#probably not of interest to most people so just carry on 8D

[atelier-dayz]

The Conception and History of AtaLao

This is just a post for me to ramble on about how Ata and Lao (and Asha but he’s like 1/2 not an OC) got started as OCs and recount some of their history leading up to their roles in Under the Desert Sky. So for the one or two of you interested in reading this: 

(GIF from awhiteshirt)

It’s long and convoluted so everything is under the ‘read more’ link.

Otherwise, just carry on scrolling through your dash! 8D

The Beginning

To talk about the start of AtaLao, I first need to talk (briefly) about Rogue One and The Lost Bladesman. 

So I watched Rogue One and fell deep into Chirrut/Baze. That of course meant watching movies that Donnie Yen (DY) and Jiang Wen (JW) were in, which included The Lost Bladesman. 

The Lost Bladesman was set during China’s Three Kingdoms period and starred DY as Guan Yu (GY) and JW as Cao Cao (CC). And lemme just say, in this movie (and in several other Romance of the Three Kingdoms adaptations, including at least one of the Dynasty Warriors games), CC is HELLA THIRSTY for GY. Which kicked off an interest in CC/GY and led me and two friends to evocates’ phenomenal Romance of the Three Kingdoms/The Lost Bladesman series a guide to (dis)honouring your deities which had an interesting approach to A/B/O. 

Between that fic series and the many Hong Kong triad films and old “classic” HK films we watched, my friends and I ended up writing an A/B/O HK Triad AU in which CC was the head of a recently resurrected triad trying to protect/build up their home-city, while GY was one of the few good cops in a (obviously) corrupt system. 

Anyways, getting to the AtaLao part... 

On the left is General Zhang Liao, who acts as CC’s right-hand man in The Lost Bladesman. So naturally, he became CC’s second-in-command in our Triad AU! And look! He is, in fact, Asha! 8D Hence why I say Asha technically is and isn’t an OC LOL

As our Triad AU grew bigger, we added three “elders” to CC’s triad, people who had been important members of the triad before its collapse (due to the police) and were pulled back out of hiding when CC resurrected the triad. One of them, we decided, would be Elder (Ata) Zhang, Asha’s father. (Which was how CC also met Asha.) Elder Zhang had been The Accountant for the triad pre-collapse, knew where all the money in the triad was and went, highly trusted and held in high esteem. He was never arrested by the police, though they did pull him into interrogation once with...not great results for them. (Keeping this PG with minimal violence LOL I can talk about this another time if anyone is interested.)

I, on a whim, decided Elder Zhang’s facecast would be...

Tony Leung because it’s Tony Leung. 

CC had his work cut out convincing Elder Zhang and Asha to support his bid for lead of the triad. *nods*

But what happened to Elder Zhang’s mate? Asha’s other parent? (Lao?) 

(Aside: Andy Lau as his facecast because I LOVE HIM. And he and Tony Leung have SUCH AMAZING CHEMISTRY and ALL THE FODDER for me to use for inspiration, but I’ll stop myself here before I pic spam.)

WELL. 

He died when Asha was about 5 or 6. He was shot and killed by the police while he and Ata were out on a date under suspicion of being a triad member. (”He has the face of a gangster,” they said.) The irony is, he is actually a normal civilian, a low-level architect, and has nothing to do with the triad other than being Ata’s husband.

Thus, by the time our AU took place, Lao hadn’t been present for...over 30 years and was only rarely referenced as a near mythical figure. (;﹏;)

So there we have the beginnings of AtaLao. 

Their backstory makes me incredibly sad all the time. Especially when I think about their childhood/courtship and their dreams and plans for their future. I have lots of art drawn, content made, and thousands of words written for them so just say the word and I’ll share LOL

Proper AtaLao

What do I mean by ‘proper’ AtaLao? Well, when we were working on the Triad AU, none of the characters outside of the canon characters GY, CC, etc had names; we just abbreviated actors’ names. (Asha was just called Zhang. Ata was Elder Zhang. Lao was AL.)

Sooo that brings me back to Rogue One and....

The Ascension of the Lord of Imwe *jazz hands*

With so much inspiration material thanks to the movies DY and JW were in (and because I’m a martial arts nut), I started writing a Chirrut/Baze epic wuxia AU titled the above. It involved Chirrut inheriting the title of Lord (Baze as his right-hand / retainer), a power struggle between households to gain/hold the favor of the Emperor, and the Imwe household working to prove the murder of Chirrut’s father. (It is not posted anywhere. Don’t think it’ll ever see the light of day, but it exists. LOL) 

Since the story involved such a huge cast, I thought, why not pull in Zhang to help Baze with security. And if I’m gonna bring in Zhang, I should bring in Ata and Lao! And give them a happy ending. ;u;

And as it turned out, Ata worked perfectly to serve as a parallel for Chirrut (and AtaLao for Chirrut/Baze). 

(And this part, you’ll notice, I took to fill in his backstory in Under the Desert Sky.) Ata Zhang was the firstborn son of a prominent family, but he was born mute (a reference to an...incident in Triad AU) and treated poorly because of it. He would have been selected to inherit the family title, but was passed over for his “normal” younger brother. He took over the family’s bookkeeping (a reference to his role as The Accountant), and later, bowed to their wishes to an arranged marriage, from which he got Asha. 

(Chirrut is the firstborn son of the Imwe family, fully expected not to inherit the title because of his originally sickly constitution and failing eyesight. To the surprise and consternation of many, he did in fact inherit the title.)

As for Lao, he was an orphan taken in by the Zhang family and initially raised to be a servant, before they switched him to security. He met Ata when they were tiny children, and he accidentally found Ata crying over the way people were treating him. Lao ended up promising to always protect Ata, and eventually becomes Ata’s personal bodyguard. 

Please know there’s a LOT of PINING, and longing looks, and knowing they have feelings for each other but never acting on them, and then there’s Ata’s marriage, and baby Asha imprinting like a duckling on Lao, and-- aaaaaaaaah (　ﾟДﾟ)＜!!!!!!!!!!!

