second breakdown. The hotel staff wouldn’t let Sai come up to my room. I mean, I know the rules, single bedrooms don’t allow visitors but hell, we looked like shit and we hadn’t slept and we were dirty and sweaty and we really just wanted to freshen up a little. I thought they would understand...but they didn’t ...I felt horrible about that because things weren’t going according to plan. I didn’t know what to do, I certainly wasn’t going to leave Sai waiting in the lobby while I freshened up. So yeah, I was just sad and frustrated and exhausted which led to a ton of crying. Once again Sai was the one to provide comfort. We eventually decided to just go have dinner in our current attire. To hell with dirt and sweat. We went to Akihabara, found ourselves a nice Shabushabu place and stuffed ourselves with a ton of meat XD Too bad I forgot to take pictures, it truly was a wonderful meal! We really needed all that meat to recharge our batteries. Then we parted ways and I went back to my hotel. After getting all the dirt and sweat off me I called my family because everyone wanted to talk to me, it was my birthday after all. Then I fell into bed and had a nice refreshing sleep. All in all it was an “interesting” and eye-opening experience, probably the most scary yet exciting thing I ever did. I feel proud of what we achieved during these two days and I will forever treasure the memories. Kalafina has influenced my life like nothing else. They have made me become a better person, a stronger person. This experience has made that very apparent. Without my love for Keiko I wouldn’t have been able to do this. She really inspires me every day and I felt so incredibly close to her while I was up on that mountain. Combined with my nail appointment the next day, this was probably the closest I ever felt to her. It was like a soothing balm after not having heard anything from Keiko in such a long time. Last but not least, I gained an amazing friend. Sharing this experience with Sai felt special, it’s almost like there is a bond between us now.

❗ Some tips ❗ 

Take Mount Fuji seriously! I think I really did, I prepared myself thoroughly but still, I wasn’t 100% prepared for the experience. So yeah,  do not underestimate the climb! People often say it’s an easy climb but that’s not true. It’s certainly not the Everest but it IS a challenge. At some point or another the altitude WILL get to you and the temperature changes are not to be taken lightly. Plus, you have to be in good physical shape.

Good shoes are key.

Bring lots of clothes. It gets VERY cold at night (the temperatures can drop below 0°C). Ski wear is often recommened. Definitely some layers. A hat, a scarf, some gloves and of course a head light.  Also, some oxygen in case you suffer from altitude sickness (it’s sold on the huts).

Hydration is actually overrated. If you walk at a slow place (like we did) you won’t need a lot of water. At least we didn’t. So it’s best not to burden yourself with unnecessary weight. I would say a small bottle is enough, no need to bring 3 litres or whatever. It might be different if you walk during the day since you are constantly under the sun.

Even on the easiest trail (Yoshida) there are very dangerous parts so be careful and take things slowly. And be mindful of people behind you!

Decide whether you want to climb at night or during daytime (or both). We decided on a night climb without staying at a hut. This is physically demanding and not many people recommend it but you save a lot of money and time. Hiking during the day and taking shelter at a hut during the night might sound like a good idea but there are downsides to it. First of all, you are constantly under the sun. Secondly, the night at the hut will cost you A LOT and it will make your entire trip a lot longer. Plus, it is most likely not as re-energising as you might think because you will not get proper rest due to all the people around you. Lastly, there are still a couple of hours of night climbing left if you want to see the sunrise. So yeah, that’s why I decided against a day climb.

Expect to pay around 10 bucks to be able to hike up Mount Fuji. It’s some sort of mandatory donation. Also bring lots of 100 yen coins with you because you will need those to use the various bathrooms (which are quite horrible and have no running water so you better mentally prepare yourself for that).

Reserve your bus seats in advance but give yourself PLENTY of time. A one-way bus ticket costs around 20 bucks.

Aug 3 (Fri) ~ Nail appointment at ROI Salon

I didn’t do anything that day except go to my nail appointment (I was still exhausted but surprisingly not in a lot of pain. YAY!). (☞^o^) ☞ HERE’s my thorough report of my experience. Be sure to check it out. I fangirl a lot and I have since edited it quite a bit XD As I have mentioned above, my climb and this appointment have made me feel super close to Keiko. I don’t know how to explain it but I felt a connection. Plus, hearing that Keiko is doing fine, that she is finally getting some well deserved rest, it made me happy. I never had my doubts that Keiko was doing fine but to actually hear it felt nice. So yeah, the first few days of my trip were filled with Kalafina Love. During the Birthday Event I felt like an intimate connection was formed between Hikaru and myself and even though I didn’t actually get to meet or see Keiko, I DID feel close to her. （´・｀ ）♡ So many wonderful experiences in such a short little time! Absolute PERFECTION.

❗ Some tips ❗

A reservation HAS to be made in advance! You can do it online!

In your reservation you should mention that you are a Kalafina fan (just so both Keiko and Megumi get the option to change their appointments if they want to - in case Keiko’s appointment aligns with yours)

Be reserved and respectful, DO NOT PRY for information! If information is shared willingly with you that’s totally fine but don’t be the one to initiate anything. Don’t be that creepy stalker fan 

All right, that’s it for Part 1...Thanks to everyone who made it to the very end of this post!! (*＾▽＾)／ I know it was a lot. In Part 2 I will talk about my Hikaru Pilgrimage in Toyama.