#japanese history have mercy of me

[boizdocry]

Nnoitra scribbles - Afterlife AU

Basically, Nnoitra ejected into real world, kinda Sengoku period.

Will scribble down both by commenting this post and reposting with the addition of new snippets here and there - some SFW, some other not.

Unfortunately, I'll release the most part in Italian, since I don't feel confident enough to write them directely in English.

Hope that IA Bing and Google Translate might help, I know there is lot of Nnoitra fans out there.

Also, YT good stuff to hear while you read - namely, Secret Stairways' "What Lies Beyond the Door". Even if you want to jump over my scraps of fanfic, give the song a try, you'll thank me later.

Lei, Mori, non aveva paura: non perché fosse coraggiosa in modo particolare e più di altre giovani donne della sua età ma, più semplicemente, perché viveva con tanto poco ed in tale isolamento, che tutto quel che la preoccupava erano il freddo, le intemperie e le bestie selvagge. Gli uomini la impensierivano assai meno: li vedeva di rado e, per lo più, quando si recava al mercato del più vicino villaggio per vendere oggetti intrecciati: ceste, sporte, stuoie, gioiellini fatti con corteccia e sassolini pescati dai torrenti che traversavano la foresta, oppure con le canne ed i vinchi che coglieva in riva al fiume.

La ragazza si era incamminata presto, quella mattina, chiudendo la porta della casupola con una sorta di lucchetto di corda e canniccio intrecciati.

Non si trattava di una serratura efficace: chiunque avrebbe potuto entrare facilmente, tagliando il laccio e sfondando il sottile pannello di legno che costituiva l'uscio della sua umile abitazione. Tuttavia, la ragazza - Mori, non aveva altro nome - non temeva intrusi: era l'unico essere umano che vivesse in quella foresta ed i suoi simili badavano a tenersene alla larga per non incorrere nello sdegno degli spiriti.

Dopo aver fatto un buon tratto di strada, quando si trovava ormai in una radura dove era solita sostare un poco prima di riprendere il cammino verso il torrente, dovette trattenere un grido di stupore alla vista di qualcosa che la colse del tutto alla sprovvista.

Quel giorno, un fresco e dorato giorno di settembre, era diretta per l'appunto al fiume e portava con sé, in una sporta di sua fabbricazione, un po' di panni da lavare e una coperta da rinfrescare prima che giungessero i primi freddi. Inoltre, era intenzionata a pescare qualche tinca da mettere in salamoia per l'inverno.

Poi, come sempre, si sarebbe data da fare a cogliere giunchi da disseccare e che le sarebbero tornati utili per i mesi più rigidi: con quelli meno solidi e flessuosi avrebbe foderato gli spifferi della sua casetta, mentre i migliori erano destinati alla creazione di oggetti che Mori barattava in cambio di sale, tessuti e olio per lampade.

A dire il vero la radura, che definire tale era eccessivamente generoso, non era più che un cerchio dal diametro di quasi cinque piedi, circondato da tre alberi dal tronco così ampio che Mori non sarebbe riuscita a circondarne uno con entrambe le braccia.

Si trattava, tuttavia, di splendide querce, più antiche della foresta stessa, tra le cui robuste radici l'erba cresceva più rada ma di un verde tenero e splendente. La luce filtrava a stento tra le meravigliose e folte chiome di quei vecchi giganti, disegnando mobili macchie di azzurro e di oro che il giuoco del vento dissolveva e ricomponeva senza sosta.

Tra quelle radici giaceva a terra un uomo - il che, già di per sé, costituiva un accadimento straordinario; ma la sua eccezionale presenza non era l'unica cosa che meravigliasse Mori.

La ragazza, addossatasi al tronco d'una quercia, si protese ad osservarlo meglio: anche il suo aspetto era fuori del comune... Fuori del comune, s'intende, per quel che la ragazza era abituata a conoscere degli altri umani nella regione.

Infatti, Mori sapeva di non appartenere allo stesso popolo con il quale, negli anni, si era abituata a commerciare: era più alta e forte di loro, aveva capelli chiari e mossi ed occhi verdi mentre loro erano minuti, eleganti, i capelli corvini perfettamente lisci.

Chiamavano il loro paese Ni-hon-gou e nutrivano, per chi appariva così diverso da loro, un misto di timore, sospetto e fascinazione.

Mori aveva imparato a proprie spese come misurarsi con il turbamento che suscitava negli altri; a loro volta, quelli che abitavano i villaggi circonvicini avevano appreso a fidarsi di lei e perfino ad ignorare la sua carnagione rosea e i suoi tratti esotici.

Tuttavia, quando alle fiere capitava qualche straniero, Mori cercava di starsene in disparte e non suscitare scandalo.

L'uomo che adesso giaceva a terra davanti a lei era simile agli abitanti del Ni-hon-gou per i tratti fini ed appuntiti e per la capigliatura d'un color nero lucido e freddo; le sue spalle, però, erano larghe quasi il doppio di quelle di Mori, che era già piuttosto robusta rispetto alla gente comune.

Mori si avvicinò ancora, troppo sorpresa ed incuriosita per tenere in considerazione le più basilari regole di prudenza: era una fortuna, in effetti, che l'uomo sembrasse profondamente assopito.

Lo guardò meglio: poteva avere trent'anni, un'età che, per quel che Mori sapeva di sé, era di almeno dieci anni più avanzata della sua. Anche riverso sul rado prato che, in contrasto con il terreo pallore della sua pelle, sembrava d'un verde violento, si capiva bene che doveva essere altissimo: con il suo grande corpo riempiva quasi interamente la lunghezza della radura.

Era magrissimo, al punto che Mori si sentì stringere il cuore all'idea della fame che doveva aver patito per essere tanto ossuto.

Il viso, già lungo, ed ancor più per la magrezza che lo rendeva scavato aveva tratti duri, sdegnosi, una bocca lunga dalle labbra sottili ed esangui. Non sembrava una bocca gentile, Mori sapeva di non sbagliarsi facilmente in questo genere di giudizi, ma di certo pareva la bocca di una persona disabituata a sorridere per qualcosa he lo rendesse sinceramente felice.

Gli occhi, a mandorla, erano strettamente serrati e ombreggiati da lunghe ciglia nere che ricadevano sulle profonde incavature delle occhiaie, illividite per il pallore. I capelli, lunghi e sottili, gli ricadevano scompostamente sulle spalle e attorno al capo reclinato: erano l'unica cosa autenticamente bella di quella fisionomia, per il resto acuminata fino ad avere qualcosa di esasperato, selvaggio.

Forse perché così cereo e smagrito, sembrava preda di una terribile spossatezza; lungo il torace, nudo, si vedeva chiaramente una lunga cicatrice simile alla traccia che avrebbero potuto lasciarvi un fendente, una frustata o un fulmine.

Quella cicatrice era paonazza, ma solo al centro: doveva essersi rimarginata molto velocemente e, sebbene fosse chiaro che la ferita doveva essere stata grave, nei suoi anni di vita solitaria nel cuore d'una foresta Mori aveva dovuto imparare abbastanza di medicina da giudicarla ben ristabilita.

Mentre meditava con rammarico sull'irreversibilità di quella deturpazione, notò che le mani dello sconosciuto - grandi, nodose e dalle dita molto lunghe, al punto da somigliare alle zampe d'uno strano predatore - tremavano.

A ben vedere, l'uomo tremava tutto.

Si affrettò a gettare la coperta addosso al giovane, poi, ritrattasi dietro l'albero, sollevata che lo sconosciuto dormisse tanto saporitamente da non accorgersi della sua presenza ma anche molto inquieta all'idea che potesse svegliarsi di lì a poco, scivolò via.

Mori credette di comprendere che lo straniero doveva avere freddo e pensò a quanto freddo lei stessa aveva patito negli anni.

Erano soli, in quella foresta: nessun altro viandante sarebbe passato di là e prestato soccorso allo sconosciuto.

Dubbiosa, cacciò la mano nella cesta e tastò la coperta.

Le dispiaceva separarsene con così poco anticipo rispetto ai primi freddi, ma non le rincresceva di meno vedere un suo simile debole e infreddolito: quante volte aveva rischiato di morire di polmonite, e quanto le sarebbe stato di conforto, oltre che di utilità, poter contare sulla compassione di qualche brava persona che potesse soccorrerla?

Sfortunatamente, Mori era sola da moltissimi anni e aveva dovuto sempre cercare di cavarsela da sola ma ricordava con emozione il tempo in cui suo padre era stato con lei e l'aveva protetta.

Era bello ricevere calore e tenerezza senza dover nulla in cambio e, per quanto le riuscisse duro pensare a uno sconosciuto prima che a sé stessa, sentiva che le sarebbe pesato passare oltre ed abbandonarlo al suo destino.

In fondo, ragionò con lo spirito pratico che l'aveva sempre sostenuta, c'era ancora un mercato da fare, di lì a pochi giorni: avrebbe preso un po' meno sale e una pezza di tessuto in più per rimpiazzare quella coperta.

E doveva mettersi di buona lena a raccattare più giunchi: se avesse potuto vendere qualche cesta in più, chissà!...

C'era solo da augurarsi che non si trattasse di qualcuno dal quale aspettarsi del male, pensò mentre, in salvo dietro a una fitta macchia di felci, affrettava il passo e prendeva poi a correre per mettere distanza tra sé e la radura. Del resto, era fiduciosa: la sua casa era ben nascosta. Al ritorno, poi, avrebbe percorso una strada diversa e più ampia, in modo che le digressioni la allontanassero ulteriormente da ogni possibile pericolo.

Resistette all'impulso di voltarsi a guardare verso la radura o tendere l'orecchio ai suoni della foresta ed ignor�� anche il vago turbamento che l'immagine dell'uomo nudo e inerme tra i ciuffi di trifoglio risvegliava in lei.

Perciò, non si accorse che lo straniero si era mosso e aveva mormorato qualcosa in una lingua sconosciuta, ma in un tono che anche Mori avrebbe ben compreso.

Un tono di collera, sofferenza e disprezzo.

[worflesbian]

Klingons & Racialisation - the Long Post

This post is an overview of the racial coding of the Klingons from their first appearance to the present day, illustrated by quotes from Trek writers, actors and crew members taken from the Memory Alpha article Depicting Klingons, with my own interjected summaries and explanations. It is by no means comprehensive (I likely missed some stuff), and does not offer critical analysis of the quotes provided, but nonetheless is intended to demonstrate irreproachably the open fact that Klingons have always been intentionally written and designed as non-white -- something that fandom consistently fails to take into account when perpetuating racist stereotypes and reiterating racist canon content. I recommend reading the whole article for a more in-depth understanding of the subject, as well as seeking out the existing writing of fans of colour. This post is primarily for reference purposes so I've tried to limit my own analysis and opinions, but I do post those in my Klingon tag as well as more general headcanons and worldbuilding and I'm happy to answer any (good faith) questions this post may raise.

As always, if I have overstepped in any way as a white fan in making this post, I am grateful to be informed and will make any required changes.

Content warning for outdated and offensive language under the cut.

The Original Series

"There is some suggestion that the Klingons represent a Cold Warrior's view of China in the 1960s – swarthy, brutally repressive." (Star Trek Magazine issue 153, p. 66) "And I think he was basing a lot of it on the kind of attitude of the Japanese in World War II...." ("Errand of Mercy" Starfleet Access, TOS Season 1 Blu-ray) The script of "Errand of Mercy" introduces the Klingon look by saying, "We see the Klingons are Orientals," "Spray my hair black, give me a kind of swamp creature green olivey mud reptilian make-up, and we'll borrow some stuff from Fu Manchu, and put a long moustache and eyebrows on me." ("The Sword of Colicos", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine, No. 8) "I think the makeup was called 'Mexican #1 or #2.' That was the name of the original makeup foundation – they actually had kind of racist names at the time, like 'Negro #1' and 'Mexican #2' – which was the basis for the original Star Trek makeups." (Star Trek Magazine issue 172, p. 59) "In the original series, all they wore was a dark face and their black hair," Michael Westmore observed. ("Michael Westmore's Aliens: Season Two", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) The Klingons' appearance changed within the original Star Trek series; although dark makeup and heavy eyebrows were the norm, the Klingons of "The Trouble with Tribbles" were much lighter-skinned and more Human-like in appearance.... He noticed that they are not only less like Mongol warriors by having less of a swarthy appearance but also by being slightly not as fierce... ("The Trouble with Tribbles" Starfleet Access, TOS Season 2 Blu-ray) "...they were meant to represent the Communist foes of the United States specifically during the Vietnam War, which was being controversially fought at that time. (Star Trek: The Original Series 365, p. 222) "...let us never set up a situation whereby those adversaries of ours [Klingons] give any indication of ever being anything but highly aggressive and self-seeking opponents." (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Three)

Here it is explicitly stated that the Klingons were based on various Asian cultures, with the USSR also being mentioned heavily in the article. This influence and the use of "yellowface" is covered more comprehensively in this youtube video Klingons & The History Of Racial Coding. However, the video has some notable gaps which I hope to cover in this post.

