#lover of kondo

[eleiyaumei]

Souma's route was a slog to get through so here's some bad jokes that kept me awake

I got scared every time Kaji-san screamed ^^' Dialovers trauma is real

(So disappointed we didn't get a proper Dialovers reunion scene...)

(It's so weird to me that Hakuouki was first with the whole MC-gets-her-blood-sucked-by-her-love-interests thing and Dialovers just leaned into it more. Ah, and comparing the blood-drinking scenes from EB with DL really did me no good, it just frustrated me due to the missed opportunities... Especially since imagining Souma during Kanato's dummy head moments helped me get through his route ^^' I kinda want a Souma with some Kanato-elements now, you know? Oh, and not to mention all the shame every Hakuouki love interest felt before/while/after drinking blood, like: It wouldn't be awkward/bad if you didn't make it so! Also feels like kink-shaming tbh...)

[fistfuloflightning]

crazy cat lady, emphasis on crazy || female okita souji

thanks for the inspo @sabraeal! (it just took a long time to figure this out lol)

[whoismims]

2023 was the year I was able to rediscover my love of reading after a difficult time, particularly at the height of the pandemic. Here are some of my favorite books that I read.

[todayisafridaynight]

just watched Taboo (Gohatto) that anon here was talkin bout and i get legal rights to talk about it on this blog because takeshi kitano (hirose) plays hijikata in the movie

[otomehonyaku]

DIABOLIK LOVERS Haunted Dark Bridal ☽ Genteiban DVD Mini Drama Translation ☽ Side Story II (Kanato, Reiji, Subaru)

Original title: DIABOLIK LOVERS 限定版 SPECIAL DISK III Side Story II Voiced by Kaji Yūki (Kanato), Konishi Katsuyuki (Reiji), Kondo Takashi (Subaru) English translation by @otomehonyaku Click here for the audio (special thanks to @uzi-boozii for providing the audio!)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Please do not reuse or post my translations elsewhere or translate my work into other languages without my permission.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Another interesting little drama CD (♡ˊ͈ ꒳ ˋ͈) I love these 'behind the scenes' mini drama set in between certain events of the anime. This particular one takes place after Kanato takes Yui to his wax doll room! Please enjoy (ㅅ´ ˘ `)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[This CD takes place after Kanato takes Yui into his wax doll room.]

00:00 [Reiji lifts his cup of tea and takes a sip.]

Reiji: Hm. There is nothing quite like English tea. This aroma, this flavour… No other country’s tea could accomplish this.

Kanato: You sure seem like you’re enjoying drinking that bland-looking liquid. I certainly would not. Right, Teddy? Cold days like this just make you crave exceptionally sweet chocolate milk. Ah, shall I call her over and have her make chocolate milk for me?

R: Wait, Kanato. Why did you, of all occasions, decide to call on me during my tea time? This is my one moment of relaxation in the day. Do you not understand? You have something to say to me, do you not? 

01:09 K: Me? To you, Reiji? I wouldn’t know what. Teddy says he has no clue, either.

R: Really? Nothing comes to mind at all?

K: I just told you, I don’t know.

R: You clearly lack self-reflective behaviour.

K: I couldn't care less about your expectations. I hate being kept in suspense. I am holding off on my precious hot chocolate by listening to your useless sermon, so please explain properly.

R: Kanato. Listen to me.

K: I want her to make me hot chocolate, and quickly! I want to drill her to make chocolate milk with the exact amount of sweetness that I prefer! That is her duty!

[Kanato slams his fist on the table.]

02:00R: Kanato. That is precisely the problem.

K: A problem? What is? I may do with my dolls as I please.

R: She is not your doll. Your reasoning that you can do with her as you please is incorrect. So, you cannot expect me to let slide the improper behaviour you exhibited yesterday.

K: What are you saying that I did?

R: I am talking about what you did in the wax doll room. You were trying to turn her into a wax doll, were you not?

K: And what about it? Don’t you think she would look extraordinary as a corpse? Hey, Teddy. You’re glad you’ve made a friend too, right?

R: It seems as though you do not realise the weight of your actions.

K: What’s wrong with turning her into a wax doll? I was only trying to preserve her beauty so that she may live on for all eternity.

R: Wax dolls are not alive, Kanato. You, of all people, should know.

03:16K: I don’t care whether she lives or not. As long as she’s beautiful, that’s enough for me.

R: We are under strict orders not to kill her. Have you forgotten? We must obey Father’s orders. We cannot go against him. You know this, do you not? I think we should treat her with a certain level of care.

K: What makes you say that, even though we never received such orders for the other sacrificial brides? Do you not think that is strange, Reiji?

R: Orders should be followed. I follow them without question.

04:09K: Hehe. You understand that she’s special, don’t you, Reiji?

R: What do you mean?

K: Her blood smelled quite… nostalgic somehow. I was plagued by the strangest feeling, as if a distant memory had come back to me. Didn’t you feel it too, Reiji?

Right, Teddy?

R: I did not. She is merely prey. Nothing more, nothing less. I do not recall ever thinking something so imperfect is special.

K: Hehe. Do you really think so?

[Something cracks, debris falling to the ground.]

K: Hm?

R: There are cracks in the sealing… Is that Subaru again? I will go and check on him. Wait here. Understood? We are not done talking.

[Reiji walks off.]

K: Huh. Subaru has been acting off lately. Teddy, should we go and have a look as well? It’s exciting to watch our home crumble to dust, isn’t it?

05:45[Reiji walks into Subaru’s room.]

R: Subaru. What on Earth are you doing?

Subaru: Fuck off. Don’t barge into my room without permission.

R: By all means–go ahead and break your own belongings. However, this house is not just yours. I cannot stand idly by and watch you destroy it.

S: Shut up.

K: Oh, Teddy, look! Subaru broke the desk again. This room does not need furniture, does it?

S: Fuck off, you little hysteric brat. You get the fuck out, too!

[Subaru tries to push Kanato out of the room.]

K: Teddy? You should never use such words, okay? People may start to question your dignity if you do.

S: The fuck?

R: Kanato, I thought I told you to stay put downstairs.

K: It may go wherever I please. I will not let you order me around.

S: You fuckers, get out of my room with your whining.

K: If you can’t calm down, I won’t be able to enjoy my hot chocolate in peace.

