#(no but i love his theme & his roar so I am a very happy camper)

[vixlenxe]

AH YES. My favorite Monster Hunter OST guy posted the Malzeno theme with his roars mixed in.

Just what I needed on my holy holiday, the screams of an unholy beast. Lmao.

[romanticruminations]

Phosphorescents

I’m writing this the day you left, so I wouldn’t forget all the lovely details of our week together.

Do you remember August 24th? The night that I sent you a message, even though I already had a date scheduled. It was a Thursday.

You seemed to be creative, uncomplicated and honest. Lately, it had become like a job to find a partner, and I had laid down some ground rules, like not bothering with travelers who were just passing through. But maybe because I had recently become exhausted in the dating process, I thought -- Fuck it. Why not? At least I’ll get to talk to someone creative, and that’s always fun!

I did my best to end the dinner quickly and called you. You were standing at the parking lot, and we exchanged casual hellos before I parked in front of your hotel. My first impression: friendly, tall and gentle. You took me to a bar with a Jamaican theme, and we had drinks on the veranda as the place emptied out. You were mellow, and I felt really comfortable sitting there next to you.

Then, as we picked up a lot of alcohol at Lawsons, I already sensed we were headed to make trouble. I was giddy. It felt so natural walking with you to the beach, even when we climbed over (you stepped over, I, more like hauled my body over) a fence to get there.

My memory gets fuzzy about all that we talked about, but hours flew by. Then I announced I was going swimming and stripped to my bra and panties. You took everything off and ran after me, until I convinced you to put your underwear back on. I caught everything in my peripheral vision and thought, wow, he must be very comfortable in his body.

There were phosphorescents. As I waved my arms in the black water, they lit up like stars. Above us, the clear night showcased the Milky Way. I don’t know how long we swam before I moved in to kiss you but you met my kiss right back. You said I was a good kisser. We kissed for a really long time, and played in the water, as the night patrol made several trips past us. At some points, you were swimming with a plastic cup of whiskey. It was fun.

Our swim came to an end when you got stung by the jellyfish. On shore, I poured some shikwasaa juice on it, which you said made it feel better. We kept drinking! On the way back to the hotel, we saw that one of the bars that had been made into a shack was full, so we stopped in and ordered a beer each. Everyone was friendly and talked to us. Then you gave the Uchinaguchi salute “Kari!” and everyone raised their drinks with a roar.

We took a bath in your hotel, although I don’t remember much of it. I know that we fooled around, but the details are lost. The only solid memory I have is looking at the clock and seeing it was 4:30 AM. I fell asleep as you held me. I felt so happy to sleep and to wake up in your arms. We made love that morning, though we were both tired and hungover.

We drove to the port where you were to catch the boat to Zamami. When we arrived you hugged and kissed me passionately. I remember a couple standing behind you, staring at us, stupefied. I laughed inside, soaking in the happiness imparted by your big affection.

Time began to warp around this time, as I moved about my normal life: teaching, cooking, eating, sleeping. Periodic messages from you stood out like punctuations: warm, colorful, open. I felt you were reaching for me, from the island. When you asked if we could meet upon your return to Okinawa, I felt we were in synch. Both swimming in the same river, headed in one direction. I was happy.

After you returned to Okinawa on Sunday, I cooked dinner for you. Although I’m still not sure how much you enjoyed it. I wanted to let you experience the simple staples of Okinawan cuisine. You were very gracious though, and I felt appreciative when you offered to wash the dishes.

We made love that night. But as you fell asleep, I remember that your body motions seemed exaggerated, uncomfortable. You woke up many times because your ear was bothering you. I eventually made you valerian root tea, and within ten minutes of drinking it, you were fast asleep. Eventually, I too, fell asleep, feeling satisfied that I could help you.

On Monday, I met with someone who worked on base in Ginowan, so I drove you to your Air BnB and then to the hospital before heading to work. I felt sorry to know that you had an ear infection, because I knew how much you wanted to get your diving certification. But I also knew this would add to our time together, so I was happy about that.

You suggested we adventure on Wednesday and Thursday, while you recovered on Tuesday. Tuesday was long, as I waited for Wednesday to arrive. I began to have some confused feelings, like what am I doing with this guy? A bit scared that I already liked you so much. I spent some time counseling my best friends overseas. I didn’t sleep much that night. A talk with my friend who was losing her daughter to cancer, and wondering how to process my feelings for you, kept me up for a while. But I rallied and picked you up amid the rain, and we began our trek north.

You had begun to ask about my project and various things about the political situation in Okinawa. The fact that you spent time reading about it on Zamami really impressed me. I thought it was great that you were interested in seeing the bay, and understanding more about the US military occupation on the island.

In Ginoza, at the farmer’s market, we decided on campling, and stocked up on vegetables. We continued our drive north, stopping at the grocery store to pick up more provisions. You fell asleep as we wound through the mountains from the east coast to Aha, where we would spend the night.

You were an expert with the tent. I was tired from the lack of sleep and driving, but I marveled at your detailed explanation of how to make a tent. I hadn’t asked, but I guess you thought I wanted to know. You were sharing your knowledge about something you were passionate about, and I really appreciated that. Thank you.

During this time, I daydreamed about living in Australia with you. We would go camping together, just like this. And I would feel safe in your company, because you seemed like an experienced camper. I watched you move about, as you set it up, and thought the way you crouch into a little ball while sitting on the ground was so adorable.

After the caretaker left for the evening, we walked up the stairs towards a trail. A flight ahead of me, I saw you do a jump (and a dance move--hop to the side). Then I saw the black snake, seemingly swimming on air, with its head raised high. I thought maybe it was the poisonous habu. We decided not to go walking after that.

As expected, you expertly lit the coal fire, after we found some kindling. We grilled mushrooms, eggplant and fish. On the side, we had tomatoes, cucumbers and onigiri. At this point, I was steeped in a fantasy--to be with you totally alone in the middle of the mountains. All set up with a tent and a fire; stars beginning to show above us; night breeze cooling down.

We laid on the wooden bridge looking at the stars. Although I was tired, I wanted to stay awake to prolong the experience of the special evening. Two times, a pair of military helicopters zoomed past us, flying very low. You joked that they were there to survey us. Maybe they were.

Before sleep, we made love in the shower. Standing in the stall, I felt how tall you were, and wondered if the difference in our height would create problems in our sex life. But you were such a generous lover. I felt so good, appreciated, taken care of. I enamored of your long, lean body, and wondered how I could manage to caress the whole length of it.

In the tent, you held me tight, wrapping your long legs around my midsection. You fell asleep. I listened to the birds and insects calling into the night, and was eventually rocked to sleep by the distant waves of the ocean in the distance. During the night, you woke me to have sex. I remember the weight of your body on me, and looking up at the stars through the leaves.