Post-TOS (movies)

The Star Trek III portrayal of Klingons took inspiration from Japanese history. "Harve [Bennett] had the notion that the Klingons were like Samurai warriors," explained linguist Marc Okrand. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 114, p. 27) Robert Fletcher agreed with Bennett, later saying of the Klingons, "I always liked to think of them as authoritarian, almost feudal, like Japan had been." (The Making of the Trek Films, UK 3rd ed., p. 52) Regarding the make-up, Michael Westmore observed, "Until now, Klingons were brown. Some had a bony ridge running down the middle of their foreheads, long black wigs and facial hair." (Star Trek: The Next Generation Makeup FX Journal, p. 28) "I thought it was an ideal way for us to have our closure too, because the Klingons for us have always been the Communist Block, the Evil Empire. It just made sense to do that story." (The Making of the Trek Films, UK 3rd ed., p. 100) "Gene was really bothered by the Klingons in VI [....] [They] were, in his words, 'too civilized, too decent, too much of the good guys in the story.' [....] [The Klingon detente] was not the way Gene would have handled it. He would have reversed it, he would have had the Klingons being the ones who couldn't handle the peace, with the Federation saying, 'Come on, let's try and work this out.'" (Star Trek Movie Memories, hardback ed., p. 289) "The story never explored the Klingon culture the way I'd hoped it would [....] I was hoping for greater insight into the Klingons." (I Am Spock) Nimoy hoped, in specific, that the movie would provide some important insight into why the Klingons had "always been so angry, such nasty, vicious murderers." Nimoy wanted the insightful knowledge to be an intellectually transformational force, changing the thinking of Kirk and the audience. (Star Trek Movie Memories, hardback ed., pp. 287-288) In an interview in the DS9 Season 7 DVD, Robert O'Reilly observed that a long-running joke among actors who have played Klingons is that they do not want to appear in the Star Trek films as, he believes, the only purpose of a Klingon in one of the films was to be killed off.

Although these last three quotes may not seem relevant, I believe they highlight an important facet of the racialisation of the Klingons. It reads as though Gene Roddenberry was against depicting the Klingons in a more sympathetic light than the Federation, and considering that the Klingons are intended to be non-white, refusing to give depth or motive to their anger in favour of keeping them "nasty, vicious murderers" comes across as fairly racist, especially when these kind of reductive and harmful stereotypes could've been challenged as Nimoy suggests. The treatment of Klingons as disposable villains is also concerning in this context.

The Next Generation

African-American actors were often cast as Klingons in TNG and subsequent Star Trek productions. This practice wasn't racially motivated but was instead carried out because it lessened makeup time, as the performers already had a brown complexion without having to have their skin painted that color. (Stardate Revisited: The Origin of Star Trek: TNG, Part 2: Launch, TNG Season 1 Blu-ray) Tony Todd, who portrayed the recurring Klingon character Kurn, stated, "I don't look at the Klingons necessarily as African-Americans, but it's about tapping into something–they're certainly an alienated people, so maybe that's why African-American actors can identify with those characters. But that doesn't mean it's exclusive to them." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 116, p. 54) Michael Westmore actually changed the Klingon facial design in numerous ways, though. He stated, "I added a Shakespearean style of facial hair and a forehead bone structure based on dinosaur vertebrae and I was able to modify motion picture Klingons for television." (Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts, p. 59) In "A Matter Of Honor", the Klingons were intended to be used to shed some light on a common social problem prevalent at the time of the episode's making. This was, namely, what it was like to be the only person of either white or black skin coloration while surrounded by people of the other color. The Klingons were selected to illustrate this theme as a spin on the usual arrangement of a predominantly Human crew serving aboard the Enterprise-D alongside Worf. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 176) Two historical societies, the Samurai and Vikings, served as other inspirations, Moore perceiving about Klingon culture, "There was the calm, elegant reserve associated with the Samurai but there was the 'party-down' like the Vikings." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 114, p. 58) "I stopped thinking of the Klingons as the Cold War adversary," he explained. "I didn't think it fit [....] The place where the Russians were when I was doing the Klingon shows just wasn't as relevant any more." (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 19, pp. 64-65) "The Klingons are not evil, tyrannical pirates bent only on pillage and plunder. They have a strict, almost unyielding code of ethics and honor and take their responsibilities as rulers seriously." Following a description of the Klingon homeworld, the memo continued by saying, "Klingon society could most closely be compared to that of Sparta or feudal Japan." ("Sins of the Father" audio commentary, TNG Season 3 Blu-ray) Having recently seen the film Malcolm X, he imagined the Klingons in the "Birthright" duology as metaphors for black people. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 274; Star Trek: Communicator issue 105, p. 16) "There's a certain way you have to carry yourself. You have to really be able to project the violence and the anger [....] All you have to do is think of the Spartans. They say, 'They'd rather have you come home dead on your shield than come home a coward.' [18]

This is where I feel the video essay previously mentioned falls short -- in the next gen era, Klingons are now explicitly black-coded. While some Asian cultural influences are still cited, they learn more towards the historical and are intermixed with other historical European influences (Spartans, Vikings, Shakespeare) rather than being fueled by contemporary prejudices towards the political enemies of the US as they were in the TOS era.

Deep Space Nine

Fields also generally based the Klingon group on American Western prototypes from the film The Magnificent Seven or, to a lesser extent, Japanese prototypes from The Magnificent Seven's movie source material, Seven Samurai. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (pp. 131-132)) "So, the hair [...] was permed. So, it had more of a curl instead of the straight type look, and by perming it, they were able to kind of give them larger, bigger hair, so it was more like a mane." ("Michael Westmore's Aliens: Season Two", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) "I don't know how you could equate Klingons with what's going on in the world today," he admitted. "I think the intention was to make them like samurai. That hairdo they gave them is very much a samurai hairdo. A lot of the fight sequences, the moves with the bat'telh, are very much taken out of the Asian martial arts [....] It's very romantic you know, these three old guys, the Klingon over-the-hill gang." (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine issue 15, pp. 17-18) "It was different for them to get into this makeup, because [...] [the makeup was more elaborate and] the beards were bigger, and they were greyer, and they had curls to them, and the moustaches, they had the Fu Manchu look to them. So, they weren't used to sitting that long to be a Klingon." ("Michael Westmore's Aliens: Season Two", DS9 Season 2 DVD special features) For recreating some old-style Klingons in "Trials and Tribble-ations", the Klingon-playing actors had to be made up with the same swarthy, shiny brown makeup as used in the original series. (The Magic of Tribbles: The Making of Trials and Tribble-ations) ...he had them unite in song, thinking this was "just the kind of thing that Klingons do" because they are, in his opinion, similar to Vikings. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 449)) "I always saw the Klingons as a combination of Japanese Samurai who haven't had their morning coffee (or tea!) and African Zulu warriors." [25]

In DS9 the only inspirations cited seem to be historical, once again leaning towards feudal Japan and the Vikings. Interestingly although the Klingons here are predominantly dark-skinned, I don't think that J.G. Hertzler, who is white, had his skin significantly darkened to play Martok (at least, not compared to the obvious brown makeup worn by other white actors playing Klingons). Having a white actor play a Klingon without dark makeup could've set a precedent decreasing the use of such practices later on, but no one seems to have picked up on it.

Enterprise

The Klingons of ENT: "Sleeping Dogs" were based on the crew of the Russian submarine Kursk. "For me," said Dekker, "the point was to acknowledge the Klingons as 'people' – to find them in a clear position of distress [....] The idea to 'humanize' their plight was mine, and it wasn't anything I thought about as far as canon. It just seemed right." (Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection, issue 41, pp. 10-12) In the final draft script of "Affliction", the altered Klingons were initially referred to as "fierce-looking aliens" and were further described thus; "The aliens have a swarthy complexion, and dark facial hair... they could easily be mistaken for Humans. We'll eventually learn these are Klinqons... but their cranial ridges have disappeared."

At this point in time it seems the Klingons had essentially done a 180 from one-dimensional villains to sympathetic fan favourites, while still retaining the skin-darkening aspect of their makeup and "barbaric" characterisation. Although this is not mentioned in the article's section on the Abrams films, the images provided do demonstrate a level of skin darkening for the Klingons' brief appearance in Into Darkness.

The final section of the article is incomplete, meaning I don't have a lot of information for Discovery's redesign of the Klingons. The sources I can find cite ancient civilisations such as the Byzantines as well as Islamic architecture as inspiration for the set design, with a baroque influence on the costumes. I have heard rumours that the crew of Discovery have cited North African cultures as their inspiration for the Klingons but I can't currently find a source for this. Despite the lack of direct quotes, it's visibly clear that the Klingon makeup is still darkening the skin of white actors, although this time also to non-human blue and purple colours, as well as altering certain features in a racialised way. To elaborate: Mary Chieffo, who plays L'Rell on Discovery, is white and has a very thin nose and small lips, but in costume these are broadened in a way that seems imitative of African ethnic features.

As of the making of this post (early August 2023) I haven't seen any of Strange New Worlds, but from some cursory research its latest episode (Subspace Rhapsody) seems to have put a white actor (Bruce Horak) in brown makeup to play a Klingon. I am deeply disappointed that on a television set in 2023 people can still be darkening an actors skin like this without questioning the racial implications of what they're doing.

Thank you for reading to the end of this post. Please feel free to link to it if you found it useful enough to cite in another context. I would like to reiterate that I am white and while this is an issue I care deeply about it is not one I have an emic understanding of, and if anything I've said here is inappropriate I would be very grateful to be made aware.

[ego-meliorem-esse]

Oh my gosh, I have a deep deep deep dislike of canon nyo England that directly connects to 2014. Like I GET that she is supposed to be "tsundere" but like....really....drawing the British Empire with piggy-tails and girly dress?? I just can't.

Ohhh lord youre preaching to the choir!

The deep unrest and discontent from seeing those pigtails and that alice in wonderland dress always makes me physically and emotionally sick.

I generally dislike tsundere characters. Always did bc its soooo (in my mind) surface level.

Give me deep emotional development in characters! I get it! Hetalia is a Japanese anime and rules are followed, history disregarded, but in the year of your lord 2024, whats the appeal to the ever older fandom? Why make her a "b-baka!" When you can make her a "God may have mercy on my enemies, but i sure wont" type of gal.

I just think pig tails fem england had her time, its 'dark under eye circles, croscheting while hungover middle aged woman past her empire prime' era we are in right now.

Then again, people can have their likes and dislikes. Love and portray these dumbasses as you wish.

[riaarivic]

HATE 9: DANGER (M) I MYG x F!reader

🌙 Pairings YoongixReader

🌙 Genres Mafia!AU, Smut, Angst, Action, Thriller, Enemies to lovers

🌙 Rating 18+ minors DNI

🌙 Summary  You were an INTERPOL Agent assigned to infiltrate the depths of the most powerful Gang in South Korea: The Seven Moons. Your objective: to impersonate the daughter of one of their leaders and destroy the operation from within. That is, if they don't discover you first.

And Traitors won’t have the mercy of a quick death

🌙 Warnings For this chapter: mentions of death, drugs and vioence, foul language, mentions of organized crime. Smut (yes, finally) explicit sex scene.

🌙 A/N At no time do I (the author) encourage this activity in life, it is important that you know that the criminal acts in this book are that, a crime, as well as harmful to health and should not be romanticized. This is all a work of fiction for entertainment.

Love, Ria

🌙 Chapter wordcount 5k (the longest one yet)

🌙 Series Index

1  2 3 4  5 6 7 8 9 10 11

HATE 9: DANGER (M) I MYG x F!reader

You don't have me, but I'm so full of you I'm going crazy So why are you doing this to me? Why are you making a fool out of me?

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

The more you fuck around… 

The more you’ll find out. 

Your grandmother used to tell you that everytime you got in trouble and in the Seven Moons’s case: They’ve been fucking around for too long. 

The Seven Moons’s history went way back to the first kkangpae during the Japanese occupation and the fights against the yakuza. They smuggled guns to the country during the military run in the 80’s. And of course were the Drug Kings during the clan wars 20 years ago. Every time a new leader rose, the clan had a new name and the member deleted every piece of evidence that linked them to their previous organization.

A clean page to start over. 

And in the end if there’s no body, there’s no crime. 

That is why they were yet to find out. 