S: Then don’t drink it!

[Subaru throws something.]

06:57R: Subaru! I keep having to take care of things every time you break the wall or a piece of furniture. Please consider my efforts as well.

S: No problem if it’s replaced with something new, right?

R: That is not the problem. Please understand.

[Subaru walks over to his iron maiden.]

S: Fuck off. I’m going to sleep. Hurry up and get out of here.

R: Wait.

[Reiji tries to hold the lid open.]

S: Get out of my way!

R: Do you not think your destructive behaviour has increased lately?

S: So what if it has?

K: I do have a feeling why, though.

S: Huh?

K: It’s her, isn’t it? When I think of drastic changes to our household recently, I can only think of her arrival. Hehe. You have taken a liking to her too, haven’t you, Subaru?

S: Fuck off. I have zero interest in her.

R: Oh? That sure is strange.

S: Why? 

R: If you have no interest in her, why did you give her your precious silver knife?

K: The silver knife–the one thing that can end the eternal lives of us vampires. I wonder what he was thinking when he gave it to her, don’t you, Teddy?

08:16 S: Shut up. Stop fussing so much. I am the one who decides what I do with my own knife!

R: That certainly depends on the situation. Besides, you even aided her in running away. It seems to me that you should get a proper grip on what is happening in this house right now.

S: I hate this.

R: However, I believe it is best to act only after properly assessing the other party. In reality, she did not escape, even when you offered her a way out.

S: Hm.

R: I have no clue why, though. Good grief, human life is such a finite thing. Whydo humans only repeat such pointless behaviour? Truly pitiful.

S: I wonder.

R: About what?

S: If you naively assume that she’s a mere human, it’ll come back to bite you.

K: Hehe. Hey, Reiji. I told you! There’s something about her. Something special…

S: Besides, ever since she arrived, Richter has been here often, too.

09:43 R: Indeed. I have seen Uncle around often lately. Subaru. Has Uncle told you anything?

S: ‘Before long, the awakening will come,’ or something like that.

R: Is that what he said?

S: C’mon, the two of you are so annoying! Get the hell out of here already!

R: This is enough for today. The two of you. Please think thoroughly before you act from now on.

[Subaru closes his coffin. Kanato yawns.]

K: You’re tired, aren’t you, Teddy? Let’s go and rest in our favourite little place.

[Kanato leaves.]

R: Good grief. I should not wait and instead take care of things today. The next time, I will show no mercy. And even then, what on Earth did Uncle mean? It seems that I should look further into it.

11:00 K: Hey, look, Teddy. This pure white dress… I had it especially made for the occasion. This feeling, this texture, and this lustrous finish… Haha. I can truly envision the day when she wears it among all the others. I already have a spot for her in mind.As Reiji said, I shall think thoroughly before I act… Haha!

[signalburst]

“Hell’s no place I haven’t seen before. Let it from your mind."

Gif: @yocalio

'Shogun showrunner Rachel Kondo revealed that the idea to have Blackthorne step up as Mariko’s second was initially “a shock” to her.

“It was one of those things that felt both surprising to us, but also inevitable. Like, naturally, this is the woman he loves. He doesn’t want her to writhe in eternal hell that he knows she believes in, right? I don’t even know if he believes in it, but he, this was his moment to look at her and to see her and to do something,” Kondo said.

“The one thing he does not want to do — he most doesn’t want to do — and he does it because of her, for her.”

Blackthorne’s poetic “last words” to Mariko during the seppuku scene were a suggestion from Cosmo Jarvis: “Hell’s no place I haven’t seen before. Let it from your mind,” to help him grapple with Blackthorne’s out of character decision to volunteer to kill the woman he loves.

“It was quite a challenge to find the motivation for a man to do that,” Jarvis said. “A man who hates unnecessary violence. Blackthorne hates unnecessary violence. And this would be the pinnacle of unnecessary violence and it’s somebody that he cares deeply for.”

“But, you know, that’s the joy of the work. You have to find motivations for these things and you have to do them and commit to them,” he said, explaining the genesis of the line, applauding the showrunners' collaborative nature for keeping it in.

According to Anna Sawai, Blackthorne’s decision to step up and second Mariko’s seppuku was “the biggest gesture of love that she feels from him.”

Gifs: @yocalio

“It’s when she realizes how much she means to him. Because he is a Protestant and he’s going against his religion and he’s taking her over himself. He’s allowing her to die a loyal Catholic and a samurai,” Sawai said during an interview earlier this week. “It’s a very romantic thing for her and she’s in a way kind of seeing him in different eyes because of what this means."

“He’s taking her over his own religion and beliefs,” Sawai explains of the powerful moment. “A couple scenes before that he’s asking her to keep living for him. And so I think that it just shows that he really, really cares, and that is the most romantic thing that you could ever do for someone that you love.”

Mariko is spared, for a night. A night that Mariko and Blackthorne get to share together. Although Yabushige’s treachery would result in Mariko’s death later that night, the two lovers get to spend one last evening in each other’s arms.

“It was just a moment of like, ‘I deserve this. We deserve this. We accept each other, we see each other and we can share this moment together,'” Sawai said, giving Mariko’s story a bittersweet, tragically romantic ending.'

Full interviews:

Anna Sawai Reveals the Moment Mariko Fell in Love With Blackthorne

Anna Sawai Details How Mariko’s Seppuku Attempt in Episode 9 Binds Her and Blackthorne Forever: “It’s a Very Romantic Thing for Her”

[potatogratins]

— sticker frenzy

꒰ summary ꒱ living together requires a lot of adjustments and a messy journaling addiction. yuki ishikawa does his best to help you sort out your stickers and pens because it helps him, too. but one day, he wants a change in routine.

꒰ genre ꒱ fluff ꒰ pairing ꒱ | ishikawa yuki/female-identifying reader ꒰ w.c. ꒱ 1,811 ꒰ published ꒱ september 8, 2024

To be neat was the optimal way of living, according to Yuki. On top of never-ending schedules, he wanted to be in control of everything; for example, his apartment, an abode of safety and security, had to be the neatest out of everything he could take hold of. Initially, he thought he could stick to this routine for a long time. When he meant a long time, he thought years, decades, the end of time even.

Then you came along like tornadoes in spring, with boxes full of journaling materials and whatnot, placing them in empty tables, dark corners, and unseen crevices.