Eventually though, as I reference in Under the Desert Sky, Ata’s wife leaves, causing a scandal, and the family takes their displeasure out on Asha, which is the last straw for Ata. He takes Asha and leaves, but of course Lao goes with him. They finally work things out, and when we see them in the fic, they’re an old(ish) married couple who joined the Imwe household along with Asha to protect Ata from his younger brother, who is trying to assasinate him to secure his leadership in the family. 

That is AtaLao. 

(Please look at this picture of them that my dear friend Kei / kannibal on here and twitter drew for me and that has been my phone wallpaper ever since. ♡ฅ(ᐤˊ꒳ฅˋᐤ♪))

And since they already were in a fic with Chirrut and Baze, I figured, why not include them in Under the Desert Sky, an actual SW divergent AU and not just something wildly AU LOL And it works out perfectly as a pseud-parallel(?) with Ata as a Guardian, Lao as a Mando vs Obi as a Jedi, Jango the Mando. d(￣◇￣)b

Other Existing Iterations of AtaLao

I will keep this brief in the form of bullet points:

Infernal Affairs AU - After watching Infernal Affairs, I had to, had to write a mash up of it and our Triad AU. In it, Ata is still an accountant for the Triad, but was planted by the police. Lao is the mole the triad places among the police. Ata and Lao have a sort of missed connection history when they meet in the fic. I do want to finish it someday because I love what I have written so far. Maybe for the zine I’m hypothetically making one day...

In addition to Triad AU, we also ended up creating an epic high fantasy/Three Kingdoms AU and made two additional variations on top of it. The Main AU involved Lao as a High Priest and healer who ends up mentoring one of the Emperors’ daughters in the healing arts, while Ata is a major in the Emperor’s army who ends up leading a lot of supernatural investigations alongside Lao. 

Modern AU is a urban fantasy version of the high fantasy AUs, with everyone in similar roles, just updated for the modern age. 

AAAAND THAT’S IT. I’ll do a post on AtaLao in Under the Desert Sky sometimes since I know their backstory won’t be much of a focus in the fic. :)

PS I ended up making a little diagram to make sense of the AUs that ended up popping up in what order and from what influence. Not sure it’s actually helpful to anyone but here is it: 

[malecsecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, starsarefallinglikerain!

For @starsarefallinglikerain. Merry Christmas Chiara! Enjoy. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Online Magnus and Alec bond over Stephen King movies. Offline things are completely different.

Read On AO3

*****

Stephen King, matchmaker

Alexander97: When Carrie's arm came out of her gravesite, I jumped.

Banetastic: I've seen the movie a hundred times and I jump every time.

Alexander97: John Travolta.

Banetastic: John Travolta.

Alexander97: LOL, he was only in it for a few minutes, but he was great.

Banetastic: After I saw Saturday Night Fever, I wanted to marry him.

Alexander97: Really?

Banetastic: Yes, only thing is, he's not into guys. Shame.

Alexander97: Yeah, that would be a deal breaker. This was before Kotter?

Banetastic: No, I think he did the movie while he was doing the tv show.

Alexander97: Oh. I wished I had Carrie's powers.

Banetastic: You wanted to kill your schoolmates?

Alexander97: No my father.

Banetastic: Oh.

Alexander97: Anyway, Carrie and Tommy were so cute together.

Banetastic: Yes they were. Too bad they didn't get a happy ending.

Alexander97: The first time I saw the movie, I wrote a fanfic about them getting married and having kids.

Banetastic: That's wild.

Alexander97: Yes. Tommy got a job in an office and Carrie did sewing at home. They were so in love and were married forever. I was fifteen or sixteen at the time.

Banetastic: I would love to read it.

Alexander97: I forgot what it was called. LMAO, I don't even remember what my handle was. But I'll look for it.

Banetastic: Great. It's getting late.

Alexander97: True. We start talking and time flies by. Good night, Bane.

Banetastic: Night, Alexander. Until tomorrow.

Alexander97: Until tomorrow.

(Banetastic has left the chat. Alexander97 has left the chat.)

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The elevator door opens, Alec steps in, pushes 'L', then leans against the wall. The door closes and the elevator descends. Alec nervously watches the floor indicator count down the floors. He swallows as the elevator stops on '5'. The door opens and HE walks in.

HE smiles at Alec, "Good morning."

Alec lowers his eyes as he mumbles, "Good morning."

HE steps to the other side of the elevator as the door closes and the elevator descends. HE continues to look at Alec, "It might rain today."

Alec mumbles, "Yeah, I have an umbrella." He waves it.

"Yeah, I have one too."

The elevator door opens at the lobby and Alec runs out the elevator. He gets to the front door of the building and sees HIM coming up behind him. Alec opens the door then holds it.

HE smiles as he reaches for the door, his fingers brushing against Alec's, "Thanks."

Alec mumbles, "You're welcome." He sees a bus at the corner and runs to the bus stop. He gets there in time and pays his fare. He finds a seat at the back of the bus and sits down. The bus leaves the stop and pulls into traffic. Out the corner of his eye, Alec sees HIM walk to the bus stop, shaking his head. Alec relaxes, that was close.

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Magnus' sigh has nothing to do with missing the bus. In fact, he sees another one coming up the street. No, he's bothered by the man with wide shoulders. Well, 'bothered' is probably the wrong word. 'Frustrated' would be a better word.

Magnus has lived in the building for almost five months and try as he might, Magnus barely gets a sentence out of the man.

He gets a quick peek of beautiful hazel eyes, that he would love to get lost in, before Mr. Shoulders becomes interested in his shoes. Magnus can tell that Mr. Shoulders is damaged goods, but that's okay. It's what has kept Magnus in business for six years. He runs a self defense center. Most of his students are women wanting to protect themselves, but he also has a few male students with the same haunted look in their eyes as Mr. Shoulders.

Magnus sighs as the bus pulls into the stop and he gets on. He pays his fare and sits down. He moved because he needed a change of scenery. He noticed Mr. Shoulders the third day he moved in and has been trying to strike up a meaningful conversation with him ever since.

But to no avail. Mr. Shoulders looks everywhere but at Magnus. He mumbles a handful of words to any question Magnus may ask.

All Magnus knows is that he lives on the eighth floor, and he found that out, purely by accident. Magnus was in the elevator when he heard somebody yell, "Hold it please." Any other time, Magnus may not have hit the 'open' button, but he recognized Mr. Shoulders' voice and smashed his finger on the button.