The Seven Moons under Kim DoHan’s rule, were untouchable. Every crime committed by his orders was untraceable to him and his sons; they always made sure that someone else got their hands dirty and in the case they did finish a job they had enough people in power to make sure no one would ask questions. 

All of the seven young leaders' criminal records were so squeaky clean they could run for office. You were surprised you didn't see any pictures of Kim Namjoon or Kim Seokjin kissing babies on their files.

You could do a lot of fucking around if you were sure you’ll never get caught. 

That was the reason you were sent to Seoul in the first place.

And for the past 3 days you learned one thing. 

Kim Dohan and his seven moons were very fucking good at fucking around and not finding out. 

But pride was the cardinal sin of the powerful and more often than not, the reason for their demise. All you needed was to find an opening on The Seven Moon’s arrogance. 

And the best one you found. 

Was finding your way to Suga's bed. 

You weren’t really proud of it. But you have to do what you’ve got to do. 

“By any means necessary” were the exact words of the Lieutenant and sitting on the Shadow’s face on your second night in Seoul fell into that category. 

Not that you had other motives for it. 

The sun was about to rise in the sky when you finally reached your bedroom in the mansion and you knew you could not sleep tonight, not after what you saw at Jhope’s warehouse. 

You’ve witnessed violence, you served in the military, you’ve been in a war. 

But you’ve never seen something so cruel…

It was pure evil, the way those bodies piled up. 

And the message. 

“This is how the devil pays for your loyalty” 

Written with their own clansmen blood. 

Releasing a tired sigh you sat on your bed and took out a small digital recorder in your pocket. 

You had placed the device inside the meeting room earlier that day during the office tour. Hoping to catch some valuable information from the clan leaders. Now, as you got your laptop on your lap, you plugged in your earbuds and listened to the recording, your heart pounding with anticipation.

At first, the voices were barely audible, as if the speakers were deliberately trying to keep their conversation from being overheard. But your trained ears picked up snippets of words and phrases.

It was a conversation between Kim Dohan and Mr. Lee “your father” 

"...the heir is a liability..."  said Kim Dohan in a tone that made your blood run cold.

"...we must eliminate… before they gain too much power..." responded Mr. Lee and you made a mental note to find out who they were. You suspected they were talking about the Jade Dragon.

"...make it look like an accident..." Your hand shook as you rewound the recording and played back the crucial part. 

This wasn’t exactly what you had been waiting for, a piece of evidence that would help you bring down the entire clan. 

But it was a death sentence for the clan’s heir, who was unaware of the plot against him.

It had to be Kim Namjoon. 

You wondered what drove Kim Dohan to decide to get rid of his only biological son. You had to act fast. You couldn't let them carry out their plan. But how could you warn Namjoon without blowing your cover?

If they killed him and then wiped out the clan’s record there was no chance for you to find any evidence.

And without any evidence, you were done. 

Mission Failed.

Fuck. 

You needed to rest. 

You closed your laptop and stared at the ceiling, your time was running out. And this piece of information was a drop of water compared to the sea of lies that existed around the Seven Moons clan. 

You needed something more, something bigger. 

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

The next morning on the Seven Moon's diningroom.

Awkward was not a good enough word to describe how everyone at that table was feeling.

Namjoon had a black eye.

Suga had a split lip.

No one knew how Jungkook had ended up with a hickey on his neck.

Jimin was still furious with everyone for making such a fuss in his club.

Jhope looked like his cereal was made of rusty nails and he had to swalow them whole.

Taehyung was looking at you as if he wanted to kill you…

Although that was nothing new.

You looked exactly how you felt.. like shit. 

Jin was the only one who seemed to be calm.

And as if the tension at that table didn't feel like it could be cut with a chainsaw. The clan’s Leader joined you for the first time at breakfast.

“Miss Nari, you have been in my house for a few days now and we have not had the opportunity to talk” Kim Dohan's deep voice crossed the dining table and his tone of authority made everyone present stop what they were doing “I hope you are adapting well to life here in Seoul, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to let me know” 

“Thank you very much, sir” You answered him looking at him from afar feeling like his gaze could pierce through any lie, even for you, a trained agent looking at Kim Dohan was like looking straight in the devil’s eyes “I have everything I need, you are very kind” finished your phrase with the most convincing smile you could give. 

“Everyone can tell you have more than you need” Taehyung muttered quietly, just enough for you to hear him and you felt the blood rush to your cheeks. You weren't quite sure if it was anger or embarrassment you felt.

“If you want to say something at my table, Kim Taehyung, I hope you'll say it loud enough for all of us to hear” The Leader pounded his fist on the table making everyone jump a little out of their seats.

“Oh, Father, I was saying that Miss Nari seems to feel very comfortable at home. That is so great, because by the end of next month this will be your house  too. When she marries one of us” The young gangster replied with a shit eating grin.

You little shit.

Oh, how you wanted to wipe the smile off his face!

After the awkward breakfast was over, you felt like you were about to poke Taehyung with a toothpick right in the eye. When one of Kim Dohan’s bodyguards approached you quietly “The Leader wants to speak to you privately”

Your blood froze on your veins, if there was something you did not want to do was to be in the same room as Kim Dohan… alone. You looked at Suga who was on the other side of the room and he gave you an understanding smile. 

If the leader wanted to speak to you alone, he will have it his way.

You took a deep breath before opening the doors to The Leader’s office. The devil sat behind his massive desk, his piercing gaze fixed on you as you approached him. "Sit," he commanded, gesturing to the chair opposite him. You sat down, your heart pounding in your chest.

"You know that you are playing with fire, don't you?" Kim Dohan said in a low voice. "You may have fooled my men and my sons, but you can't fool me."

You tried to keep your expression neutral, but your mind was racing. Have you been discovered? Did Kim DoHan know that you were an undercover agent?

"I know about you and my son," Kim DoHan continued, his eyes narrowing. "Don't think that anything happens in my house without me knowing. You're lucky that I respect your father so much."

You felt your heart sink. 

Out of all the things you thought he could have discovered. That was the less awfull. 

But you could not be at ease. Now that you knew he was onto you.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," you stammered, trying to stay calm.

"Oh, pretty lily. That was your first and last mistake. Do not lie to me," Kim DoHan said, his voice rising and his gaze darkened. "I have eyes and ears everywhere. This is my home and my kingdom to rule. You think you can deceive me, but you can't. You're playing a dangerous game, flower. And if you're not careful, you're going to get burned."

You noticed Kim Dohan kept calling you flower.

Just like Suga did. 

And that made you wonder if he was involved in this. 

You felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. Kim Dohan's words were a clear warning, and you knew that you had to be more careful than ever. You nodded, keeping your eyes fixed on the floor.

"I understand," you said softly. "I won't let it happen again."

Kim Dohan leaned back in his chair, his expression inscrutable. "See that you don't. I won’t say I don't understand young love, but I really do not appreciate two of my sons fighting in a dark alley like hormonal teenagers over a girl. " he said, dismissing you with a wave of his hand.

You rose to your feet, your legs feeling weak. You knew that you had narrowly escaped a dangerous situation, and that you had to tread carefully from now on. As you left Kim DoHan's office, you knew that the stakes had just been raised, and that the game had become even more deadly.

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

Later that day...

You were lying on your bed trying to process all the information you had gathered over the past days.

The realization dawned on you, it became clear that the Jade Dragon, the Chinese triad with a dark history, had resurfaced and were seeking retribution. The ability to send a message to the clan's secret hideout suggested that they had a mole within the organization.

And not just anyone had access to that place, it had to be someone with power.

You had enough reasons to suspect that Kim Namjoon was into some shady business, and you were determined to uncover the truth. Your gut suggested that it may have something to do with his father's plans to eliminate the heir.

With everything that happened so far, you were aware that time was running out, and you had until the end of the following month to compile all the evidence you could. 

This was your only opportunity to bring the clan to justice.

The moment the new heir was appointed, the clan would be rebranded under a fresh name, and all traces of their previous identity would vanish.

To make everything fucking worse, you had a hint that Kim DoHan was aware of your true intentions.

And early today he wasn’t just talking about you fucking his son.

Tap, Tap, Tap

Someone was tapping quickly on the balcony window in your room.

Ah, yes...

You weren't thinking about your main problem.

And said problem just hauled himself over the balcony railing with ease, his lean muscles rippling under his black shirt. He stood before you, an inscrutable expression on his chiseled face. In the moonlight light filtering through the curtains, his features seemed even more striking - the sharp jawline, the piercing obsidian eyes, the faint scar on his left eye that only added to his rugged appeal.

“Good evening Little flower. Can you let me in?”  he said in his low, melodic voice. He took a step closer. You could smell the heady, sandalwood scent of his cologne, feel the warmth radiating from his body. Your heart thudded in her chest.

“What are you doing here Suga?” you asked as you opened the window, the cold night breeze made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

"I've been trying to figure something out,besides, I thought it was funny that we both used each other's window as an entrance,” he winked at you “your room smells like Lilies Is that on purpose?” 

“Suga, what are you doing here, are you on drugs?” you let out an inpatient sigh and the black-haired man stopped in front of you and took a lock of your hair still smiling at you “I'm clean as a Russian athlete before the Olympics. Didn’t I tell you to call me by my name, when we were alone, did you forget it?” 

“No, I didn't”

Of course you hadn't.

You had imagined calling him by his name when you kissed him again.

But that couldn't happen again. A flash of your conversation earlier with Kim DoHan passed through your mind.

It won’t happen again.

“What are you trying to figure out in the middle of the night in my room, Yoongi?” If you thought that man was close to you before, now Suga was almost completely attached to her body.

"I need your help."

You swallowed hard. "I don't know how I can help you."

He smiled, a slow, dangerous smile that made your knees weak. "I think you do. I see the way you look at me. The way your breath catches when I'm near you," He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers trailing along her skin and igniting sparks beneath her flesh.

“But this is not about that. Although, we could talk about it later” he said.

Your heart raced. You knew after that conversation with Kim DoHan that you were flying too close to the sun, seeing Suga behind his father's back. But you couldn't deny the attraction you felt for him, the way his eyes seemed to look right through you right now.

"What do you need my help with?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady.

"It's about what you saw last night at Jhope's warehouse," Suga said, pacing back and forth across the room. "Can you tell me everything?."

You felt a surge of adrenaline. This was exactly the kind of opening you were looking for. If Suga trusted you enough to ask, you’ll make him trust you enough to speak. 

"It was awful," you said. “I’ve never seen something like that before.”

"I know, pretty flower, but I really need you to tell me what you saw," Suga said, turning to face you. "I need you to find out what is happening, before it's too late."

You sighed as you began to recall everything you could remember while Suga listened carefully. That man's gaze was the only thing that could terrify her and make her want to run straight towards him at the same time.

"Thank you" he says, taking a step closer to her. "I can’t tell you right now how much you’ve helped me today. But I promise you, it's important."

You feel your heart skip a beat as he reaches out and brushes a strand of hair from your face.

"I don't know if I can trust you," you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

He takes another step closer and looks deep into her eyes. "You can trust me," he says, his voice filled with sincerity.

For a moment, you stand there in silence, the tension between you palpable. Then, he leans in, taking the lollipop out of his mouth and presses his lips to yours, and you felt yourself melting into his arms.

As you break apart, you realize that you’re in too deep. 

Suga made you feel as if you were running directly towards a cliff.

Ready to jump to the abyss. 

Fuck the consequences. 

“I actually came to figure out something else. You see, last night you were high and I’ve been told not to trust drunken truths. Bu you said you like me-” 

“I don't like you.”  You interrupted him trying to sound as convincing as you could, but Suga could see right through you. He smirked and took the lollipop between his fingers and tapped it to your lips. You understood what he was asking immediately.

You licked the lollipop looking right into his eyes. 

Sweet.

He took it again and put it in his mouth, rolling it around his tongue.

“Good girl. But you taste like lies.” The man ran his thumb delicately over her lips and brought his mouth close to your ear. “If you don't want me to kiss you again, tell me and I won't touch you again” his voice sounded almost like a growl “But if you'll give me your permission, I want to check a second thing”

Flying too close to the sun.

That was exactly what it felt like to kiss Suga.

“What thing?”

“If I really like you enough, that I don't give a fuck about all the trouble you're going to get me into” Now you the one who kissed him this time.

Oh, you were going to burn.

Suga bit your lower lip so that you would open your mouth a little and his tongue could roam freely over yours. His hands moved down from your face and over your neck, shoulders, breasts and hips.

Tonight, it felt different than the first night in his bedroom.

Tonight Suga was a man on a mission. 

His plan was to leave no corner of your body unknown.

Between the haze of desire that you were feeling, your mind came to its senses. 

As an undercover agent, you knew the risks of getting involved with the son of one of Seoul's most powerful mafia leaders.