“Do you need all of this? Can’t you just use one pen? And a single notebook for all your thoughts?” were the first lines of ammunition he shot towards you when the both of you were adjusting to living with each other. He was rather confrontational about the whole thing and it was no surprise—after all, inviting a woman to live with him was a considerable change in his routine, but the mess was less tolerable than he had hoped.

So, while Yuki was your lover, he also became your personal Marie Kondo. He would always show an item you owned, wave it around, and ask if you would keep it. You would throw it away or sell it, more often than not. 

Then began months of civil negotiations. Do you need that many fountain pens? You sold some of them away. Do you need that much parchment paper? You placed them in a box, and all of them were sorted out by thickness. Can’t you paint somewhere else? You bought a large mat to put on top of the white table if you needed to journal your day. It became a biweekly routine of some sort, and funnily enough, to Yuki, he enjoyed it more than he had thought.

Still, one part of the social contract never moved, and it was starting to affect him.

Your stickers.

When you realized the whole decluttering situation Yuki was trying to pull, you had to make sure the stickers were the first to be stored away neatly. You kept them in IKEA plastic organizers or cheap white clear books. You stuck to sticker sheets, and its stickers stayed with their original sheet till their eventual use. 

But you just had this horrible habit of placing your stickers everywhere.

A new cabinet? Let’s place some stickers on the side. A reused notebook? We can add some dinosaur stickers on the cover. You never figured out why you did it, but you’ve embraced such an itch since you were a child.

Yuki, however, was not too pleased.

After a day of having the sticker frenzy, he would scrape off the stickers. It often wasted his precious thirty minutes, and by the time he would finish, he would slump down the couch next to you. Then, he would scold you.

“I feel like I’m saying this over and over again. Can we stop putting stickers on everything, please?” he would say.

You would nod and tell him that you wouldn’t do it again.

Then, a few days would come, and you’d do it again.

Every time, Yuki would be exhausted on the couch, nails slightly chipped. He would tell you off again. You would nod.

As months would pass, the scolding would get lighter in severity while at the same time, the frequency of sticker scraping would get less. Eventually, he stopped. It stopped annoying him. In fact, he wished that you would do it every day.

So here you are, sitting at the dining table. Yuki, the bore that he is (your words, not anyone else’s), is brushing up on his English while you begin to prepare your journaling. Since high school, you’ve been using the Traveler’s Notebook— the blue one in the regular size in particular—to capture every special day that you have had since then. Last week, you attended the wedding of an old friend; Yuki was your plus-one.

You take out the tiny wedding invitation and shuffle it around the page, trying to figure out the best place for the invitation. But first, you decide to step it aside, putting out the stickers, tape, and paper that you’ll use for your journal. You place a ripped square of wrapping paper in the corner while adding small stickers in the middle of the page or the rest of the corners. Afterward, you stick the wedding invitation and then Fujifilm polaroids of you with the couple and then with Yuki. You begin to concentrate on the most crucial part: the details of the day.

This is the part when Yuki knows he should be leaving you unbothered, as you need to prepare your pea-sized brain to recall everything from that morning till evening.

As you finally finish writing your entry, then you add tiny stickers, hearts, and all that jazz. Holding both sides of the journal, you hold it up and marvel at your new creation. Yuki, curious to see what you’ve done, leans closer to see what you’ve made.

“Very… girly,” he comments.

You glare at him as you defend yourself, “Obviously, it had to be cheesy. It’s a wedding. I needed to add the doves, rings, the bride, and the groom.”

You begin to clean up your mess as Yuki continues to read his books. When you return to fetch the last set of materials, Yuki finally places his book down as the both of you prepare for bed. You lie on the right side of the bed while he is on the left. He brings himself closer to you, and suddenly, you can feel the heat of his entire body on you. His arm is tangled with yours, and his lips are near your ears.

He kisses it. Lightly.

“I could get used to this every day,” he tells you, “I know it. I’m sure of it.”

You bring one of his hands to your lips, but you don’t kiss it at all but warm it with your soft blows like a prayer. Then he kisses your nape, and the both of you feel like you’ve met for the first time again. Your sighs are deeper than the sea, and for the next few minutes, there are touches of love entangled in metaphors. Slowly, you and Yuki drift into reverie, a candle of manifestations and desires, an atonement to reality.

Then, when you wake up, you’re all alone.

You can hear plates clanging outside the room. Then, for a minute, your eyes shut, and the sound stops. But you begin to hear pans clanging and something frying. You get up from bed and walk out of the room to check out the commotion to find Yuki trying to make breakfast.

“You know I’m in charge of breakfast for a reason,” you say.

“Good morning,” he greets you.

You wave your hand, your groggy state dragging you to the restroom.

You lightly slap your cheeks, trying to find some more consciousness if your brain could allow you. You wash your hands slowly, letting the cool water run from the wrist to the tip of your fingers. You dry your hands, and when you look up—

There are stickers on your face.

In horror, you walk out and ask Yuki, “Did I leave this on all night?”

He shrugs and is startled by what’s in the pan. The eggs are burnt. How does one burn an egg? You shake and slap your head.

You head to the study table where your materials rest. You go through your collection and try to figure out where they came from.

Where did they come from?

You shuffle some parts of your table but return them to their original place. Then, you see your journal sitting on top of the table. You slide it slowly to find a note that reads:

Will you marry me?

Four words are enough to drive you crazy. You read it like a broken record, and you bring it to the level of your eyes. You’re astonished, drunken in some unknown joy. You put the note down, still holding it, and turn to the door.

Yuki stands right there, leaning by the door. He’s smirking, but you know he’s scared shitless. 

“Did you buy these stickers for—”

“Yes. I bought it for this specifically.”

“I thought you didn’t like all this cheesy stuff.”

“Eh… well…”

He scratches the back of his head.

You hold his hand, and you’re both standing there in silence. You can feel his hands begin to sweat as you’re standing there contemplating a question still left unanswered. He looks at you intently; he wants to shake your body to know the answer out of nervousness, but he knows it takes time. There’s a part of him that’s grateful that you’re standing and thinking for a while, for making good life-altering decisions has always been your greatest trait.

“Yes, I will marry you.”