The door reopened and Mr. Shoulders was there balancing four bags of groceries in his arms. His smile quickly disappeared when he saw Magnus, but he got on the elevator and stood in the back as far away from Magnus as he could get. When Magnus asked him what floor he needed, he hesitated before mumbling, "Eight, please."

Magnus was tempted to offer to help, but he didn't want the other man to have a heart attack, so he got off at his floor without another word.

Magnus doesn't care for anybody else in the building. In fact if it weren't for Mr. Shoulders, Magnus may have found another place. But he's a patient man and he knows that he will eventually win Mr. Shoulders' trust and hopefully his heart.

It's only a matter of time.

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Banetastic: Christine was an awesome car.

Alexander97: And she was gorgeous.

Banetastic: And protective.

Alexander97: More like possessive.

Banetastic: A bit of both. But you can't blame her. She's been waiting a long time to get a guy and she saw Arnie first.

Alexander97: LMAO, she tried to kill Leigh.

Banetastic: Because she stole Arnie.

Alexander97: So if somebody tried to steal your significant other, you would kill them?

Banetastic: Hell yes.

Banetastic: Alexander, you still there?

Banetastic: Alexander?

Alexander97: I'm still here. I was just thinking about it.

Banetastic: You okay?

Alexander97: Yeah. I guess I don't know what it's like to love somebody that much to kill for them.

Banetastic: Love makes you crazy. And if somebody tries to hurt the one you love, anger makes you crazier.

Alexander97: And dangerous?

Banetastic: Definitely dangerous. I hope I didn't scare you?

Alexander97: No, it's fine. I just never saw it from Christine's POV before.

Banetastic: I totally see it from her view and she ended up winning Arnie in the end.

Alexander97: You think Arnie is driving around Heaven in Christine?

Banetastic: Or Hell. But they are definitely together.

Alexander97: That makes me smile. Oh gee, look at the time. Gotta go. Good night, Bane.

Banetastic: Good night, Alexander.

(Alexander97 has left the chat. Banetastic has left the chat.)

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Magnus is walking down the block, when he sees a familiar pair of shoulders locking the door to the Public Library. He's tempted to say something, instead he continues to the bus stop. Out the corner of his eye, he sees Mr. Shoulders walk over and stand by the fire hydrant.

The bus arrives and Magnus pays his fare. He walks to the back of the bus and sits down. He takes out his phone and bows his head, so he can watch Mr. Shoulders take a seat by the back door.

Sighing, Magnus checks his emails. Mr Shoulders stares forward during the entire ride.

As the bus approaches their stop, Mr. Shoulders stands and waits by the back door for the bus to stop. Magnus lets two people get in between them as he steps out the bus.

Mr. Shoulders walks down the block to their building. Magnus stays five strides behind him. Mr. Shoulders takes out his key and unlocks the front door. He steps into the building and holds the door open.

Magnus walks faster. As soon as Magnus' hand touches the door, Mr. Shoulders lets the door go and walks to the mailboxes. As Magnus walks over, he watches Mr. Shoulders open the mailbox for '8D'. Magnus gets his own mail as Mr. Shoulders walks to the elevator and pushes the button.

Magnus walks over as the elevator arrives and they both get in. Mr. Shoulders pushes '8' then stands in the back corner looking down at his mail. Magnus pushes '5' then sighs as he watches the door close.

The elevator goes up and stops on the fifth floor. Magnus smiles at Mr. Shoulders, "Good night."

The other man mumbles, "Night", without looking up from his mail.

Magnus steps off the elevator and walks to his apartment, shaking his head.

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Alexander97: Johnny's life sucked.

Banetastic: Johnny had a great life. He had a job he loved. A girl he was going to marry.

Alexander97: Then the accident happened.

Banetastic: True. Sarah should have waited for him. They were in love. She should have waited.

Alexander97: Five years?

Banetastic: Love doesn't have an expiration date.

Alexander97: Whatever. Brooke Adams is married to that guy from Monk.

Banetastic: Yeah. Tony Shalhoub. Poor Monk. After Trudy was killed, he was messed up.

Alexander97: Do you believe in love, Bane?

Banetastic: Of course. Don't you?

Alexander97: No.

Banetastic: Wow. Not even love for your parents or siblings?

Alexander97: I don't have siblings. I guess I loved my mom but I was terrified of my dad.

Banetastic: Oh.

Alexander97: Yeah. My dad shot my mom, she ended up dying, then he chased me outside. The cops told him to stop and when he refused, they shot him.

Banetastic: Wow. I'm so sorry, Alexander.

Alexander97: Yeah, it happened when I was 10. I lived with this foster family until I was 18. I've been on my own since then. I haven't spoken of it to anybody since it happened. Until now. I like talking to you. You make me feel safe, Bane.

Banetastic: I like talking to you too, Alexander. And I'm glad I make you feel safe. By the way, Bane is my last name. You can call me Magnus.

Alexander97: Hello Magnus. I'm Alec.

Banetastic: Nice to meet you, Alec. Where do you live, maybe we can get together for coffee?

Alexander97: I saw on your profile, you live in Brooklyn, New York. So do I.

Banetastic: Perfect. So coffee?

Alexander97: I don't know. I'm not much of an outside person.

Banetastic: Outside person? LMAO. I can understand your caution. Think about it then get back to me?

Alexander97: Okay. But we can still talk here?

Banetastic: Of course. One thing has nothing to do with the other, Alec.

Alexander97: I'm glad. Like I said, I feel safe talking to you.

Banetastic: And I enjoy talking to you. I got an early class tomorrow morning, gotta go.

Alexander97: Okay. Good night, Magnus.

Banetastic: Good night, Alec.

(Alexander97 has left the chat. Banetastic has left the chat.)

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Magnus taps his foot as he waits for the elevator. He checked Google and the library is closed on Saturdays, so he hopes Mr. Shoulders is sleeping in. The elevator door opens and Magnus wants to cheer when he sees that the elevator is empty. He gets on and hits 'L'.

The elevator gets to the lobby and the door opens. Magnus walks over to the mailboxes and looks at the name for 8D.