Kim DoHan had fucking warned you less than four hours ago.

But when he dropped you onto the luxurious bed of your bedroom in the Mansion, you couldn't deny the attraction between you. As his intense gaze swept over your body, you felt a rush of excitement mixed with fear. 

As he leaned in to kiss you, you couldn't help but wonder if this was all part of his plan. Was he using you or did he genuinely want you? You pushed those thoughts aside and surrendered to the pleasure, letting yourself get lost in the moment.

“Yoongi.” you sighed between kisses, and to him his name sounded like the best melody he had ever heard in his life.

“Oh, little flower you're going to be the fucking death of me.” he growled lowering his lips to her neck to bite her and she let out a moan. 

That was the last remaining thread of control for both of you.

Yoongi drank your body like a man finding water in the middle of the desert, and when he undressed in front of you, you thought you forgot how to breathe.

The first night, he didn’t take his clothes off. He focused on you, and your pleasure. 

But tonight it was different.

His muscles flexed under his smooth white skin that glistened every time the moonlight landed right on the beads of sweat that ran down his body. Yoongi was covered in small and large scars that danced among the black ink that adorned his body. He had the clan tattoo right on his chest and you wanted to run your fingertips over all his markings and then, then you would kiss them.

As you took him in, your eyes rested for a second on a path of dark hair trailing down his belly inviting you to look just a little lower. You held your breath when you saw him in all his manhood.

He smiled at you, like someone who is about to commit a crime and has absolutely no regrets

“Everything you see is yours. All you have to do is ask nicely” he said, voice deep and musky.  

“I don't beg, ever” you said. He sat on the bed between your legs; both hands caressing the skin behind your knees.

“There's always a first time, flower” he said, not breaking eye contact, and you felt that all the heat of your body traveled to your center. Your skin vibrating with the low purr of Suga’s voice. You realize now the size of him and you wonder if he could fit inside. 

Just like the last time he savored every second, and you realize something about Suga:

He’s a tease.

He wants to bring you close to the edge, just enough you can graze the delicious feeling of the fall; to take you away from it. 

He’s like a cat you think. He is playing with his prey before he finally eats it. 

“Fuck, Yoongi” you whimper when he cups your panties with his hand, applying enough pressure to make you roll your head back and close your eyes. 

“You don't like me. You say. But look how wet this pussy is, and I haven’t even touched you” He’s right, you are arguably the most excited you’ve ever been in your life, and you’re embarrassingly soaked. 

“I never thought Miss Lee NaRi would be a liar” you wanted to pretend that sentence didn’t stroke a nerve in your heart. 

If only he knew.

You can only stare as he lowers himself to lift your shirt inch by agonizing inch. Slowly, he revealed your soft skin. And you had to bite your lip to prevent you from begging him to touch you. 

Luckily he wasn’t in the mood to make you wait any longer as he roamed his hands through your body. “Fuck, flower. You are beautiful,” he said more to himself than to you. But you can’t help but feel happy as you realize that you have the same effect on him as he has on you.

“Can I?” you realize he’s looking at your breasts, and when you nod, he dives down to take one in his mouth, sucking a nipple through the lacy fabric of your bra. You moan, threading your fingers in his dark hair, and you hear the little moan that escapes his mouth encouraging you to pull harder. And without thinking you do. 

Another husky moan leaves his chest as he languidly rolls his tongue over your skin. Reaching behind your back you unclasp your bra and he pulls it off your body to toss it somewhere around the room. 

He looks back at you and the sight that meets his eyes is sinful. Your hair sprawled between the satin pillows and your pupils blown with desire. 

This time you don’t have the effects of the drugs to blame. 

This is all Suga’s work. 

And He knows it.

“How do you want to come, flower? My tongue? My fingers? or…” His gaze trailed down to his member that stood proudly between you two “Or do you want me to fuck you and ruin you for everyone else?”

Your entire body clenches at the last question, and for some reason you agree that fucking Yoongi will, in fact, ruin you. 

“Fuck me” you said half a whisper half a moan. 

“What did you say, pretty flower?” you rolled your eyes at him and before you could bark any answer he slid his fingers between the lace of your panties. Playing with your opening and finding the exact destination with a long stroke. Head snapping back you mean loudly “Do you want me to fuck you? Hm?” his middle finger caressed your clit in circular motions dragging you closer and closer to the climax of your own pleasure. 

“I need your words.” he growled 

“Please fuck me, Yoongi” you moaned his name and he smiled wider. 

“Good girl. Everything you ask for, I’ll give it to you” He hooks his fingers to the elastic band of your underwear and takes it off your body. You assume it fell somewhere close to where your bra landed. “I’ll fuck you. I’ll ruin you for everybody else. But first, I’ll have to stretch you.” he pants as he enters two of his fingers on your cunt “You’re so fucking tight, flower. So fucking perfect for me.” 

You gasp as you feel the delicious stretch of a third finger entering you slowly, his other hand holds you tight by the waist. He leans over your body to kiss you once again and this time you feel like you’ve lost your sense of reality. 

You can still taste the sweet taste of the lollipop on his tongue as you suck on it. Kissing him like you want to take all you can until everything is inevitably taken away from you. 

“I- I fucking hate you” you shudder feeling flustered under his gaze as he moves back to look at you. 

“Don’t start lying to me again” He steps back just enough to lift one of your legs and rest it on his shoulder. You feel your body tremble in anticipation. He slowly rubs his full girth on your swollen clit, that’s when you realize he’s teasing you again. 

He starts moving at a maddening pace. Slowly rubbing himself in wet circles, without breaking eye contact “Lie to me again and see what happens” 

You swallow hard and you can’t help but think you have done nothing but lie to this man.

From the very first day.

 

You planted a mic in his bedroom. 

You are using him to get information so you can bring his clan…

His family to ruin. 

If only he knew, this morning you sent a message to the base with the exact day the clan is planning to announce the heir.

You just gave the Seven Moons away to INTERPOL.

But as he slowly enters you inch by inch and you scream his name you also realize one thing

You are also lying to yourself.

And you don't want to discover how.

“There.” You plead as he pushes his final inch inside you. You whimper and shiver at the delicious feeling of having him fill you to your limits. “Oh my God Yoongi”  

“I think I heard a pretty girl say she didn’t beg” 

“Shut up, and fuck me” 

In one swift motion he pulls out only leaving his tip, just to slam himself back so hard you hear the bed bang against the wall. He starts thrusting hard and you start seeing stars as you forget your own name. 

The slow torturing pace which he touched you is long forgotten as he enters you fast and hard. He’s unforgiving. Raising your hips so he can hit the right spots at the right angle. A moan chokes in your throat as he leans down again to kiss you. 

This time you can feel the cold feeling of his chains against your bare skin. 

“Yoongi” you cry, feeling hot tears run down your cheeks.

“It's okay, flower. I’ve got you. Let go” he grunts as he starts picking an even faster and harder pace. His hands move from your legs to caress your clit moving in rapid circular motion. And the devilish spark that lights on Suga’s eyes tells you he’s onto something. You don’t have to wait too long when he presses his hand down your lower belly to feel himself inside you.

You think you’ve lost your mind, whimpering, moaning and crying of pleasure. 

Suga was right, he just ruined you.

Your body shocks as a white hot wave of pleasure runs through it. Your orgasm hits you hard and he continues to fuck you through it as he gets closer to his not long after. You hear him gasp as he comes feeling the hot ropes of his cum land on your skin. 

“Let me clean you up. Pretty flower, stay here” he pants still not able to regain his breath. As if you could really move. 

He brought a wet towel from the ensuite bathroom to clean you up, and he didn’t leave it until he made sure you were thoroughly cleaned. 

That night Yoongi took you again.

Several times.

You knew you were playing with fire. 

And if you weren’t careful enough.

You will get burned.

But even if you knew you were both risking your lives.

Suga visited your balcony every night for the rest of that week.

And fuck the consequences.

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

One week later.

You were in one of the clan's armored vans on your way to meet Anya. You had talked earlier that day on the phone and agreed to meet at her apartment. You managed to convince Namjoon to send you with only one bodyguard.

Now, that was a mistake.

As you exited the freeway and slowed down to cross to the narrower streets the car you were in was rammed by a black SUV.

You felt yourself spinning around in the air.

Shards of glass flew everywhere.

You could only hear the screeching sound of metal hitting the ground.

Ten armed men got out of the cars that surrounded you.

You heard a shot.

Blood.

You were not sure if it was yours or the driver's.

Someone forcibly pulled you off the roof of the car that was now on the ground.

Your head hurt too much.

You wished you had listened to Namjoon about taking more bodyguards.

You closed your eyes and could see Suga's smile the night before, when you were talking in his room.

Yoongi.

Come and save me.

The more you fuck around,

the more you’ll find out. 

And now, you were about to. 

“Make it look like an accident” 

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

Well, ahem..... Hello?

You guys know there's always a chapter you would never read out loud I think this is mine. This is actually the first time that I write full on smut... and it was something.

Anyway, how are you guys? I hope we're all doing well, satying healthy and surviving this tour because... Min Yongi is a fucking menace. LIKE!? The rapping? The HAIR??? The whiskey drinking? The "You guys listent too well" UMMMM EXCUSE ME SIR BUT THAT IS ILLEGAL!

And HAEGUM, when i watched the video i giggled and kicked my feet because that is Hate! Yoongi. What a beautiful time to be writing a ganster au.

Ps. Thank you SO MUCH for liking and I have to thank each an every one of you for reblogging Hate! I really, really appreciate it.

From the bottom of my chicken heart,

Thank you.

Love,

Ria 🌙

Tag List @drunkzseok @allamericanuniverse

If you want to join the tag list. You can coment this post or send me an ask!

[verdantcrimson]

Heaven and Earth - Prologue

(Unproofread)

Chapter list | Next

[The first year of the establishment of ES. Mid-February. In an ES Meeting room.]

Keito: Now then, I will be returning your answer sheets.

Keito: Here are the results of the flash history test that we of AKATSUKI conducted the other day to test our knowledge of Japanese and World History.

Keito: Allow me to roughly summarize the results. Firstly, I, Keito Hasumi, have managed to score reasonably high in both Japanese and World History.

Keito: Kanzaki scored even higher than me in Japanese History, but his World History grade is abysmal.

Souma: Hehe. My parents have been instructing me in Japanese History since I was a child. I took a liking to it and often researched it out of interest.

Keito: Yes. Your diligence is commendable. However, I would like you to try a little harder in your studies of World History, if you can.

Souma: I am not too fond of World History due to all of the horizontal writing¹.

Keito: Your studies shouldn’t be at the mercy of your personal preferences. Well, more on that later, but for now…

Keito: The problem here is you, Kiryu.

Kuro: ……

Keito: Oi. I’m talking to you, don’t look somewhere else.

Keito: The lecture you’re going to get only increases in length for every second you spend looking away from me.

Kuro: But danna…

Keito: Don’t ‘but danna’ me. No excuses. I’m very disappointed in you.

Keito: Do you remember anything from when we studied to appear on a history related quiz show together? We studied so hard that the textbook was about to fall apart.²

Kuro: ……

Keito: But you’ve just forgotten everything you learned from then. Actually, because you studied so half-heartedly, you might have even gotten worse.

Keito: If I were to critique each and every one of your test answers, we’d be here all day, but allow me to read out a typical one of your unique answers just to give you a sense.

Keito: When I first saw it, I doubted my eyes, my sanity and even my glasses.

Souma: It is difficult to imagine Hasumi-dono ever doubting his glasses.

Keito: Don’t make light of the situation. See here, this is an elementary school level question. “Who was the second shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate?”

Keito: Kiryu’s answer was ‘Ishida Mitsunari’.

Souma: How could that have come to occur…?

Keito: I think he may have gotten it mixed up in his head, since Ishida Mitsunari is often brought up alongside Tokugawa Ieyasu when discussing The Battle of Sekigahara.³

Keito: I’ve told him about the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Keito: How did their opponents magically overtake the government? It’s quite interesting to imagine what might have led to that outcome. I don’t mean this as a compliment, by the way.

Kuro: W-well, it’s not like I mentioned someone completely random, so I’d at least like to be appreciated for that much.

Keito: Yes. Admittedly, you tried.

Kuro: I did, right? I thought about it real hard before answerin’! I dunno why I’m bein’ forced to take a test like this in the first place!

Keito: About that, originally I was planning to properly announce this after seeing the test results—

Keito: But as you can tell, I hadn’t anticipated Kiryu’s brain being such a trainwreck.

Keito: Actually, the announcement was concerning sort of a large job offer for us, but now I’m debating whether to take it or not.

Souma: Were his answers truly that terrible?