Suddenly, he turns away and throws his fist in the air like he’s stuck in one of his games. He picks you up. Then he pinches your cheeks before kissing you. He’s out of breath because you know he needs a kiss—and badly. There’s a quench in him he didn’t know he had. It’s an itch that’s scratched differently every time.

When the both of you finally break apart, you peek towards the breakfast and then look at him.

“Did you really burn those eggs?”

“Yes, I did. I was nervous, alright? You don’t know what you’ve done to me.”

You tease him by laughing and pointing at him. He’s all red, but he knows more than to turn away from embarrassment. He looks at your smile, and he savors it; he feels fuller than consuming the average meal. Immediately, you make him lean down on you as if to ask something about it.

He gives you those puppy eyes as if to wait for your next demand. Then you pat his cheek and bite it.

Silly girl.

He rolls his eyes and urges you to begin breakfast. He doesn’t eat before you take the first bite, and when a sound of delight comes out of your mouth, he is beyond relieved. He looks out the window and into the sky to give him a form of remembrance for one of the happiest days of his life. He turns to you, gobbling his cooking up, and he laughs to himself. You look up at him, and you’re both looking at each other, and there’s a growing feeling of anticipation. Both of you continue to eat without keeping an eye off each other, and that feeling is finally described: that feeling of excitement for something permanent, something that you feel you could get accustomed to until the world comes to a stop.

[prinzrupprecht]

Sharing cats with Okita Souji HCs

Only fluff with this one! Idk where the idea came from but he’s such a cat lover from Chiruran.

Kondo always had stray cats coming to his Shieikan dojo ever since you knew the man. They were practically his at this point until he adopted Souji who took on the role.

You did as much as you could to help Souji with the strays, some were skittish and wouldn’t come up to you but Souji? They eased up to his quick compare to you. You had wondered if you were scary?

You tried to convince yourself that you were not jealous of the cats choosing him over you, but you eventually found it cute how they would meow and purr against his legs.

Souji would pick up some of the kittens and sit next to you, it even shocked you how he could pick them up. Whenever you had tried to pick any of them up they would freak out in your arms. “You can pet this one, she’s adorable right?” He would hold his arm out for you to touch the kitten.

Before you had met Souji, the strays wouldn’t even let you get near them, yet Souji was able to warm up to them easily and less than a week. You laughed and called the cats little aholes for not letting you get near them. Souji made a joke about how he was just better to trust which made you pout even more.

Souji was never mean to you on purpose, he even helped you get close to some of the skittish cats by slowly giving them food. Your approach was a bit harsher than his, which was why he scolded you sometimes to be slower.

You and Okita always talked about the future about wanting to raise a ton of outdoor animals that don’t have homes. It brought you a bit of happiness talking to him about something you both enjoyed. Yet the future was incredibly difficult to predict, but it’s easier to imagine such things than not.

After all these years of raising cats with Souji, he really cared for them as much as he did for you. Souji wouldn’t want to share them with anyone else other than you.

[darlingillustrations]

Will You Be My (Platonic) Valentine?

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. I’m as shocked as anyone to realize this, especially since I haven’t had a serious romantic relationship in years. But February 14th isn’t just a day for traditional lovers. It is also the day I came out of the closet as queer. It is the day I chose to stand up and show the world who I am. It is a day about self acceptance.

It is a day on which I commemorate loving myself.

After my divorce I started a tradition. Each year for Valentines day, I ask a single friend of mine to be my Platonic Valentine. Every time I do, it creates so much joy and surprise that I can’t help but wonder why more people don’t do this.

There are so many ways to love and be loved. That’s part of what inspires my Affectionate Animal series, in which I strive to paint as many different expressions of loving connection as I can. To me, deconstructing what our ideas of “love” are and reconstructing something that works for us is what lies at the heart of being queer.

I don’t have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. I haven’t even had a date in longer than I can remember. But I remain open and curious to what the universe has in store, and I believe in the power of connection.

Love saves us, in the end, from a world of isolation, both in the giving and the receiving.

If you would like to send someone a little love this Valentine’s Day, consider one of these ideas:

1. Mark the Calendar

Schedule a time to meet for drinks or take a walk and catch up. The anticipation of plans warms the heart as much as the actual plans themself. Quality time is one of the most cherished things we can share.

2. Write a Letter

Artifacts of our connections, like letters and notecards that we send through snail mail, have a way of anchoring our relationships with a weight that online “likes” and “reblogs” do not carry.

3. Potluck

Breaking bread together is one of the oldest forms of intimacy, and it doesn’t even have to be fancy to hold meaning. Invite a loved one over for spaghetti or pbjs. Light a couple candles to make it feel special. Or make time to play a board game afterwards.

4. Book Club

Read your best friend’s favorite book, then talk with them about it. This has been my favorite way to show my kid I love them lately, by reading the Percy Jackson books they are obsessed with, then watching The Lightning Thief TV shows on Netflix with them.

5. Early Spring Cleaning

Make a pact with your friend to each fill up a box with things you don’t need anymore and drop it off at a second-hand store together. Maybe even stay for awhile and thift something new to cherish once you get home.

We’ve all heard Marie Kondo’s mantra “Does this spark joy?” It’s time to apply that to your relationships, as well, and make time for the people who spark joy in your life by letting go of those who don’t.

6. Lend a helping hand

When you feel isolated or lonely, one of the most effective ways to dig your way out of that is to uplift others. Talk about your friend’s hard work or business online, raving about them. If your friend has an event or a project, spread the word about it. Use your voice to spread awareness of others’ dreams, and that will strengthen your connections.

7. Say “I love you.”

It’s so simple, but many of us go so long without hearing simple words of affirmation. It’s never too late to say it, and it’s never too much.

My Affectionate Animal series is available as art prints, notecards and stickers. You can buy them in my online shop.

[shinsengumi-archives]

Best of 2023

Most Popular

(reblogged posts not included)

Traditional Kimono Colors (170 notes)

Bakusin - The number one website on the Shinsengumi (48 notes)

Okita’s handwriting (44 notes)

Was hijikata married? Or he had lover before? (43 notes)

Hijikata Toshizo’s favorite? A bamboo flute found at the home of a descendant of his brother-in-law in Hino (40 notes)

Shinsengumi Films (39 notes)

Okita Souji’s personality according to an old newspaper article (35 notes)

Anecdotes about Hijikata Toshizo (34 notes)

Hijikata’s favorite flute (33 notes)

Okita Souji’s work schedule, Hijikata’s souvenir teacups from Kyoto, Moeyo Ken English Translation (31 notes)

My Picks

Shinsengumi Handwriting

If Okita never caught tuberculosis and survived to the Meiji Era, what occupation would he have?