A. Lightwood

Magnus groans, that doesn't help him. Albert, Alan, Andrew, Adam, Alfred, Anthony, Aaron, the list is endless. He walks out the building and looks at the intercom. That also just has 'A'.

Discouraged, Magnus walks to Dunkin Donuts. He enters and walks to the counter. He gets his usual breakfast of a large coffee and toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese. He takes his order to a table at the back and sits down. Magnus enjoys his breakfast as he looks around. He sees Mr. Shoulders, aka Mr. A. Lightwood, walk over to the counter. Magnus is tempted to get his attention, but restrains himself.

A. Lightwood gets his order then leaves, without glancing around to see who might be in Dunkin. Magnus sighs as he finishes his breakfast.

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Banetastic: They changed the ending in the movie. Originally the little boy dies.

Alexander97: Stephen doesn't pull punches.

Banetastic: No he doesn't. But I love how protective Donna is. 100% mama bear.

Alexander97: The mechanic reminded me of my dad.

Banetastic: Oh?

Alexander97: Yeah, he terrified me, that's why I've only seen Cujo once.

Banetastic: Oh.

Alexander97: I'm kind of tired. I think I'll go to bed early.

Banetastic: Wait, Alec. What about us getting together?

Alexander97: I don't know.

Banetastic: Please. I enjoy our conversations and it would be awesome to actually talk to you.

Banetastic: Alec?

Banetastic: Alexander?

Banetastic: You still there?

Alexander97: Yeah.

Banetastic: There's a Dunkin near me, on Church and Flatbush, we can meet there for breakfast. Lots of people. We don't even have to talk. I just want to meet you.

Banetastic: Alexander?

Alexander97: Ok. That Dunkin is close to me too.

Banetastic: EXCELLENT. That's great.

Alexander97: When?

Banetastic: Tomorrow? Unless you have to work?

Alexander97: I don't work on Sundays. Tomorrow is okay.

Banetastic: Is 10 too early?

Alexander97: 10 is fine.

Banetastic: How will I know it's you?

Alexander97: I'm not sure. Oh wait. I'll bring a book with me. Christine. It's all beat up. I'll set it on the table.

Banetastic: Awesome. I can't wait to see you tomorrow.

Alexander97: Yeah. Good night, Magnus.

Banetastic: Good night.

(Alexander97 has left the chat. Banetastic has left the chat.)

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Magnus checks his watch as he waits for the elevator. Ten minutes to ten. He doesn't want to get to Dunkin before Alexander. He wants the other man to get comfortable before Magnus shows up. That's assuming Alexander is an early bird.

Magnus doesn't consider himself a violent man, but he would love to have twenty minutes with Alexander's dead father. Just to teach him how it feels to be on the receiving end of a punch or two or ten.

He takes a deep breath, he needs to calm down. He doesn't want to scare Alexander and have him run out of Dunkin.

The elevator arrives and Magnus gets on. He pushes 'L' and watches the floor indicator light as the elevator goes down. He gets off the elevator and leaves the building. He walks to Dunkin.

He glances around as he enters, and sighs when he sees Mr. Shoulders at a table in the back. Magnus continues to look around as he waits on line. He notices a book on the table, next to Mr. Shoulder's hand.

A well read paperback copy of Christine.

Magnus closes his eyes as he mentally kicks himself in the ass.

A. Lightwood, as in Alexander Lightwood.

Magnus opens his eyes and smiles at Josie. She laughs, "The usual?"

He nods, "Please." She rings up his coffee and bagel.

Magnus watches Mr. Shoulders aka A. Lightwood aka Alexander out the corner of his eye. He's eating his breakfast in between quick glances at the door.

Josie hands Magnus his order, "Have a nice day."

Magnus smiles, "I hope so. Thanks." He walks over to Alec's table.

Alec looks up, panic in his eyes, "Can I help you?"

Magnus smiles gently, "I'm Magnus."

Alec's eyes widen as he looks at his book then back at Magnus, "Oh."

"Is it okay if I join you?" Alec nods without a word. Magnus puts his coffee and bag on the table then sits down, "Thanks."

Alec mumbles, "You're welcome."

Magnus takes a sip of his coffee then takes the bagel out the bag. Alec picks up his muffin. They eat in silence.

Magnus keeps his head down as he eats. He watches, out the corner of his eye, as Alec's shoulders relax. He smiles as he enjoys his bagel.

Magnus quickly looks up when Alec starts to stand, "Where you going?"

Alec bites his lip, "I want more coffee."

Magnus nods as he finishes his own coffee, "Okay. I could use a refill as well. I'll go." He stands up. Alec reaches into his pocket. Magnus smiles, "I got it, I'll be right back." He walks to the counter as Alec sits back down.

Josie smiles, "You still here?"

Magnus nods, "I'm with a friend."

She glances over, "Tall, dark and timid?"

Magnus laughs, "You know Alec?"

"Yeah, he's here almost every morning. In fact, he's asked about you a few times."

"Me?"

"Yes. He sees you at your usual table and asks if I know who you are."

"Interesting."

She nods, "I'm glad you two found each other. You make an adorable couple."

Magnus smiles, "I'm trying."

"Good. He needs somebody like you."

"Like me?"

"Protective. My sister takes your self-defense class on Wednesdays."

"Oh."

"Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"A couple of coffees please. Damn, I forgot to ask him what he wants."

She winks, "I got you, don't worry about it." She rings up the two coffees. Magnus pays with his credit card as she makes them. She puts the two cups on the counter, "Here you go."

Magnus picks them up, "Thanks." He walks back. He puts the cups on the table then sits.

Alec gives him a slight smile, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." They enjoy their second cups of coffee in silence.

Alec finishes, gathers his trash and stands up, "It was nice meeting you."

Magnus finishes his coffee, "Wait, we still have the whole day. Let's go see a movie or go to the aquarium or the zoo."

Alec picks up his book, "I have to go grocery shopping."

"Fine. I'll go with you."

Alec shakes his head, "No, that's okay. This was nice, but I gotta go." He walks away quickly, drops his trash in the garbage can and leaves Dunkin.

Magnus sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose, "Damn it." He stands, picks up his empty cups and bag and walks over to the garbage can. He shakes his head at Josie as he drops the trash in, "I was so close."

She gives him a slight smile, "You giving up?"