Keito: Yes. In fact, some of them are so strange, I’m starting to wonder if he’s being dense on purpose.

Keito: Take this one, for instance. “Name the three people responsible for saving Edo from wartime, otherwise known as the ‘Sanfune of Edo’.” ⁴

Souma: This question was a little troublesome for me as well.

Souma: I was able to recall 'Katsu Kaishu'⁵ fairly quickly, but found difficulty naming the other two. I fear I may have gotten them mixed up with the Three Great Nobles of the Restoration⁶.

Keito: Kiryu’s answer to this is ‘Ishida Mitsunari’.

Souma: Kiryu-dono, are you not perhaps excessively fond of Ishida Mitsunari?

Keito: It is very interesting to imagine how Ishida Mitsunari must have felt after magically conquering his enemy’s forces and then time-traveling to the future to bring about a peaceful conclusion to the Edo Era. That’s not all, by the way.

Keito: Here are the other two names that Kiryu provided as answers.

Keito: ‘Tokugawa Ieyasu’.

Souma: Tokugawa Ieyasu⁷ has now come back to life after being enshrined!?

Keito: And lastly, ‘Ishida Ieyasu’.

Souma: Whoever might that fellow be!?

Keito: No clue. You should ask him. Kiryu, who is this guy?

Souma: Kiryu-dono, could it be that the only Japanese historical figures you remember the names of are Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu…? A-at the very least, you would do well to remember someone like 'Katsu Kaishu'!

Kuro: Shut up already… History doesn’t matter to us in the present day anyways.

Keito: Actually, it does. You see, we’ve been asked to host the ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ show.

Souma: What? Hasumi-dono, could you possibly be referring to that ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ show!?

Kuro: What’s that supposed to mean…… I’m not as studious as you guys, so I’ve got no clue what that even is.

Souma: To put it simply, it is a long-running educational program. I myself have watched it many a time.

Keito: Yes. While most educational shows are aimed at children, this one stands out as a more intense, catered to experts, covering far more intellectual subjects.

Keito: This long-running history-based educational program aims to explore history both broadly and in-depth.

Keito: It’s an excellent show for any fan of History, and it frequently surfaces in discussions of history… You’ve really never heard of it, Kiryu?

Kuro: That a bad thing? I haven’t had much reason to casually ‘discuss history’ in my whole life.

Souma: Ah- Um, regarding the show? Would it truly be possible for us to appear on ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’?

Keito: I wish I could just accept the offer officially. Naturally, such an opportunity is an honor.

Keito: It matches well with our image. However, the hosts of the show must be well-versed in their knowledge of history.

Keito: Hence this test, which was to ascertain our level of knowledge in the field.

Keito: I’m not naming names, but someone performed far worse than I could imagine, and so I fear it may not be possible for us to serve as hosts— Unfortunately.

Kuro: Argh, I’m sorry that that someone was just fucking stupid!?

Souma: I- It’s quite alright, Kiryu-dono. You are by no means a fool. You simply had naught an opportunity nor desire to learn. Right, Hasumi-dono?

Keito: Exactly. That’s why, over the course of the next week, Kiryu is going to learn all about history.

Keito: If he’s still living in a world where Ishida Mitsunari ruled the Tokugawa Shogunate by the end of this— Well, I’ll just pretend we never got any offer at all, and forget about it entirely.

Keito: I love this show, and I would have loved to host it if possible… However, if we’re unsuited for the job, then it can’t be helped.

Kuro: ……

Chapter List | Next

Translation notes (Apologies in advance for the History lesson)

Souma is being very literal here. Most Japanese text is traditionally written vertically.

This is a reference to a previous Idol story.

The Battle of Sekigahara was a clash between the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari. Historically, it was Mitsunari's loss, hence Keito's incredulity later. You can read more about it here.

The 'Sanfune of Edo' (幕末の三舟) are three people credited to preventing war from occurring with their diplomatic skill during the transfer of power from the Feudal Tokugawa Shogunate to the more modern Japanese Empire during the beginnings of the Meiji Restoration in an event known as the Fall of Edo.

Katsu Kaishū was one of the aforementioned Sanfune.

The Three Great Nobles of the Restoration were notable figures during the beginning of the Meji Restoration. Their existence and involvement with the Sanfune during the same time period is why Souma could've had difficulty discerning them.

Souma actually refers to him as Tōshō Daigongen (東照大權現), a name used to refer to him after his death, as he was enshrined as a deity posthumously, on his own wishes, to oversee the next generation.

[throwaway-yandere]

Sunshowers (Yandere!Ei/Reader)

A/n: (reposted cause im confused on how tumblr works and it wont let me add spaces) Ahh big mood anon. Thought about this idea before as well but didn't know how to expand on it. I'm not entirely familiar with Japanese (and Inazuman) mythos & culture so please inform me if I got things off because my search history is getting weirder. And I didn't know what vision you wanted anon so I let wheel of names dot com decide lolol. Also sorry if this story is off, I wrote the draft around 3 am and slept lmao

gn!reader

cw: yandere ei. kidnapping

-------

How could you prevail in a confrontation with Ei if you don't even have the upper hand against the puppet, Raiden Shogun?

After being soundly defeated near the Statue of the Omnipresent God, Ei herself appeared to patch you up. She took you into her world and made it clear that she was unequivocally surprised by the turn of events. Despite choosing not to let trivial concerns cloud her judgment, Ei still finds this scene to be oh-so-heartbreaking.

Her plane of Euthymia appeared hostile and dim when you first arrived. The atmosphere remained the same until you consented to receive her treatment. Afterward, the realm then grew increasingly vibrant and pinkish, and whenever you acknowledged her presence, it seemed as though iridescent rays were trailing behind her.

This disgustingly cheerful environment gradually contributed to your increasing contempt for her illiterate viewpoints. Maybe you would have kept your lips shut if her consciousness wasn't so obviously delighted in keeping you company.

"(Y/n), please stay still..."

She started to cover your wound with a cloth, and you recoiled in pain.

You mustn't look up because you are Shoguji¹ (Y/n) and not Guuji Yae. It's not like you also want to stare into Ei's eyes. All that will be sharing your gaze are eyes that perfectly resemble your one and only master, and you cannot stomach the thought of it. She is not the Archon who took you in during times of famine. You are Makoto's dearest snow-white fox² and the parallel Ei's reddish-pink familiar.

Even if you frequently confide in Guuji Yae about your problems, it seems the trickster won't be of assistance. In reality, she may have stopped hoping for your safe return. Despite being more than a few centuries older than her, you have lost much of your previously sharp wit and piercing gaze thanks to numerous traumatic incidents. Nevertheless, you didn't give up on the Inazuma that the public desired. You cannot allow the blueprint of what your master Makoto intended to be destroyed by her twin and handcrafted playthings.

Raiden Makoto once said to "never stop searching, even for a brief flash of light. If nothing else, we have the present moment." And in this "present moment", you cannot let these children suffer from an Archon's half-baked ideals.

And if the Tri-commission and the renowned traveler refused to join the resistance, then so be it.

"Did you hope your foolhardiness will shelter those who invoked a revolution? It is only through my mercy that the Shogun spared you." Ei spoke softly. "Oh, (Y/n)... Had I not programmed her to protect you, you would find yourself in a more... Excruciating state."

"Can you not for the very least display gratitude for that?" She said, almost remorseful. Not in a way where she regrets her transgressions, but more of how she regrets getting you involved.

Her pained expression disgusts you.

Why does she have more sympathy for an inari fox over the many mortals who loyally offered fares and served her stead? An inari who had the fortune to control the water element?

You coughed up. No matter how much you tried to grin and suck it up, the blood managed to get out of your system. This only sparked more worry from the Archon.

If only you could use your hydro vision to heal yourself. But Ei snatched your vision the moment you entered her realm.

Should've expected that from someone who thought a Vision Hunt Decree is a bright idea.

"You..." Another cough echoed in her vast and lonely domain. "You're not this blind... Are you, Beelzebul?"

Ei blinked.

"Pardon me?"

"The people of Inazuma aren't thriving from your stiff regulations." You said. "You do not even trust your own people. I am aware that this will come across as treacherous, but is it not unfair that you only took my vision but not Yae's as well? You are aware that this was her plan, right?"

The Archon stayed silent.

You laughed humorlessly. "Doesn't that sound like nepotism, Ei?"

"It is."

Your eyes widened, not expecting an honest reply. Ei didn't believe her statements were particularly noteworthy based on her expressionless stare. You steeled yourself and laughed.

"I'm glad you're self-aware. I wonder how far I can push that..."

"I do play favorites, but not in the way you think."

You concentrated on her eyes.

You're unsure about whatever made you so terrified to look at them. At first glance, they do resemble Makoto's, but what mirrors deep within was a far cry from her gentleness.

"If I favored Yae, I would've ripped the electro vision dangling from her ears."

Shame on you for failing to remember that, out of the two siblings, Raiden Ei has experienced the worst effects of war.

No matter how calmly Ei said it, the image of having a part of Yae's earlobe violently torn made you cringe.

Ei sighed. "I can read your expression, (Y/n)–"

You huffed. "Ah, then it appears my acting skills have grown rusty–"

"–I'm aware that my words are not making sense at the moment. But, let us put it this way..."

She tilted your chin with her slender fingers.

"Your individual ambition is becoming a threat to Inazuma's goal of eternity."

Your natural instinct was to reach for your belt, but your vision was no longer in reach.

"You have already lost a lot in your pursuit." She didn't have to say anything, but it is clear that she was alluding to your seized vision. "And if each step forward meant that something will be lost, isn't it high time that Inazuma remain static as it is now?"

The situation dawned on you.

"I've already lost her. And I cannot allow myself to lose you too."

Oh.

So this was the game Ei was playing.

"You're..." You chuckled nervously. "You're not going to do what I think you're doing, correct?"

"I was there when Makoto tamed you." She said.

"I strangely recall how she deliberately robbed your vision to prevent you from rushing to her aid five hundred years ago." Ei took one step forward, and you stepped back twice. "I don't seem to be feeling any signs of erosion, because memory serves that you have lost most of your wits in that time. It was my sister who incapacitated you so you wouldn't join her on the battlefield. To Khaenri'ah."

"Almighty Raiden Shogun..." Makoto...

"Ah, so it's Almighty Raiden Shogun now, and not Ei?" She combed your stray hairs back. "We are good friends. I don't need to remind you that."

"Please..." 

Your breath paced irregularly as you timidly grasped the hem of her sleeves. 

You're no longer as cunning as you used to be. There are no tricks nor schemes hiding beneath your sleeves.

All you can do now is beg.

"G-give me my vision back..."

"I was on the front lines five hundred years ago too." Ei continued to ignore you as she rambled on. "And yet, your primary concern has always been my sister instead of me. Why is that? Is it because you have complete faith in my capabilities? It doesn't seem to be the case. It is always I who starts the conversation first, despite living in my sister's shadow."

"E-Ei..."

"If not that, then it couldn't be that you favored the company of my sister over mine, could it? It was I, Raiden Ei, and not Raiden Makoto, who introduced you to Kitsune Saiguu, brought you on picnics with our mutual friends, and spared you the last tricolor dango each time. It was all Raiden Ei. I do not recall my sister spoiling you as much as I did."

And such actions are supposed to make her entitled to your loyalty and affections? You didn't dare question it out loud. The fear of losing your vision– losing yourself– once more is prominent. One's sharp memory is a kitsune's pride. You already lost more than enough of that.

As if to make you steady, Ei cupped your cheeks with both hands. Her lavender eyes softened. 

"Stay." 

Her fingers tightly clutched your side, and you felt her breath tickle your ear.

"Stay, and I shall have you reborn as my spouse that deserved to see Inazuma as the land of Eternity in the present moment and the next. Be my forever."

From then on, you lost sight of who you are. Permanently, this time.

And Raiden Ei made sure of it.

 ------

Ei smiled as she gingerly ran her fingers through your hair. Your eyes were closed as you indulged yourself in her soothing ministrations. She hummed to herself. This is exactly where she needed you to be, laying down peacefully on her lap.

"Won't you take a peek at the outside world, (Y/n)?" She said.

You rolled over and looked at the reflection sluggishly. The water outside seemed to be soothing. You were drawn in by the splashes it made.

You were, nonetheless, strangely uneasy. It appeared as though you had previously held the element in the palm of your hands until it was stolen from you...

"It's a sunshower. I believe this is what you and Yae call 'kitsune no yomeiri'³, is it not?"

... Sunshower?

You could only stare blankly.

Yae? Kitsune no yomeiri?

You returned your gaze back to the puddles outside.

How would you be able to answer? After all, you have never heard of those terms before. It's not as if those unique syllables had any significance for you.