A hanging scroll handwritten by Shinsengumi Commander Kondo Isami is found in Kyoto

Shinsengumi avatars

Yahoo Groups ShinsengumiHeadquarters

Okita Souji and his subordinates

The Hijikata family in the Ishida village census

Okita Souji timeline details

Letter from Kondo Isami about male love

An Assassination Attempt on Okita Souji

The Shinsengumi and Religion

Okita’s height

Nagakura Shinpachi’s letter to Sato Hikogoro in 1891

Shimabara (part 1), Shimabara (part 2)

The Courtship of Lady Tokio manga

Flowers and Water manga

Between the Clouds manga

Poem about ayu fish, possibly by Hijikata

List of Letters from the Shinsengumi and Ezo Republic

Bakumatsu period fanfic about the Shinsengumi

Previous years: 2020, 2021, 2022

[aeor-is-for-reccing]

Cozy: A Shadowgast Fan Fic Rec List

Stay for a Spell by Palebluedot (2277, Explicit)

Warnings: None

Caleb and Essek decide to have a lazy morning in and have sex with each other. Essek gets eaten out, then gets penetrated vaginally by Caleb.

Reccer says: It's very sweet and cozy, the love portrayed between Caleb and Essek is very comfortable and kind.

The Acknowledgment of Certain Traditions by RainyDayDecaf (568, General)

Warnings: None

Essek makes Caleb breakfast the morning after their first time having sex.

Reccer says: It's really cute! Essek is very earnest and tentative and it is very sweet to see him making the effort to be kind to Caleb.

my home in you by vagabondfirelily (1103, General)

Warnings: None

In the middle of the night, Essek comes home to see Caleb.

Reccer says: It's sweet and soft.

Series of Smaller Adventures by 2manyboys (3576, Teen)

Warnings: None

In winter, Caleb returns home from a day to work and catches up with Essek. The one with Marie Kondo.

Reccer says: Nothing

Creature Comforts by mousecookie (4645, Teen)

Warnings: None

Caleb likes to polymorph into a cat sometimes, and is far less reserved about requesting cuddles in that form.

Reccer says: It is very soft and sweet. A quiet comfort for weary adventurers in need of cuddles

in the indigo by SaltCore (1076, General)

Warnings: None

Essek lies awake in bed, contemplating a sleeping Caleb.

Reccer says: It's extremely sweet and methodical, like a gratitude meditation.

In Our Hearts It's Warm by bluebirdsongs (23188, Teen)

Warnings: None

Caleb wants to share his Zemnian holiday traditions with the most important person in his life. What will Essek think of these things that Caleb holds so dearly in his heart?

Reccer says: It radiates blinding love. This fic is a slow dance with your head on a loved one’s shoulder, whispering and giggling to each other.

warm inside (with) you by flammablehat (2023, Explicit)

Warnings: Inherent consent issues rising from somnophilia

Caleb has sex with a sleeping Essek, safe in their conjured tower.

Reccer says: The fic is very hot and very sweet. Its coziness comes from how syrupy and languid the sex is between the wizards, necessarily because of the somnophilia aspect of it.

hold me down, hold me true by lakisrot (12600, Explicit)

Warnings: Warning for allusions to gore and blood from a violent encounter (nothing happens on-screen).

Essek, frazzled and traumatized by a recent violent run-in, gets forcibly cared-for by Caleb, ft. warm baths and love confessions

Reccer says: The culmination of longing and yearning between the both of them in the confession scene is probably my favorite SG confession of all time. Maybe my favorite confession ever. It's incredible. And the smut afterwards????????? oh my god.

a moment's silence (when my baby puts the mouth on me) by goldengrahams (4782, Explicit)

Warnings: None

Essek and Caleb have sex while Essek encourages Caleb not to silence his pleasure.

Reccer says: Hot, sweet, morning sex between two men in love.

path of the traveled sun by mousecookie (6008, General)

Warnings: None

Post-canon, Verin comes to a party at Essek's invitation, curious and hoping to reconnect - and is completely unprepared for how much Essek has changed

Reccer says: Nothing

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fan fic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast.

Next weeks theme is "Getting Nerdy About Magic", so stay tuned!

Special thanks to Operafloozy and Professor_Rye for running the event!

[eleiyaumei]

Hakuōki sharing VAs with Diabolik Lovers...

This feels wrong somehow...

Kaji Yūki as Sōma Kazue and Sakamaki Kanato & Kondō Takashi as Miki Saburō and Sakamaki Subaru.

(Maybe the last one was on purpose because of the name similarities...)

What playing Sōma’s route is like for me now...

This kinda makes sense...

Morikubo Shōtarō as Okita Sōji and Tsukinami Shin.

And this... This is... weird.

Toriumi Kōsuke as Saitō Hajime and Sakamaki Shū.

BTW: Shout-out to @tournesolia​ for providing the translations that made the Haunted Dark Bridal playthrough by It’s Moog on YouTube possible! Thank you very much for your hard work!

Bloodsucking parallels below.

[spiegelgestalt]

Otaes smile and Otaes tears - the Kyuubey-Arc is kinda a shitshow

Still on my Gintama-Rewatch and i've got feelings i need to let go off

So the Kyubey-Arc: Kyubey comes in, takes Otae a way like they are Bowser or something and it falls to Gintoki, Shinpachi, Kagura, Kondo, Hijikata and Okita to get her back.

The good:

The whole toilet battle is a delight, Hijikatas figth *chefs kiss*; all the Okikagu stuff makes me so happy, Taes interactions with the mother in law are wonderfull and show her strengths as a character

But everything else - oh boy oh boy oh boy

rage under the cut (and this is overthinking one of the central conceits of gintama be warned)

lets start that the relationship between Otae and Kyubey is paralled with Kondos relationship to an actual gorilla (equating homosexuality with bestiality) can i just say YIKES!!!

Hijikata not being able to fight Kyubey because she is a ~woman~ UGH!!!