Magnus smiles, "Hell no."

She laughs, "Good for you. Good luck."

"Thanks, I'm going to need it." Magnus leaves Dunkin.

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Magnus grabs a bottle of beer out the fridge, opens it and tosses the cap in the sink. The takeout trash is in the garbage. He walks over to the sofa. Now he's ready to watch tv. He sits down and reaches for the remote, that is on the coffee table. Drinking his beer, he goes through the channels and smiles when he sees that The Dark Tower is starting.

As the end credits roll, Magnus checks to see what's on next. The Shawshank Redemption. Magnus tells the empty room, "Another great movie." He runs to the fridge for another beer, then gets comfortable on the sofa again.

When the movie is over, he eyes his tablet on the other side of the sofa, where he left it last night.

Usually when he's done with tv, he logs into the chat and talks to Alec. But after this morning, Magnus isn't sure if Alec is still interested in talking to him.

With a sigh, he puts the remote on the coffee table then reaches for the tablet.

He puts it on. Once it's ready, Magnus hits the chat icon, which automatically logs him in.

Alexander97: Magnus are you there?

Alexander97: Magnus, you said one thing has nothing to do with the other.

Alexander97: Magnus I'm sorry, please talk to me.

Alexander97: Magnus

Alexander97: Magnus

Alexander97: Magnus, please don't leave me.

Magnus quickly puts the beer bottle on the coffee table then starts typing.

Banetastic: Shit, Alec. I'm the one that should be apologizing. I was watching tv.

Alexander97: Oh.

Banetastic: Yes but now I'm here.

Alexander97: I should tell you that I kind of knew it was you.

Banetastic: Knew what was me?

Alexander97: About a month ago, I finally got enough nerve to look at the mail boxes for the fifth floor and saw 'M. Bane' for 5F.

Banetastic: Oh?

Alexander97: Yeah. Then the other day, when you said your first name was 'Magnus', that was too much of a coincidence.

Banetastic: I see.

Alexander97: So I wasn't really surprised to see at my table this morning.

Banetastic: Then why did you run away so quickly?

Alexander97: I was scared.

Banetastic: Of me?

Alexander97: Yes and no. I wasn't scared OF you, I was scared of you rejecting me.

Magnus closes his eyes as he shakes his head. He mutters, "Ten minutes with his father, that's all I need."

Banetastic: Nonsense.

Alexander97: Easy for you to say that now. But I'm sure once I started talking you would have noped right out of Dunkin.

Magnus grits his teeth. He stands holding the tablet in a tight grip. He walks over to the cabinet by the door and grabs his keys. He leaves his apartment, locks the door and walks over to the stairway door. He's in no mood to wait for the elevator.

Banetastic: That's crazy talk. We've been talking for almost a year here, why would you think that?

Alexander97: It's easy for me to talk online, where I can change stuff if I think it sounds stupid. If I SAY something stupid, I can't erase it.

Magnus shakes his head as he takes the steps two at a time to the eighth floor. He lets the stairway door slam as he walks to 8D. He knocks on the door.

Alexander97: Oh my god, Magnus. Somebody is at my door. Why? I don't know anybody in the building. Besides you. So who could that be? I'm scared. Magnus what should I do?

Magnus takes a deep breath, then slowly lets it out, as he thinks, "Five minutes tops."

Banetastic: It's okay, Alec. I'M at the door.

Alexander97: You? Why?

Banetastic: So that we can talk.

Alexander97: We are talking.

Banetastic: Face to face.

Alexander97: Oh.

Banetastic: Alec come open the door.

Banetastic: I'm just going to stand here until you let me in.

Magnus glances at the elevator as the door opens and a woman steps off. She eyes him coldly as she walks down the hall. Magnus smiles at her as she walks past him. She stops at the end of the hallway, unlocks her door then quickly enters her apartment. The door slams and Magnus hears her lock the door.

Magnus rolls his eyes as he returns his attention to his tablet. Out the corner of his eye, he sees the door open. Magnus looks up and smiles.

Alec holds the door open, "She's a mean lady. She might call the police if you stay out here any longer."

Magnus nods as he walks into the apartment, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Alec closes the door.

Magnus looks around the apartment. A couple of armchairs, a small television and three bookcases are all there is in the living room. There's a table with four chairs in the kitchen. A laptop is on the table.

Alec gestures to the kitchen, "We can talk there."

Magnus smiles, "Ok." He walks to the table and sits down. He puts his tablet on the table.

Alec walks over, "You want coffee?"

Magnus shakes his head, "No thanks."

"Oh." Alec grips the back of the chair, where his laptop is, with both hands, "I have iced tea."

Not liking how tense Alec is, Magnus smiles, "That sounds good."

Alec smiles as he lets go of the chair and walks to the fridge, "Cool." He takes out a pitcher. He gets glasses out of the cabinet and fills them. He puts the pitcher back in the fridge then brings the glasses to the table. He walks over to the counter and gets a tin of cookies. He brings it and a handful of napkins to the table, then sits down. He closes the laptop and moves it to the side.

Magnus silently watches Alec move around the kitchen. He seems relaxed and happy. Magnus likes seeing this side of Alec. He takes a couple of cookies and places them on a napkin, then takes a drink of his iced tea, "This is good."

Alec's eyes sparkle, "It's Mona's recipe. Three parts 4C iced tea mix with one part Kool Aid lemonade mix."

"Mona is?"

"My foster mom."

"I see."

Alec nods, "My dad didn't allow sweets in the house. We didn't even have bagels. Just white bread."

"I'm sorry."

Alec shrugs as he eats a cookie, "It's okay. The Whitmans were nice people. Mona and Ted. They didn't have any children of their own. They were killed in a car accident two weeks after my eighteenth birthday. They left everything to me. I sold the house and moved here. I kept some of the furniture and sold the rest."

"You've been with the library since you moved here?"

Alec nods, "After I graduated college, I got an internship at Grand Army Plaza. A children's librarian position opened up in the Spring Creek branch. I was there for over a year then transferred to the Flatlands location."

"Children's librarian? Interesting."

"I like it." Alec stands and gets the pitcher of iced tea out the fridge. He refills their glasses. He sits down after putting the pitcher back, "So what do you do?"