... Did they?

"It's time that I have my bridal procession. I may be the God of Eternity, but you have kept me waiting long enough, my forever."

-----

Notes:

¹ Can't find much about shrine maidens, but shoguji seems to be the head shrine priest's assistant(?)

² Snow-white inari foxes seem to be "good and kind" in mythologies so I added that (the rest of the myth is angsty and i love it lol

³ "Kitsune no yomeiri" or "The Fox's Wedding" often refers to sunshowers since people believe it's a trick caused by kitsune-s.

[beardedmrbean]

Hey I been thinking like how the Native Americans had slaves (okay not all), how black peoples are shocked to have slave owner ancestry, or how in Canada, they were surprised that a tribe who got their land back decided to make condos on it

Wait did they check the economic backgrounds? I sure hope the leftists don’t think that the natives never had any form of economy/ holy shit

Dear god ac3 and prey 2020 represented native Americans better leftists mindset?

But do leftists think that history is like a Disney cartoon?

Like we must abolish the electoral college because it was created during the time of slavery

Because leftists never show how out of they are

You probably seen it, but people say we should treat shit like DoorDash like vaccines….

Would like a slice of Antonine cake?(yes I know that propaganda) no wait the nobles would treat me better that these Americans aristocrats

Also this https://x.com/fuckkoroks/status/1773690311341986038?s=46

So as you know Shogun take place in the Tokugawa era. And funny enough, I suspect the reason why Yasuke will help unify Japan so the Japanese won’t be at the mercy of the growing European colonial empires in ac red

I’m just wondering how many college educated people have the mentality that they learned the bad stuff white people did in middle school?

But dear white people I don’t hate you…probably because of my dysfunctional white stepfamily and the trainwreck of my stepmom

But this tweet https://x.com/thestrxggler/status/1773497095774974416?s=46

Okay I grew up in the 00’s and 10’s and fortunate to have a black family that value academics

But when you say liking sci-fi, fantasy, speaking proper English, like animation, or preferring to have good grades is talking/acting “white”

You doomed yourselves trying to put me into tribalism bullshit.

Hey I been thinking like how the Native Americans had slaves (okay not all), how black peoples are shocked to have slave owner ancestry, or how in Canada, they were surprised that a tribe who got their land back decided to make condos on it

One of if not the first person to gain lifetime bondage of another human being in the land that would become the United States was a black man.

Not many cultures in the world that did not practice some form of slavery. You win a war you have your choice of, POW's which need to be fed and housed so now they need to earn their keep, crippling the opposing army like they did with the Bulgarian army when they blinded 99 out of every 100 men and the 1 only got to keep one eye, hostages which whatever counts as nobles or their family members, there's the mass slaughter method which was Vlad Tepes fav he was a hostage so he got 2 of those.

Because you ain't just going to let your defeated foes walk home, unless it's the US civil war, and they even got to keep their guns because 2A is for everyone USA USA USA.

But do leftists think that history is like a Disney cartoon?

Lord no, you should see what they say about Pocahontas, lol.

Like we must abolish the electoral college because it was created during the time of slavery

3/5 compromise, ya south wanted to inflate it's population with people it didn't consider human so, to put it crassly and bluntly, they fought for the right for their farm equipment to be counted as people, but just for the numbers to increase their representation.

Illegals being counted on the census accomplish the same end.

This'll go right up there next to Russia wasn't an empire because it shared land borders with the territories it conquered.

Maybe Jacobin would also like to discuss the Ainu and see how that works out in terms of colonization. Granted both groups have been there for so long there's not really much to say about colonization likely more just human migration to the same place.

So as you know Shogun take place in the Tokugawa era. And funny enough, I suspect the reason why Yasuke will help unify Japan so the Japanese won’t be at the mercy of the growing European colonial empires in ac red

Haven't seen the new one, love the one from the 80's one of the best ways to start to learn Japanese imho, since a fair chunk of the dialogue is in Japanese. 10 of 10 highly recommend watching the whole 8+ hours of it, fairly historically accurate even down to the pederasty being a thing.

I’m just wondering how many college educated people have the mentality that they learned the bad stuff white people did in middle school? But dear white people I don’t hate you…probably because of my dysfunctional white stepfamily and the trainwreck of my stepmom

Likely a fair number, as for the dear white people you have self awareness and can differentiate between a individual and a group

Oh that's gonna hurt some feelings, lol.

Be interesting to get the response to, stop acting white, to be a accusation of racism, especially when it's things like doing well in school and speaking in standard english.

Okay I grew up in the 00’s and 10’s and fortunate to have a black family that value academics But when you say liking sci-fi, fantasy, speaking proper English, like animation, or preferring to have good grades is talking/acting “white” You doomed yourselves trying to put me into tribalism bullshit.

See comment above this section for my response,

and good timing finished just as I need to leave for Good Friday service.

[blueper-saiyan]

alright I have a fandom hot take to get off my chest. It rubs me the wrong way a bit when I see people refer to Vegeta as Bulma’s (or occasionally Goku’s) pet. Honestly I’ve made the joke myself and I usually don’t mind it, but I feel a bit guilty/weird about it, and it’s taken me months to work out why. I think first there’s an in-universe reason. Vegeta’s actual backstory is that he was functionally Freeza’s pet for about three decades. And I don’t really want to compare his relationship with Bulma or Goku to his relationship with Freeza in a way that makes it sound like he just changed ownership. I’m pretty sure part of the reason the joke is so common is that Vegeta does call his own redemption(ish) arc “being domesticated.” (At least in English, I’m not worrying about the Japanese original today) It’s absolutely funny that he thinks of it that way, but I also think that Vegeta’s opinion can’t be trusted on anything, especially himself. It’s one of the more interesting parts of the character to me that he doesn’t quite think of himself as a person (a topic worth its own meta). He’s also got the aforementioned history of being dehumanized. Combining that with his internalized idea that the only valuable trait is strength and being kind or merciful or caring is just weakness, it makes sense that he might decide to label his character development as “domestication,” even though that’s not really a good description of learning to find contentment in peace and care for others. So part of why that line is funny is the irony, even if there is some truth to it. Taking it at face value and using it as a joke on its own without the irony sort of feels like it misses the point for me.

Then there’s the half that I feel sort of guilty posting because I know it’s not the intent behind the jokes and it feels like I’m getting upset over something trivial and saying this feels accusatory, but I’m getting my hot take out of my system once and for all regardless. I feel like I see people say Vegeta is a pet either because he doesn’t have a job and he’s just living off Bulma’s money, or because he’s really weird sometimes. And I really don’t like the implications of either of those. Again, I am aware it’s a joke, I know that I’m not supposed to be taking it literally, but. Not working a job sure as hell doesn’t make someone less than human. Being financially supported by someone else does not make someone a pet, that’s spectacularly fucked up. And behaving strangely, even in an animalistic way, also does not make someone less than human or someone else’s pet. (and for the record I can’t actually think of much Vegeta has done that’s animalistic in canon, the closest to that has been eating the bug person, and he did that in a pretty human way. He cooked that bug person first and everything lol. Vegeta being cruel is not animalistic, it’s just a negative character trait. Most animals aren’t even aware enough to be cruel, so it’s a pretty human negative trait at that. I know it’s popular fanon to make him more animalistic but it is fanon. That’s probably a really hot take too but whatever.) Actually this goes for jokes about Goku too, who is the one who actually has some “animalistic” traits in canon. I hate the implication that the way either of them acts would make them the “pet” of a more “normal” human character. It feels really gross. Especially because they read far more as neurodivergent and/or having trauma then they do as true aliens. Part of that is an inherent side product of writing aliens as a human, because you can only really use things that humans are familiar with. But there’s also a whole history of which human traits get used to make an alien seem “inhuman.” I’m only personally familiar with the autism part of that history, but I know there’s lot more than that. Regardless, it certainly has an effect if you have those “inhuman” traits that people say are what makes an alien or robot or whatever into something less than human. So uh, “Vegeta is Bulma’s pet because he’s blunt, aggressive, often confused by other people’s intentions, and doesn’t always understand Earth” does not feel great as a joke. I know it’s not that serious and I know that’s not the underlying intention and I know that caring about this character in particular really does not help my case. But I guess I just can’t quite escape my feelings about it anyway.

[azumasoroshi]

guess who just found out about the izaya character song, wonderful days!! woo!!!!!!! time to cry my fucking eyes out

i suck at japanese but here's a transcribed version of a lyrics video on youtube from 2011 which means it's extremely accurate ofc:

Subarashii Hibi (Wonderful Days)

We go our separate ways

Even if we met once in a while, there's nothing to talk about

I want to be with you, but there isn't enough time anyway

Let's go someplace where no one's around

If we took a break

Without noticing, we'd also grow older trying to be young

We became excessively informed in nothing but dark conversations

Both of us, busily sweating

It's a wonderful day, power is overflowing

I'm living, throwing everything away

Since you'll forget me

At the same time, I'll be able to meet you soon

Nostalgic songs and even smiling faces,

I'm living, throwing everything away

Even if I were to remember you

I'd do nothing at that time; (but) sleep, sleep

Morning and evening, sometimes I'll sing while daydreaming

Since you'll forget me, if you were to do that, I'd be able to meet you quite soon

also here's another translation i found (AFTER writing all that down) which is a bit more comprehensible

alright so what the FUCK does this mean lmfao

it's probably post-ketsu where he's reflecting on how ikebukuro will forget him and only when it does will he be able to return?

i think he was trying to sing to ikebukuro as a whole, but some character-specific lines jump out with shizuo/shinra "Let's go someplace where no one's around" is pretty hard to generalize to an entire city's population, probably subconsciously pff

the "though we meet up sometimes" confuses me because afaik he doesn't return to ikebukuro in the light novels and has pretty much cut off contact with everyone, so while he's clearly talking about emotional distance im not sure how he can't also be talking about physical distance :sob: isnt he in russia?? maybe i should actually read the light novels

on the other hand the "we meet up sometimes" could imply that this is NOT in fact post-ketsu which makes things like 10x more interesting because now it really fucking sounds like he's singing to shizuo

(lyric-by-lyric analysis of this song from main story izaya's pov under the cut because im merciful)

the "we meet up sometimes" = their fights, "but there's nothing to talk about" they never have any productive conversations during their chase scenes lmfao

"Let's go somewhere where there's no one else around, when we get a break" is interesting because izaya is pretty frequently alone? like he's always in crowds and outside and stuff but he's never really being "observed" per say

maybe it refers to how shizaya's chase scenes are always outside and heavily reliant on ikebukuro's infrastructure, this being in the view of the general populace, and as such their relationship is pretty public knowledge and has a certain set of unchanging expectations regarding it

and it could be like. what if we met outside of ikebukuro, free from the expectations and rumors of our city? what would i say to you if no one was around to witness it?

god im absolutely coming at this with top-down processing because my shizaya goggles are permanently embedded into my skull im so sorry. like im trying to see things from like oh what if he's talking about namie or shinra or something but it just doesnt make as much sense!!!