Everyone freaking out about two women getting married

But the worst thing is: Kyubey kinda has a point. She's going about the wrong way, and the criticism that she's being protected and that she's ignoring Otaes feelings are correct but everything she says about shinpachi is true

let's imagine for a second that Otae really wanted to marry Kyubey (Sorachi would never let that happen because status quo is god, and he actually can't imagine a homosexual relationship at this point bless his heart) but let's imagine: if that were true Kagura would be correct that everyone is being a big jerk.

Shinpachi doesn't consider this - he storms inside like a jilted lover and just tries to take Otae back because she didn't discuss things with him, which granted was kind a dick move but it wasn't something she needed to do. He takes it as a reason to ignore her feelings.

Otae stops him. She wants to stay. So Shinpachi berates her because she's always shutting her feelings away and doesn't accept help. She still refuses to follow him. He hits her. Her cheek becomes red and for a moment Otae looks really vulnerable. Than Otae answers with anger and punches back and the whole scene becomes comedic.

I want to stay here for a moment. The slap is not comedic it becomes comedic through Otaes reaction. A lot of stuff Otae has to deal with on a daily basis only becomes comedic because she never shows weakness. Let's put a pin in that.

In a moment Shinpachi will say that anyone who makes his woman cry is a jerk.

Shinpachi my dear - what about the guys who hit them because they're not acting the way they're supposed to.

Because lets face it: Tae-chans fake smile never bothered anyone before. Be honest with yourself, Shinpachi. You didn't want to know. as long as she stayed with you, you were absolutely fine with this. Gintama as a whole series is constantly telling women that they should smile through the pain so that their male counterparts feel better - do you think Tae-chan never cried before?

Kyubey is misguided but her criticism is correct. Shinpachi always needs Tae to be strong. He can't handle it if she weren't. She's supposed to be strong and care for their family home and have a stable income (because Shinpachi sure doesn't have one)

It's the same with Kondo: Kondo depends on the fact that Otae smiles and becomes angry and never mentions that it's actually fucking scary to have a stalker. It's okay that Kondo constantly makes unwanted advances at her work and at her home - she just will hit him and smile. He never gets the hint. She transforms her whole home into a castle. He still doesn't get the hint. As long as there are no tears on the face it's apparently fine to ignore all of your girls wishes. Only sadness is acceptable as a deterrent. If tae became scared or sad it wouldn't be funny anymore. Thank got she's always strong.

This applies to other cases too: The underwear thief for example can only be funny because Tae gets angry and doesn't mention how violating it is to have your underwear stolen. Tae smiles and she smiles and she smiles. And so the status quo can remain.

Kyubey is misguided but she's also correct. There is noone with whom Otae can be weak. It's just that through her samurai bullshit she's forcing Otae once again to be strong.

And so the refutation of kyubey feels hollow. It feels like a story bending backwards to once again protect the feelings of it's male protagonists. Of course Tae wants to return. Of course Tae is happy. Of course Kyubey is wrong. Otae just feels guilty. Why would she ever want to leave.

I usually don't have a problem with the more problematic aspects of Gintama. Hell Kondos stalking is really funny and his interactions with Otae usually bring a smile to my face. But it really grinds my gears when Kyubey is suddenly criticised for something Kondo tries to do the whole time - just Otae likes Kyubey enough (even if it's not romantic love) that it makes her weak instead of angry.

[a-certain-nerd]

Seeing Aji-san voicing Hijikata in Blue Wolves of Mibu fuels my thing about Shinsengumi!Totomaru LMAO

HELP I HATE HOW I KEEP MASHING MY INTERESTS TOGETHER

While I haven't read the manga for Ao no Miburo, I have been a huge fan of Hakuouki for years now... So here goes nothing

Totomaru owes a lot to the Shinsengumi. Being a lowly ronin that he is, he was scouted by them and gave him a home and a purpose - to protect the bakufu.

But now that Japan is opening up its borders, their lives are slowly changing. The shogunate's hold on power is slowly weakening as it is, but Toto is determined to serve his role even if he's not particularly good at the sword. (He is, but he doesn't think too much of himself)

With the shogunate being in a panic, they began experimenting on how one could increase the physical strength of someone, and the Shinsengumi were the experimental subjects.

You could argue that the medicine worked, but unfortunately, it turned them into blood sucking monsters. They weren't called the Wolves of Mibu for nothing, but even then, he was determined to do his job that he has sworn to do, even if it was getting more and more of a chore to keep his own consciousness. He would end up repeatedly hurting himself to distract him from his own blood loss only to be disappointed that he would heal just almost immediately.

One day, Kondo himself called upon Toto, and assigned him a job. He was to keep tabs about this person named Ron Kamonohashi as he was being suspected of being an imperialist, and could be an instrument to completely destroy the shogunate, and his orders were if he were to suspect that Ron is against the shogun, he would have to kill him.

But Ron, as eccentric as he is, was actually an Oni - the original article on where he was based, and there was honestly no way to kill Ron. He's effectively immortal, except without the insane bloodlust that Totomaru is suffering from and Ron honestly doesn't give a fuck about the shogun nor the empire.

The same couldn't be said for his family, however. When the borders had opened, they managed to secure allegiances overseas and they were planning to control Japan from the shadows, and as Japan enters a state of upheaval, the two of them become friends then lovers as they both just try to live their not normal lives.

So it's like the assassin trope thing but you fall in love with your target LMAO

Also, drinking Ron's blood suppresses Toto's bloodlust.

[thumpypuppy]

what sort of other game soundtracks or composers (especially indies but either way) have inspired your work?

Oh gosh, this is such an amazing question!!!

Personally I (Lindar) have so so so many inspirations because I'm a music lover, I'm 37, and I've been playing video games as far back as I can remember.

So first and foremost I have to give a shout-out to Lena Raine because back in like… 2016(?) I was trying to take my studio to a more professional level and invest in some stuff beyond what just comes with any given DAW, so I reached out to her and she was kind enough to answer my dozens of questions and talk shop with me. She is ultimately why Studio Thumpy Puppy has its current sound. I don't know her personally, but she was an absolute sweetie to me, extremely helpful, and y'all know she writes banger after banger track.

Gotta mention Ben Prunty, who is an absolute legend in indie soundtracks.

Met Disasterpeace at Day of the Devs 2016 along with a bunch of other legends in the scene and what an encouraging sweetheart!