Magnus smiles, "I own a self defense center."

"Oh."

"You interested?"

Alec shakes his head, "No, thanks. I can't see me hitting anybody." He folds his arms across his chest and lowers his head.

"I understand." Magnus mentally kicks himself. He quickly changes the subject, "So what is your favorite Stephen King movie?"

Alec looks up as he thinks. He takes a drink, then slowly smiles, "Dead Zone. It would be cool to touch somebody's hand and see their future. But only good things. Like who they would fall in love with or how many kids they would have or that new job they will get."

"I don't know if it would be possible to limit what you can see."

Alec shrugs, "I don't want to see death, just happy things."

Magnus nods as he reaches for Alec's hand and gently holds it in both of his, "You know what I see right now?"

Alec looks from Magnus' face to their hands back to his face, "What?"

"I see you and me eating dinner tomorrow night at a nice Italian restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn."

Alec smiles, "Really?"

"Yes really."

"I'd like that."

"I keep my car in the garage, it's easier to go back and forth to work on the bus. I'll pick you up at the library."

"I'm not sure what time I finish."

Magnus nods. He reaches into his back pocket with his right hand, "Damn, I left my phone in the apartment. Give me your phone, and I'll give you my number."

Alec nods as he lets go of Magnus' hand and stands up. He runs into his bedroom and gets his phone off the nightstand. He runs back to the kitchen and hands his phone to Magnus. Their fingers touch briefly. Alec smiles as Magnus types his cell number into Alec's contact list.

Magnus texts Alec to his cellphone, then hands the phone back to Alec, "This way I can put your number in my contacts. Tomorrow, when you find out what time you're leaving, you can text me."

"Okay."

Magnus smiles as he stands, "Thanks for the tea and cookies. See you tomorrow?" He picks his tablet up.

Alec nods, "That's a definite yes." They walk to the door. Alec opens it, "Until tomorrow, Magnus."

"Until tomorrow, Alec." Magnus leaves the apartment. Alec closes the door then smiles as he leans against it.

Magnus walks to the stairwell and goes downstairs to his apartment. He unlocks his door, smiling he says, "Thank you, Stephen King." as he enters the apartment then locks the door.

-the end-

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Carrie, Christine and Dead Zone are my favorite Stephen King books and movies.

A/N: I took a bit of artistic license with locations. There IS a Dunkin on Church and Flatbush Aves, but the building that Alec and Magnus live in doesn't exist. There's a bus stop next to the Flatlands branch of the Public Library, but it's on the other side of the library. I wanted Magnus to walk past and see Alec locking the door. The actual next stop is three blocks away.

[kittymaverick]

It’s that time again. MCF: Black Crown commentary

 I’m actually watching AdventureGameFan8 this time instead of Pazu first. (I intend to watch Pazu later for his commentary.) Anyhow, spoilers under the cut...

1. Skulls... skulls everywhere... HELP. Note: Kitty has a chronic fear of skulls since childhood. It’s bad enough that she still can’t finish 13th Skull even after all these years. 2. Her Majesty: You remember what happened last time... MD: ...A ghost drowned some people that were holding me hostage, and then I drowned that ghost again with the help of his crew? By the way, are you sending me on this case again just so I can come back with a good story? Her Majesty: Now why would I ever do that? *plays innocent*

3. Chapter 0. XD I like how it straight up acknowledges it’s a chapter 0. And we’re collecting... CRABS this time. (Better than skulls!)

4. Huh, interesting, for once this is a puzzle I would have needed to solve with a piece of paper nearby. I don’t think we’ve had that either forever, or for ages.

5. MD: Huh, so the asylum’s benefactor is Crown Estate Holdings... ...Is there such a thing as pissing off the descendants of a ghost you came across??? MD: I guess I’m about to find out...

6. I still don’t trust this Dr. Norton, and I SWEAR we’ve heard the name Nathaniel somewhere... MD: I should have kept a notebook of names just in case...

7. This patient file is giving me so many warning bells. MD: shiny round object-- MUST BE THE CRYSTAL BALL. *Paranoia max*

8. That’s a lot of lollipops you’re carrying doctor. I expect them to show up later. MD: Also, this pocket watch, if you so much as put them in yourself... Dr: ...I see you are still incredibly paranoid, much like you were on your last visit. MD: Can you honestly blame me given my line of work?

9. WAIT A MOMENT THE MD SIGNED THEIR NAME LEMME SEE IT I CAN READ CURSIVE-- MD: NEXT. If that actually says Phineas Crown I’m going to scream because WHERE IS THE REAL MD THEN.

10. Dr.: The last thing we need right now is the whole wing getting agitated. Me and MD: And then the whole wing got agitated... *sighs*

11. MD: Speaking of, I swear I did some property destruction while I was here last time. Has that been fixed? I’m starting to see why the Crown Estate might have a beef with you.

12. Dr.: I’ll be right back! MD: Really? You’re really going to just leave me here in the dark?... Good thing I swiped a torch from the table earlier. I was wondering why you just took that...

13. MD:...Okay seriously, if the WHOLE WING OF PATIENTS is in on the puzzle I seriously thing we’re doomed. You don’t know that. It might just be a game they like to play together. :P

14. MD: I just got chills. Something isn’t right, all of a sudden. Wow, understatement of the year. Glad to see that paranoia finally kicking in. MD: ...I did always have a late spider sense...

15. How convenient it is that there’s a museum to visit-- Um, MD?! MD: WHO TOUCHED MY BUGGY AND TAMPERED WITH THE BRAKES??? I TOLD YOU THE MUSEUM STAFF WERE BAD NEWS!!!! MD: And they even left a postcard telling me about it. Okay, they’re just taunting me now.

16. Um, MD, is your buggy technically the company’s? MD:................. They’re going to dock your pay for this, right? MD: That thought ALMOST made me just want to just stay in the car and go with it. 17. Ah, getting keys from other people’s incompetence. MD: If only all doors and puzzles were like that... To be fair, the last time the main antagonist was somewhat incompetent, we nearly broke space-time, and also almost got stuck in their hallucination. MD: ...Yeah, on second thought, never mind.