"All of a sudden, though we meant to stay young, we've grown older too" could refer to how shizaya's whole chasing thing is kind of?? childish?? like they've been at this for 5 years or something, and it's like. that's not OLD but the way they kind of?? retain their youth around each other most of all despite having the longest history with each other is interesting

"We've recklessly ended up knowledgeable on nothing but gloomy stories" is kinda confusing because that mostly applies to Izaya and like. maybe Mikado but not really anyone else? esp not shizuo since he's kinda. clueless to everything that happens, or at least a lot less involved and only becomes involved when there's violence to be had

in reading the "dark conversations" translation i immediately thought of like. back alleys and shady deals and stuff so i thought it was referring to that, which is still an izaya thing im just not sure who he's referring to in the "we" - guess that one applies to all of ikebukuro because rumors and stuff

late disclaimer i have not watched durarara in 5 years i have no idea what im talking about

"We're so busy with our own things we sweat up a storm" is pretty self explanatory; izaya's always busy ruining people's lives, shizuo's always busy dealing with the annoying shit izaya throws at him (not literally) and sometimes russian assassins and mafia lolis

"What wonderful days! Power overflows" definitely fits main story izaya more than post-ketsu, since he very much enjoys his power over ikebukuro and ruining people's lives, although you could interpret it in kind of a sarcastic way, esp since the song isnt exactly happy overall

the "...and i live having thrown everything away" is likely referring to emotional attachments/the concept of a "normal life", standard pathetic izaya stuff

"You will forget me, so when that happens, I'll be able to come see you right away" takes on a vastly different meaning pre-ketsu because this makes it seem more like izaya's scared of being forgotten - despite living in shinjuku he always comes back to ikebukuro, refuses to let it forget him, definitely refuses to let shizuo forget him and keeps tugging the line of their connection because he knows shizuo will only pay attention to him when he sees izaya and normally won't go out of his way to shinjuku

makes me even sadder thinking about how he finally lets it go the end of ketsu :sob: he finally has to step back and let ikebukuro forget him/let his legacy lie, maybe become a living myth like celty in a way

"the nostalgic song and smiling face both - live having thrown everything away" ughHHHH you confuse me izaya. i dont know what this is about i really dont. it would seem to imply post-ketsu again because there's nothing he's really nostalgic for in the main story, and he never really ditches his constant smile until the very end.

if we were to force a main story interpretation i'd say nostalgia for his high school days, or maybe the days before he started getting involved with the mafia/information broker stuff and it was really just him and his sisters because he's a lonely ass bitch

you could say that he might've not had any true smiles since then? or he's never made anyone smile truly because they're usually either glaring at him or smirking or looking at him in fear/horror or something vaguely antagonistic

"If even so I remember you at that time, I'll do nothing and to go sleep" ?? izaya in denial/purposefully denying himself of companionship? what else is new lmao

"While singing both morning and night, sometimes I absentmindedly consider how you will forget me, so should that happen, I'll be able to come see you right away." cant believe izaya admitted he sings about shizuo at morning and at night and thinks about coming to see him what the fuck

ANALYSIS OVER IM DONE IM FINISHED WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS MAN

not the greatest song ive ever heard (character songs rarely are) he sang so slowly that i barely had to pause to type everything out, but hey ill take any izaya crumbs

now time to scrape up translations of SHIZUO's character song woooo

[roselyn-writing]

🌻🌼Harumi Rose Hasashi HC 🌻🌼

Harumi Rose Hasashi was born on 3 May 1999

(Aliyaa x Hanzo Timeline)

🌻She is half-Japanese and half-Virginian, Which means when she grows older, She looks way younger than her real age. Yes, much like Edenians but different.

🌻 Harumi burns roses when she feels nervous or anxious. It is the only way for her to calm her nerves.

🌻Harumi is the second child of Aliyaa and Hanzo Hasashi. The first is Satoshi Salem Hasashi.

🌻After Harumi was born, Her father loves her so much that he spoils her and gives her most of the attention, Though he kept spoiling Satoshi too (his firstborn).

His first daughter died with his old family, So he couldn’t watch her grow and love her let alone spoil her. But God had mercy on him and gives a second chance to re-live these moments. (A/N: I don’t know if he had a daughter with his first family. But, let's go with this <3)

🌻Harumi and Satoshi share their parents' powers, Hellfire, and magic. He couldn’t be any happier to know his children are gifted, they have hellfire the same as him.

*When Aliyaa was pregnant he was so happy that he forgot he is the Grandmaster, He kept watching Aliyaa and protecting her. He even didn’t let her carry anything, Fearing that it was endangering his unborn babies' lives. She was annoyed but she let him help her.

*The healers told Hanzo that Aliyaa is pregnant with only one child. He was grateful for this. But the moment of giving birth, They are shocked to know there is another child in Aliyaa’s womb. And that was Harumi. Nonetheless, Hanzo is happy about this.

*Hanzo named His two children first names and Aliyaa named their second names.

*He saw so much of Harumi in his daughter so he named her Harumi. At first, he was afraid to suggest naming her Harumi but he did and to his shock Aliyaa accepted it.

*Most of the time, He got to carry Harumi as a baby. He loves her so much, He sang to her, rocked her, He carried her, He even fed her, And Aliyaa got to carry their baby-son.

🌻Harumi loves to be elegant, watering plants, Painting, cooking, sweets, writing, and helping people, She likes Japanese history and novels books, She loves to wear hanfus, and Kimonos, Hanbok and etc.

🌻Just like her mother, She loves self-care and being elegant in everything, she aspires to be like her mother.

🌻She is spoiled by her father, but he didn’t spoil her rotten, she is a responsible girl after all.

*Hanzo and Aliyaa taught their children how to use and control their powers. It was hard at first. But, now they mastered their powers.

🌻At the age of 9, Harumi showed signs of her hellfire powers, Which made Hanzo proud, she was very afraid that she started to cry. Her father immediately calmed her, He told her not to worry. He taught her and Satoshi how to master hellfire.

🌻Harumi was 13 when Takeda first came to the Shirai Ryu through his father Kenshi Takahashi, Harumi saw him as a little brother. She calmed him and played with him, she is like his older sister when he was all alone between strangers.

Takeda has grown to love Harumi and sees her as more than a sister, possibly a potential romantic partner, but he was afraid of the Grandmaster, Then Jacqui came into his life, He loves Jacqui now. It’s unbeknownst if he still has feelings for Harumi.

🌻At the age of 15 Harumi experienced her first period, she was very nervous and embarrassed, she was annoyed by the cramps in her lower belly, and she told her mother about this.

“Mom… I have something to tell you,” Harumi asked worriedly.

“What is it dear?” Her mother answered her.

“Mom… my lower belly hurts me and… Do you have a potion for me?” Harumi asked again.

“Oh, dear! This is okay, you are a woman now!” Her mother happily said.

“What do you mean by that?” Harumi asked.

“Is there blood when you pee? Her mother asked her.

“Yes.. but how did you know?” She muttered.

“Then this is what I think it is, you are having your monthly period,” Her mother replied, as she pours the tea into the cups, and sandwiches for her daughter.

“Honey, you must drink something hot and wear socks and slippers!” Her mother advised her.

“Okay, if you say so,” she told, Sitting on the bed near her mother.

Hanzo barged into the room, ”Aliyaa! Go check on our daughter if she is fine!” Hanzo commanded, he didn’t notice that Harumi was in the same room.

“Darling! You are here! how are you feeling!” He asked his daughter.

“Better Daddy!” She sweetly replied.

“I’m happy to hear this!” He muttered, then he hugged his daughter.

Then, All of them sat in the room, talking with each other and sipping tea.

🌻Once Harumi had reached 18, Hanzo was so afraid that she will start to think of love and marriage.

🌻On her 18 birthday, The gang gave her a lot of gifts. Even her other friends on her mother's side. They gave her a lot of precious gifts. Mainly older Aliyaa got her dream laptop. Hanzo gave her a traditional bow. Because he knows that she likes archery. Unbeknownst to Hanzo, Selviya gave her a magical girl brooch, To protect herself and her friends. She kept this a secret from her daddy.

Takeda once joked that her future boyfriend would be lucky if she was his girlfriend. To Hanzo’s dismay. He “gently” nudge Takeda’s elbow.

🌻She once asked if she can get a boyfriend her father immediately snapped at her. (Something all fathers would do xD) He regretted it afterward.

🌻Harumi knows that her father wants the best for her, And he knows more about life than her. She always listens to him, and she agrees with him on this. But deep down she wants to be loved like her mother and most of the girls like her age.

*Her mother once told her that she can’t love a guy without fully knowing him. Harumi agreed to this.

🌻She likes to play with her phone, computer, or even puzzle games.

🌻When she gets lonely she uses her fire powers to create a dragon made of her pure hellfire magic, she called him Allen.

*Hanzo Always calls her Shirai Ryu Princess. And she loved this and giggles when she remembers him saying it.

*Satoshi likes to pick on her sometimes, he just enjoys teasing her, Being the older brother he is.

*Jacqui gets extremely jealous of Harumi, whenever she passes by, Takeda looks at her and completely forgets about Jacqui.

🌻Harumi and Liling (Selviya and Kuai’s daughter) are extremely close friends, although these two have opposites powers, Fire and Ice being close friends.

🌻Harumi Always wonders about the other Harumi (Hanzo’s first wife). She always thinks about her, how she looks, and whether she will be jealous of her mother (Aliyaa).

She is still daddy’s girl, he loves to spoil her and makes desserts for her.

🌼She always feels like she is Rapunzel, A beautiful, young princess trapped in a temple instead of a tall tower, But she is grateful for her life since her daddy and mummy love her so much and care about her.

-One time, two foreign young handsome men lost their way to the city and ended up being near the Shirai Ryu territories, Hanzo immediately ordered them to leave, He wasn’t kind to them but his daughter was. They left the place, but tomorrow, they secretly return to the temple to meet the girl (Harumi).

-Once she saw The tall blonde-haired guy and blue eyes again, she falls in love with him, Hanzo wasn’t aware that these men are back at his temple.

“What’s your name?” She sweetly asked, waiting for his reply.

“My name is Nathan Spencer,” He replied, he is a bit embarrassed, and he was blushing while she was sweetly looking at him, offering him a lovely smile.

“What a lovely name! Mines Harumi Rose~” she muttered in her sweet sultry voice.

“Thanks!” He awkwardly replied.

Both locked their eyes for moments, Before Hanzo passes by and spotted them at his temple gates, he furiously came and ordered them to leave or things will get bloody.

“Hey! Didn’t I tell you both to leave yesterday?” He growled at the two men, The two men ran away once they saw Hanzo holding his Tānto.

🌻After this incident Hanzo reprimanded his daughter, It ended with her being unable to leave the temple without his permission let alone being near the gates.

“Do NOT go near the gates again, Am I clear? Shōjo! (young lady)” He reprimanded his daughter.

“Very clear, Otōchan,” She told him, “Good girl,” He gently said, patting her head then left.

He left, and while walking he regretted reprimanding her with his harsh usual tone, But part of him wants to believe he did the right thing.

He doesn’t want to see his daughter heartbroken because that man had manipulated her only to take her virginity, So in his heart and mind, he did the right thing.

🌻Harumi listened to her father and started to be only inside the temple, she isn’t allowed to go near the gate as her father ordered her. can’t help but falling in love with Nathan, and how hard she fall in love with him

🌻She kept studying, Training, and painting in her free time. Which made her father proud and glad.

🌼In the end, she loves her dad, mother, and her brother, She loves them all, she loves her family and everything about them <3

🌻That’s all for Harumi Rose Called by her father {Shirai Ryu Princess}🌼

[kestrellady]

May 2024 Reading Wrap-Up

Kind of a slower month, what with moving and work stress.

Stand out Books from May The Ocean of Churn by Sanjeev Sanyal This was an incredibly readable history of the Indian Ocean trade and its place in world history. I sometimes got a little confused with the names of people and places, but the author was great about pulling out the main points.

Babel by R.F. Kuang I'm really not sure that I have anything to add to everything that has already been said about this book. (Well, I have some thoughts, but they're really musings on a theoretical different book.) It was honestly kind of weird to read this one after reading Blood Over Bright Haven last month. The themes and many of the story beats are so similar, but they come at them from very different angles.

What I'm Reading Now I started the manga series Noragami. I've watched the anime and loved it, but the manga just finished, so this seems like a good time to read the series. It's really cool to read something so steeped in Japanese culture. The first volume has a translator's note for one panel that takes up a full page! I'm also working through Villette, one of Charlotte Bronte's lesser known works. My main frustration at the moment is that the French is left with no translation!

What I'm Looking Forward to in June Lots of great thing publishing in June, including the next Mercy Thompson novel, the next Lady Darby Mystery, and several of my favorite manga series have a new volume out as well. Fingers crossed I can get my hands on them. Most of my up next list is final or latest books in a series, so I'm looking forward to picking up some new stuff this month.

Reading Challenges Got a little behind in the Book Riot Read Harder challenge, but I'm picking back up. I'm thinking about picking out a book for 17. a book about media literacy. I've got a couple of options, but feel free to send me a recommendation! I've also got Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide on hold for 15. a YA nonfiction book. I heard about Graciela Iturbide on a Duolingo Spanish podcast and was fascinated, so this seemed like a good choice. I've also got The Murder on the Links for my read-through of Agatha Christie's works. Starting with the classic Hercule Poirot!

Follow me on The StoryGraph!

[omoiintensifies]

Thoughts and prayers for me because I just finished the Ichigo and Ulquiorra final fight part.

Here are a few thoughts because I HAVE TO:

1. This is practically the Pein vs Naruto sequence. Before his final gash, Ulquiorra explicitly states how Ichigo doesn't understand the meaning of despair. Heart is what makes the human weak because it doesn't let them act rationally (and so Ichigo should've withdrawn because he was weak. And Inoue should have been scared because she was weak).

Pein says the same thing about love, although words it a bit differently.

2. Aesthetically...I MEAN...It is insane how gorgeous the whole scene is. Crescent moon, and Ulquiorra's final form. He is beautiful. And I don't state that easily. He belongs to the high Greek tragedies, but is also a sheer symbol of rationalism and nihilism of our modern times.

Ul is beyond beautiful. Biblical. Loyal. Fallen creature.