Of course I'm a huge fan of Sadie Greyduck who is one of my composers! Go check out her Bandcamp or look for her on streaming services!

Love me some Darren Korb. Honestly like every Supergiant game has been a banger, but it wouldn't be the same without those soundtracks.

On that note you can't go wrong with Danny Baranowsky. Love me some Necrodancer!

Also y'all gotta check out M Gewehr (MWGewehr on birdsite).

Also gotta mention 2Mello who does amazing work and makes some of the funkiest beats.

Of course if we're talking about 2Mello we gotta mention Hideki Naganuma! UNDERSTAND! UNDERSTAND! THE CONCEPT. OF LOVE!

Oh gosh and then Winifred Phillips does amazing work.

While we're here I know she's not a game composer but go listen to Wendy Carlos!

Then there's like… all of the various people across games like Doom, Quake, Borderlands, etc. Sasha Dikiciyan, Jesper Kyd, Mick Gordon…

Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy), Kiochi Sugiyama (Dragon Quest), Yoko Shimomura (Street Fighter), Takashi Tateishi (MegaMan II), Hip Tanaka (Metroid, Earthbound), Koji Kondo and Toru Minegishi (Legend of Zelda), Daisuke Amaya (Cave Story), Eirik Suhrke (Downwell), Daisuke Ishiwatari (Guilty Gear), the sound team on Sonic Adventure 2, Masato Nakamura (Sonic 2), Brad Buxer et al (Sonic 3&K)…

So let's also take into account that a lot of the game soundtracks that have inspired me over the years are influenced by things that aren't game soundtracks, because those are a relatively recent invention, so we have to talk about how Plantasia by Mort Garson is a direct inspiration for Ocarina of Time and "Dancing Mad" from FF6 is literally just Tarkus from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. A *lot* of early game composers were just prog nerds who listened to like… ELP, King Crimson, Rush, Yes, Magma, Van Der Graaf Generator, Camel, Caravan, Gentle Giant, Soft Machine, Gong… and then also a lot of more popular 80s rock that I'm not gonna list out…

The history of music is absolutely wild and there's so much inspiration out there it's absolutely baffling. Go listen to stuff you've never heard before, analyze it, understand what the appeal and aesthetic is, listen to the last 100 years of the pop charts and then learn where that music came from and who their influences were… go listen to motown! Listen to bebop and jazz and future funk and central Asian folk music and like… get out there and expand your horizons, because like… there's SO MUCH good music out there.

[otomehonyaku]

DIABOLIK LOVERS Haunted Dark Bridal ☽ Anime Kuji Prize B Drama CD 2 Translation ☽ Teddy in the Pool (Kanato, Laito, Subaru)

Original title: Teddy in the Pool Voiced by Kaji Yūki (Kanato), Hirakawa Daisuke (Laito), Kondo Takashi (Subaru) English translation by @otomehonyaku Click here for the audio (special thanks to @uzi-boozii for providing the audio!)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

This is the second to last CD from @uzi-boozii's rare untranslated drama CD playlist! It's a nice and short one, and it features plenty of brotherly banter between two of the triplets and the Sakamaki's youngest ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡ Subaru is actually way too sweet aw... I hope you enjoy listening and reading along!

Please do not reuse or post my translations elsewhere or translate my work into other languages without my permission.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

00:00 Subaru: Ugh, shit’s wearing me out… Why do I have to do homework on a day off? But repeating a year—like a certain someone in this house—would suck just as much… Oh? 

[Subaru notices the sound of air being pumped into something.]

Laito: C’mon, Kanato, you were the one who brought it up. You do it!

Kanato: I refuse. Why should I do such a thing?

Laito: Oh, don’t knock it ‘til you try it! Just step on it with your foot.

Kanato: I told you I won’t do it.

Laito: It’s alright, come on!

Subaru: Laito and Kanato? What’re they doin’?

Laito: Oh, it’s Subaru!

Kanato: You came at the perfect time, Subaru.

Subaru: Ah? The perfect time? What’re you doing? Huh? What’s that floppy thing by your feet?

Laito: It’s an inflatable pool.

Subaru: What?

Laito: I told you, it’s an inflatable pool!

Kanato: Are you deaf, Subaru? Heh. I feel bad for him. Don’t you, Teddy? Or his brain is just incapable of understanding simple sentences. Hehe.

Subaru: Hey, you know I can hear you. Really, though. Why’re you inflating it?

Laito: I was looking for something in my closet and I just happened to find it. And then Kanato was like, “It would be perfect for Teddy to play in.” So that’s why I’m inflating it right now.

Kanato: Teddy sometimes tells me he’d like to play in a pool. So, Subaru—please help inflate it.

02:05 Subaru: Alright, alright. Wait, what?! Why me?

Laito: Nice one, Kanato! Here, Subaru. Step on the pedal.

Subaru: Huh?! Why should I? He’s the one who wants to play with his teddy bear.

Kanato: Teddy… Subaru is saying such mean things. Why are you all bullying me?

[Kanato starts crying.]

Laito: Ah, Kanato started crying. Well, that was to be expected. Subaru, help your brother out!

Subaru: Hey, what the fuck? I’ve got nothing to do with this.

Laito: You do, actually. You’re the one who made Kanato cry, after all.

Subaru: That’s… He’s fake crying like he always does.

Kanato: Teddy… was looking forward to going in the pool so much… And now he won’t even get to know what it’s like because of Subaru.

Subaru: God damn it, you assholes… 

Laito: C’mon now, don’t get angry and start pumping, Subaru!

Subaru: Who gives you the right—!

Kanato: You wanted to play in the pool so badly, didn’t you, Teddy?

Laito: He’ll quiet down too if you just help inflating the pool. Just try!

Subaru: Ugh… 

[Subaru reluctantly starts pumping.]

Subaru: Is this alright?

Laito: Yeah, yeah! Keep going like that! You can do it! It’s pretty cute that you’re swayed so easily, Subaru.

Kanato: Life must be a breeze for someone so simple-minded.

Subaru: What? D’you say something?

Laito: Nothing at all!

04:21 [Subaru has finished inflating the pool. He’s a little out of breath.]

Laito: Great job! Now, we just have to fill it with water.

Subaru: What?! Hey, wait a second. You’re not going to fill it with water here, are you?

Laito: Huh? We are.