18. MD: Wow there, boy! Calm down. I’ve just notice that you’re not very good with animals. MD: You would think I would have learnt to keep a bag of treats handy by now, but alas. ...Wait, is this why you were never allowed a pet? MD: ...*changes subject* Hey look this map over here’s very interesting!

19. Another fact about the MD learned: They can rock-climbing. Somewhat. MD: I almost joined my car... People usually take their gloves OFF and put CHALK on  for a reason, you know. Like, the chalk you just used 5 seconds ago. MD: If I grounded up the whole thing, then it’ll be obvious someone has been here. No duh! As if the open lock and dog in cage didn’t clue them in! /8D

20. This whole “let’s follow the most-definitely not evil artifact” is REALLY doing wonders on your chance of survival. MD: ...Look, it’s an occupational hazard... Mh-hmm. MD: ...And okay I do get a bit too into the mystery. So more like an occupational addiction.

21. Oh no, a person! Gotta stay hidden! MD: Uh, I think I’ve failed that already, with the fountain now 2 stories high and what not.

22. OH NO THE DOCTOR AND NURSE ARE HERE. RED ALERT! RED ALERT! MD: I’m armed with my fists and a sharp badge, don’t come closer. Doctor: Actually, we’re here because the patients all broke out during the black out... Nurse: And they took the girl with them here, using a stolen ambulance. MD: ...As much as it was the reason I managed to get out myself, your asylum REALLY needs better security. Also, how did you get in with the front door locked? 23. Doctor: By the way, they were screaming about a crown. Can you keep an eye out? MD: And I just all of a sudden remember a story about some villains who tricked me into finding something for them while I was on a case. Would you like to know what happened to them in the end? 8D (Spoiler alert: they drowned.) Doctor: Anyway, let’s split up. MD: That sounds like a “Let’s get the MD to do a the work while we just sit back and relax”... but sure, I’m in. Also doc, can you just give us one of those lollipops already? Like, it’s so obvious we’re going to need it later...

23. MD: Man, this watch sure is handy-- Um, did you already forgot what all of your supernatural/mechanical fancy gizmos have done in the past few games??? MD: ...Look, we detectives need our companion cubes, okay, especially the ones who can’t handle animals. Who happen to also VANDALIZE historical paintings. My GODS. MD: There was a THING, okay?!

24. SHADOW FIGURE DETECTED. ALERT, STRANGE PRESENCE DETECTED. MD: Yeah, it’s probably the doctor. They all end up weird sooner or later. You are REALLY to calm about this.

25. MD: Haha, funny note. Curses aren’t real! ... MD: ...Okay that was out of character. Yeah... let’s open it anyway though. 8D

26. ???: The last time we met, you killed my parents! MD: ...Oh, it’s you. Should have guessed, though I thought you were dead too. Phineas Crown: WELCOME TO MY HOUSE. MD: And YOU, are most definitely dead. Seriously, didn’t you get dragged back under water?! You REALLY have a lot of crime families coming after you, don’t you? Also, CAN WE NOPE OUT OF HERE?! MD: Yeah, prime time to be stuck in a corridor right now. So, um, HELP? Dr.: I got this! This way! MD: Wait, YOU?! Nah, ah, I’m not falling for-- okay, fine, you better not get possessed later thought!

27. Doctor: We better find the nurse and get out of here, so... I’ll hold the door, and you... figure a way out for us. MD: It’s so strange having an ally so early in the game. I’m so suspicious... *Finds a way out* Doctor: Is that... you car in the distance? MD: *sob* yes... Doctor: I’m sorry, it was a nice car. Oh for once someone compliments the car! Doctor: At least you didn’t go over with it. ...MD, I think you have competition in the sarcasm department now.

28. Nurse: HELP! Dr. and MD: ...welp, better find her quick. *Dog shows up* MD: AAAAHHH! *Dog whines* MD: ...good doggy, nice doggy... please remember me giving you treats and not me locking you up... Hey, maybe you WILL get a pet after all!

29. So, we probably should avoid the patients and that women-- *MD walks right back into the building* REALLY?! Doctor: ...I do believe that our detective hasn’t been the most self-preserving after all those traumatic events in their life. MD: Look, if I don’t take some risks, I’m not going to earn enough money to eat, okay? Doctor: True enough, that said, let’s go into this maze and look for the nurse. MD: Now hold on, that’s way too dangerous! ...You two are perfect for each other, in the worst of ways. 30. MD: Well, thank god for that dog. Aaaand the Doctor’s lost. Bet you he’s the one going to be in distress next. MD: ...On account of him calling my car nice, I’ll highly consider rescuing him in a moment. 31. Skull patient: ... MD: ...Um, hi? *Skull patient attacks!* *MD uses block! It’s super effective* *MD uses punch! It’s also super effective!* MD: I personally prefer not to use violence, but oh well... ...Since WHEN have you been able to knock a guy out with one punch?! MD: Violence is a last resort, okay? Says the person who would have probably gotten out of MANY MANY situations if you’d had thrown more punches in the past! 32. Another unconscious patient?! MD: Not me! Nurse: ...That was me, sorry. Also, they said something about what was up here before you knocked them out. Might help before the police get here. MD: You guys keep on saying police like they will actually show up in time to be helpful, when usually, that’s not the case... 33. MD: Aaaand got the starchart-- WAH! Doctor: Hi, I’ve rescued myself from the maze! I also know the way back now though. MD: ...This is SO new to me. Tell me about it. People actually saving themselves now? What is this?! Nurse: Well, there’s still the girl, if you want to rescue someone. Doctor: Yes, I agree wholeheartedly with that. The two of us would only get in the way, but you should rescue the girl, detective. We’ll wait outside! Bye! ...Wait, so we’re rescuing the villain now??? MD: ...again, this is SO new to me. [Part 2 coming soon.]

[pokemon-ninjago-world]

Cole Hence

As an attempt to reboot this blog I thought I’d do quick drawings of the main chars with updated appearances (like, how they would appear in my seasons when they’re older, comparing to the art you’ve seen of them as kids/teens on this blog so far) and some character info. I did Cole my boy first in case I’ll lose my inspiration and motivation and never continue these character things `8D  I got carried away with this one and spent more time than intended, so the next ones might not be as complicated as this one hmm.. Never mind me playing with watercolor brushes, I just tried to learn how to use them.