I won't compare him to Satan because nobody is a better Lord of Pandemonium than Aizen (Chef's kiss) (I haven't finished Bleach yet but I think that's what Aizen is modelled after)

3. Heart of the matter: Ichigo and Inoue (hero and heroin with same one brain cell 😭) are people who believe in strong ethics of fair fighting and mercy.

And so Ichigo went: you can cut my arm and leg too! (Preposterous and hilarious, and not to mention extremely dumb)

Time and again, Ichigo has been told to let go of this hesistant moral side. But 👏he 👏simply 👏doesn't 👏

Now there is a way to look at it:

This "merciful" side is very unique to humans (so like 4 people in the show). Soul society does it, but not always. In most cases, they stop fighting when the opponent is weak as a sign of power.

But in Ichigo's case, it is never arrogance. He's not a soldier even if he tries to be. If Inoue will heal their enemies, Ichigo would cut himself up to make sure the fight is fair. It's the same idea: even though you're my enemy, you have a right to exist because hello, we're not barbaric.

BUT ALSO, ASIA'S BELOVED MIX: Self-sacrifice ✨

/Selflessness and Asian plots deserve a thesis and not a Tumblr post/

4. Conclusion:

I was stunned. The pauses. The disappearance. It was heartbreaking (well, literally for Ul). He's like Icarus. Flew too close to the sun (Inoue/heart) and couldn't take it.

I know that most people hate Orihime. It is understandable because Bleach is homage to Japanese art of war and royal military history, and Orihime can come across anachronistic. She's the only female character (so far) who is so relevant to the fight but cannot fight. However, as a character, she's a metaphor and not a fighter. She represents the sun/hope/heart. In terms of plot unity, I'm not sure if that's a great fit, because the message of hope/heart unlike Naruto is built up in a VERY scattered manner. Instead, fighting styles are valorized. So it's not an easy fit.

Having said that, I think it's a necessary fit. It's writer's safety barrier so that they may not go overboard with romanticization of fighting styles, which is essentially what makes Bleach.

Just fighting styles and aesthetics cannot make a plot, it would need a heart, sooner or later.

[luke-r-gillespie]

May 6 - Asakusa / Fukugawa Edo Museum

Freewriting

For my first day in Tokyo, I woke up around 6AM (thank you jetlag) and reviewed the days readings before heading downstairs to eat breakfast with my group. Following breakfast, I attended the first class meeting before embarking to Asakusa by train. Asakusa temple was amazing, the size and intricacy of the temple and the surrounding structures was breath taking.

After looking around in some stalls around the temple, I paid 100 yen to have my fortune read. I received a bad fortune (not cool,) but I tied it to the designated to post to hopefully shake my bad luck. After looking around at the shrine for a bit longer, I went to lunch with some friends and had some great Japanese food (despite the meal taking way longer than we initially anticipated.) It was the type of restaurant where they prepare the food in front of you, but it was taking too long and we were going to be far too late returning to the group, but thankfully my (sub-par) Japanese speaking helped me to resolve the situation. After Asakusa, we went to the Fukugawa Edo Museum where a great tour guide told us all (but mostly Zachary) about life in the Edo period. After the days excursions were done I went to the Pokemon center, UNIQLO, Don Quijote and a really strange free art exhibit. I ended the night at a great pizza place down town where I had a really nice time with some friends. After a missed train or two, I ended up back at Hotel Edoya where I now sit writing this post.

Academic Reflection

The Asakusa temple is an ancient Buddhist temple which is extremely popular in and around Tokyo. The temple is that of Kannon, the god(ess) of mercy. Many aspects of the temple are indicative of Buddhist history and its influences. For example, the giant sandals meant to ward off demons or the statues that stand on either side of the temple's entrance which have obvious Greek influence. Unlike many other temples and shrines in Japan that are typically only visited in the event of someone's death, the Asakusa temple was bustling with commerce and activity. The influence of Buddhism on Japan's economy and religious beliefs was very evident at the temple. The deity (Kannon) presented at the temple seemed more in line with Mahayana sect of Buddhism. The Fukugawa Edo Museum presented an extremely accurate and realistic depiction of a small section of Edo era Tokyo. The entire "city block" was very reminiscent of the reading on premodern Japan. The businesses and homes presented real world examples of how many different individuals lived in the Edo period (aside from the Emperor, Shogun, and his Daimyos.) It is not hard to picture how Japan prospered under the Tokugawa's rule if these were the conditions at the time. The rice warehouse and the boathouse were particularly interesting and it helped that our guide was passionate about the material.

[estinininininen]

FFIV DS paladin trial con't:

• kluya acknowledges cecil by the name another father gave him. yes he's luckily named after his mother but there's still something lovely and heartbreaking about that to me

• woof i use one cure and cecil, lvl 1, has to lie down for a nap. hang in there buddy

• it's preachy but i like the way that it's preachy. "there are more important things than justice and vengeance. one day, you will know them." the faithful encouragement that you can take the steps forward. the unspoken goal of mercy and compassion

• hatred destroying itself is so nice in video game fairy tales i wish it was like that in real life too :(

• tellah please clean the wax out of your ears and pay attention to the dad spirit, he's saying it to you too. tellah. TELLAH.

• i forgot to talk about cain/abel and isaac(/ishmael? more just isaac) parallels in the last post but woof. go forth and fight against your brother. something something abraham, something something knife, something something daddy was only testing you.

• i don't know if the jewish lens i automatically see ffiv through is . . . sensitive to history or not because the real-world romantic epics describing paladins are 1) european 2) christian and 3) from the middle ages, so even though i have not read the song of roland and the like i am fairly certain!! they are are not kind to Jews. could be wrong.

• vageuly remember something about mt. ordeals having points named after the stations of the cross in one version

• AND this is a Japanese story which adds another filter. In 1991 the writers/scenario designer might have had like, an encylopedia entry or two with relevant info. that's it. the cultural references probably seemed kinda ~exotic~ to them more than staunchly liturgical

[marblesarelost]

I just went through my book wish list and put it on Bookshop.

(I'm not buying anything TODAY because I have to move in ....FML SEVEN WEEKS?... and I am not stupid enough to buy MORE BOOKS just to have to pack them up and move them. Not to mention some of them are on backorder or preorder and I don't want them going to the wrong address because I am moving in seven weeks.)

BEFORE adding a bunch more?

Um

It was over $300.

AFTER adding a bunch more?

I don't know how much it is, and I'm honestly afraid to add it all up.

WELP

Just added all to my cart.

YEAH

It's under a grand!

.....barely....

But a lot of these books are REALLY IMPORTANT -- Jared Sexton, Heather Cox Richardson, stuff about how we really are facing a civil war coming, stuff about how shitty it is to be poor in America (not that I don't KNOW that shit),and then there's the books I just fucking WANT: the Wolf Hall books by Hilary Mantel, the Shigeru Mizuki Japanese history mangas, new copies of the Paks original trilogy and the expansion of the world as well (I didn't like those as much as the original Paks books, but I liked them well enough, and also Sergeant Stammel -- gods bless him), Gaiman's Norse Mythology and American Gods and Stardust and a new copy of the Graveyard Book, and the Chronicles of Prydain which I really do need to read, and then there's the James Clavell** books that I legit HAVE to have and the Tolkien, again, I have to have them because somehow I do not have copies of the big Four and the Silmarillion and yes I AM getting the illustrated Hobbit and the illustrated Silmarillion separately because ILLUSTRATIONS BY TOLKIEN, DAMMIT

(** Yes, I'm aware that Clavell's work is very problematic. That being said, my mother once told me, when learning that at the time I was reading Shogun and really liking it, that Shogun was the only book she ever saw my father, my actual father, read.

Now I know for a fact, solid and cold, that Daddy liked Stephen King. He read a lot of King after he and my mom divorced. He's who turned me into a Constant Reader -- okay given that I read Pet Sematary when I was eight at my grandma's house -- by giving me The Eyes of the Dragon when I was young; by handing me IT and Christine and The Shining and The Stand when I was older.

All that being said, there is something very special to me about reading and enjoying and loving books that my father read and loved. It makes me feel that we are still sharing, still reaching out to one another, beyond the Boundaries of Death's Country.

Not to mention, King Rat is....horribly problematic. Horribly so. Yet there is something in it that reaches to me. Here is greed, here is horror, here is the worst that man can be to man. Yet here is generosity, here is quiet stoic heroism, here is mercy, here is hope.

Clavell's work is problematic, yes. Lots of work is. But there is something to be learned from it. Do I think every work has something to be learned from? Not really. Some is just shit, and that's the honest truth. But some, we can learn something from.)

and FML I still need to find the complete Keltiad -- the Aeron books and the Arthur books, Blackmantle was a horrible revenge fantasy -- (And just for the record, I KNEW her, I KNEW Patricia, she invited me to her HOUSE if I were ever in NYC, she named me her War-Badger, I counted her as a FRIEND, I MOURNED her when she passed, and I STILL think Blackmantle was a HORRIBLE revenge fantasy) and the complete Belgariad along with Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress --

....FUCK.

(If you're wondering why I didn't mention the Malloreon, it's because I read the first book and hated it)

...I'd love to have the complete Foxfire series...

...guess I'm gonna have to hit up AbeBooks or something too...

RIP the cash I was gonna set aside just for me I guess....

[avionvadion]

Out of curiosity, where is Anastasia from? Just due to early InuYasha episode with the toad and Amari Nobunaga, we know that Kagome traveled between 1534-1551 because Oda Nobunaga is alive, but still has the reputation of being a fool and idiot given Amari Nobunaga’s reaction when Kagome mentions Oda Nobunaga and given the use of matchlock guns isn’t known by Jakotsu at first, this is probably soon after the Portuguese come to trade in 1943. I’m just really curious what type of settlement Anastasia hails from because this a couple decades is before England started colonizing so I’m going, “Well, if she’s not British settler does that make her from a Spanish colony? a failed French settlement? Maybe a Dutch one?” I mean I know Inuyasha implied Anastasia is from America, but it’s not like he knows since the European trade with Japan would be relatively new. Sorry if this is a lot, I’m really sorry, I just listen to stuff while doing art and I recently listened to the first episode of Blue-Eye Samurai which is set in Sakoku (post-1603), and the biracial (half-white/half-Japanese) main character was bullied as a child by being told they had “round eyes, like a dog’s”, which made me think of Forest Deep and the bullying Inuyasha and Irene went through, particularly at the castle with the servants, which made me wonder since Irene looks so much like Anastasia, just exactly where, if she or Anastasia run into any foreign traders, who don’t know them, might associate them with. Again, I’m sorry, this is probably a lot of info dumping.

I don’t know that much about history, so I actually appreciate these little info dumps, lol. I research what I can, but it doesn’t always work.

I have it written in my notes that’s it 1553.

Anastasia’s backstory was supposed to be revealed fairy soon in the fic since we’re nearing the end of the first half of the fic, but basically my plan for her was-

Massive Fic Spoilers below!

A recently made pregnant Anastasia was forced overseas and became terribly ill while on the ship. Once arriving in Japan her captors left her to die, but through some unlikely means she survived. This was because of her finding an injured cat and nursing it back to health.

This cat was actually a deity in disguise- one who had shown mercy for humans and wound up being tricked, and the fellow gods punished the deity for his foolishness by trapping him inside the body of a calico cat. It could not use powers to heal any injuries, as per the curse set upon him, but it’s blood could bestow a gift.

And in thanking Anastasia for mending his wounds, once again convincing him that certain humans could be kind, he granted her his blood.

This allowed her to birth two healthy twins and travel throughout the lands, protecting herself with Shikigami. Due to her harsh experiences, these Shikigami were fierce and aggressive. Anastasia did not have the power to heal. But then she met Kakuju, and they married shortly after her (21st) birthday. She still travels as a priestess, but dies shortly after becoming bedridden from another illness.

One of the twins went back across the sea after their mother’s death, and Irene and Maria are descendants of that child, while his sibling fell in love with a Japanese person and had a daughter- Diana. Diana marries a Japanese lord, but eventually dies when birthing a stillborn.

The cat deity has been mourning Anastasia’s death and his failure, knowing full well she had been revived by Kakuju as a soulless Hitogata. The cat deity was actually the one who had given Kakuju’s ancestors the knowledge on how to cast this spell, as he had been fooled by their fake kindness and tricked into telling them how to do so, leading to the course of time being altered. This caused the gods to punish him, forcing him to live forever in the body of a cat with the curse-

The curse that could only be broken if someone- a person from a bloodline he had tainted- could truly be kind. If they could share that kindness and extend it even to the spirits they commanded, so much so that the spirits become protective, will the curse break.

Uhhhhh, and I guess Anastasia could be Dutch??? Also, hey! I know exactly which chapter you’re talking about! Only you, Sango where Inuyasha snapped at the servants for bullying Irene.