Subaru: This is the living room. If the water goes everywhere—

Kanato: Going into an inflatable pool outside is unthinkable. Wouldn’t you feel bad for Teddy?

Subaru: Isn’t it pretty unthinkable to play in a pool with your fucking plushie? Everything'll get soaked if you do it here. Reiji would lose his goddamn mind, which would be even more troublesome.

Kanato: That means we’ll just not have to spill anything.

Laito: Even if you only spill a little, it’s probably fine. Hey, Subaru. Do you know where the water hose is?

Subaru: Tch. Whatever happens is none of my business.

[Subaru goes off to find the water hose.]

Laito: Hmm… Subaru is so pliable that it actually worries me a little.

Kanato: I don’t particularly like Subaru. Anyway, I’ve gotten hungry. 

[Subaru returns with the hose.]

Subaru: Hey. Is this hose good enough?

Kanato: You’re late. What are you thinking, making me wait for so long?

Subaru: What? First you make me do errands and then you still yell at me?

Kanato: I’m hungry because you were dawdling. Are there any sweets around here?

Laito: Hey, now, Kanato. There are some cookies on the table, so dig in! And as for the water… It’s probably easiest to get water from the tap in the kitchen. I’ll connect the hose to the tap and turn on the water, so keep an eye on the pool, will you, Subaru?

06:18 Subaru: Hey, why me?!

Laito: Just give me a signal when it’s okay to turn on the water, alright?

Subaru: Ah, fuck. Now I gotta stick through to the end as well?

Laito: Hehe. You’re so reliable.

[Laito goes to the kitchen.]

Subaru: Hey, Kanato. What’s that warped part over—hey, what are you eating?

Kanato: I told you I was hungry. Didn’t you hear that either?

Subaru: I fucking heard! Tch, I’m doing this for you, so help me out a little!

Kanato: Don’t order me around. I’m in a bad mood.

Subaru: You asshole—

Laito (from the kitchen): Subaru! I’m all ready over here!

Subaru: Ah… I’m ready too!

[Laito turns on the tap and the pool starts to fill with water.]

Laito (from the kitchen): Is the water coming out?

Subaru: Yeah, it is, but the water pressure’s a little low. Can’t you open the tap a bit more?

Laito (from the kitchen): What? It’s almost all the way open, though.

Subaru: It’s barely coming out at all! I need more!

Laito (from the kitchen): Alright!

Subaru: That’s strange… Is the hose blocked or something? Oh!

[Subaru turns the hose upwards to check. Laito subsequently opens the tap all the way and the water sprays all over Subaru, Kanato and Teddy.]

Kanato: What’s this? It’s cold! What’s the meaning of this, Subaru? Now Teddy and I are soaked!

Subaru: Like hell I know! Hey, Laito, close the tap!

08:10 Laito (from the kitchen): Huh? What? Did something happen?

[Laito walks back into the room.]

Laito: Hahaha! You’re both drenched! Did you just shower or something? Haha.

Subaru: Don’t you dare laugh.

Kanato: I’m cold. This is the worst.

Subaru: Hold up, that’s my line… Achoo!

Kanato: Besides, why is the water (1) cold? Did you intend on giving me a cold shower? You’re awful. I can’t believe this!

Subaru: Ugh… You were talking about playing in the pool (2), so…

Kanato: Go to hell! What would you do if we caught a cold?!

Laito: Ah, I see. I’ve got a great idea! If we just add scalding hot water (3) to the cold water, then it’ll be the perfect temperature to take a bath in.

Subaru: Hold on… If you fuck it up again, this’ll turn into an even bigger disaster.

Laito: It’ll be okay! So long as you don’t let go of the hose, you’ll be alright no matter how hot the water is! Well, I’m counting on you!

[Laito goes back to the kitchen.]

Subaru: Why’ve I been the one with the most important tasks this entire time?

Kanato: If you mess this up again like you did last time, I won’t forgive you. Teddy’s so cold he’s close to freezing. Just hurry up and do it.

Subaru: Then you hold the hose!

Kanato: I don’t want to. What if I get burns?

Laito (from the kitchen): Here it comes!

[The water starts running again.]

10:02 Subaru: Ah, it looks like it’s coming out normally this time. Oh? Hey, Laito! Don’t make the water hotter now! I’m serious!

Laito (from the kitchen): Huh? Subaru, are you saying I need to turn up the heat?

Subaru: No, no! Hey, it’s way too hot! I’ll kill you! Ah… What—Ow, ow! Hey, Laito! Turn off that fucking water!

[Kanato laughs in the background while Subaru struggles. The scene shifts to Kanato playing in the pool with Teddy.]

Kanato: Hehe. Teddy, does it feel nice? It does, doesn’t it?

Laito: I’m glad, Kanato. That was fun!

Subaru: You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Kanato: Why did you get angry at me, Subaru? If only you’d held the hose tighter, Teddy and I wouldn’t have gotten soaked. You should take responsibility for your mistakes.

Subaru: Heh. Right, sorry. Ah, I’m exhausted. I’m gonna go change clothes…

Laito: Hey… isn’t the pool slowly deflating?

Subaru: What?

Kanato: Now that you say it, I think I’ve heard the sound of air escaping for a little while now…

Subaru: Ah! The air valve wasn’t closed properly! The water’ll spill out at this rate!

Laito: Sounds like we’re in a bit of a pinch. Hehe. Well, then. Subaru. Good luck!

Subaru: H-Ha… You’re going to make me inflate it again?

Laito: Yeah! If you don’t hurry, the floor will be ruined. Don’t want Reiji to barge in and lose his mind, do you?

Kanato: Subaru, hurry up and do it! 

Subaru: Ugh—fuck!

[Subaru starts wildly pumping.]

Laito: Ah, this pool would do great as a foot bath as well…

Kanato: Please don’t put your feet in the water while Teddy is in the pool.

Laito: What? It wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

Subaru: God damn it, you two! Help me, for fuck’s sake!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

水（みず）refers to water in general, but this word is commonly associated with cold water in particular! お湯（ゆ）is used when referring to warm or hot water.

水遊（みずあそ）び refers to playing in or with water, typically in the pool, a lake, or in the sea—which, as the first kanji suggests, usually involves cold water.

お湯（ゆ）refers to warm or hot water like I said, hehe.