Character info under the cut for those who are interested!   Ninjago © LEGO;  Pokémon © Game Freak, Nintendo, Creatures Inc.;   Soileon © me

- Cole is very artistic, and enjoys visual arts the most. He does like dancing for fun too, as long as it happens when and how he wants and no-one tells him how to do it.     - Cole starts selling his art later when he moves out to live on his own after a few years living in the Yang’s temple, where the ninja have their ninja academy and where they live after the Day of Departed episode.

- Cole loves hiking and venturing in the wild. He’s a big fan of wildlife and all animals as well. He takes good care of daily exercising, though he takes it easier when he’s older and doesn’t whip himself as hard as he did in his teenage, and trains more his mind as well as his body. One of his favorite ways of exercising have always been jogging in the wilderness or at least closer to nature.

- With persistent practice, Cole becomes an okay cook, although he remains ever curious and experiments fearlessly new ways of cooking and altering recipes and the results won’t always be great. He’s best at baking. Cakes will always be his passion, but he does watch his diet more carefully the closer his thirties he gets.

- Cole’s mum was a loose, carefree and tough-willed young woman. I don’t have first name for her yet, I wait if they reveal something in Ninjago but if they won’t I’ll probs name her after some gemstone. Her maiden name is Brookstone. She’s not an elemental master herself but Cole inherited his powers from her side.     - Cole’s mum had broken with her family, run away and started working and living on the edge on Ninjago City, where she met Lou. She wasn’t much older than 18-years old and Lou was much older, but they both fell in love with each other, and after a while of dating, they decided to get married. Soon after Cole hatched, it became obvious that the woman wasn’t very keen on family life, and spend more time in her hobbies and in the downtown than with her own son or husband, so Cole was raised up mainly by his dad from the start.     - Lou and Cole’s mum started fighting a lot, and they divorced when Cole was 6-years old. Cole didn’t hear about her ever since, and he didn’t really care to hear about her.            - Thus, Cole doesn’t know she had married again (though she divorced again later) and Cole has two half-sisters he’s not aware of. He also never learned his mother had a little brother, so Cole has no idea he also has an uncle from his mothers side.

- Cole was badly bullied when he was a kid. This triggered a gene in him, that’s common among the people of Pokéninjago. It’s called “berserk gene” and it occurs differently on different people. On Cole, it made him liable to violence and brought up problematic characteristics. You can read more about this from his [character page] and [childhood story].     - As he grows older, he gets better at controlling his anger. He becomes very chill and easy-going as an adult, and he doesn’t even try to appear intentionally cool or tough like he did as a teen. If stress and misfortune keep piling up though, he has trouble keeping his head and can snap at people and experience similar tantrums as before and for example break something in his frustration.

- Because of his bad childhood experiences, Cole is very insecure and withdrawn with strangers, especially people same age and younger as him. He has trouble meeting new people and making friends, unless he’s been backed up by his good old friends. He is okay at dealing with elderly people, but youngsters make him nervous and alerted, even feeling inferior, which then makes him easily defensive and rude.     - He has this problem even as an adult, and when his friends are starting families, he gets kinda lonely because of his troubles with new people.

- Cole is bad at talking about emotional stuff, but he is very compassionate and caring when his berserk gene is not active. This makes him anxious when someone needs emotional support, because he wants to help so badly, but doesn’t know what to say or do. Sometimes all he can offer is his company and perhaps a pat on the back, or even hug when he’s more confident about himself and doesn’t try to pretend a cool, tough guy.

- Cole actually likes kids though, regardless of how children treated him when he was little. He helps his friends by babysitting sometimes when they can’t get Nelson to watch over the kids.

This is all I can remember rn. If you want to know something specific, feel free to send me an ask! I probably forgot to say something.

[ryntaia]

You really should write about Yusuke picking up Futaba in Yongen-Jaya and taking (carrying? dragging?) her all the way to Shibuya. Cause I would read the hell outta that. 8D

Okay I have been meaning to get on this one for the LONGEST time so I absolutely had to get this one slammed out once I got my computer back. It’s time for Yusuke Rank 10ing the fuck out of Futaba before the player can even give it a shot. Out fuckin’ done. 

           She was not the rambunctious and argumentative girl from a mere week ago.

           Yusuke could slightly understand it. They had spent only a week trying to accumulate a years long shut-in to her greatest fear: the world outside her room, and the people that occupied it. Even then they could only really say they had made mild process with Futaba Sakura. She was still jumpy, scared, and uncomfortable around strangers and large groups in particular. But they needed her at the hideout. Within a mere day she had become what was easily their greatest resource as Phantom Thieves. Besides, she deserved to be part of their group with the efforts she had put forward. Sooner or later, she would have to be brought out to Shibuya.

           Busy, clustered Shibuya.

           And Yusuke Kitagawa didn’t have a car or the money for a taxi.

           In retrospect it had probably been a misguided idea to pick the hacker up and bring her through the train line from Yongen-Jaya to Shibuya, but Yusuke had let out earlier than them and he had figured that she needed to be at the meeting. Now he was regretting it greatly as people whispered around the redhead girl, her face buried in her knees and her back curled into the fetal position against one of the walls of the train. Futaba’s breath came in sharp, jerky huffs. She wasn’t even getting that much room—only the amount that the jammed train would allow as it sped across the tracks.

           This was a mistake. Yusuke’s mind echoed desperately while he tried to keep a straight face. He scanned the train quickly; nothing but staring faces and pointing fingers. It was enough for someone WITHOUT a fear of crowds to have a nervous breakdown. For the girl shivering in the corner, who had seemed so wild and self assured previously, it was likely akin to a complete barrage on her senses.

           He kneeled down next to the redhead; she was so small that he easily shadowed her. Her whole body flinched, registering the changing in light through her fingers. Delicately, uncertainly, slowly, Yusuke reached out and grasped at the headphones slung around her neck. He pushed them over her head and across her ears. Such large earpieces would easily muffle the discussion being thrown around about the girl shaking on the floor. Her fingers drew away from her face slightly; her eyes blinked blearily as they cleared of tears and adjusted to the new light. Slowly Futaba registered the strands of red that had tangled in her hands and the lines across her hand, then looked up.

           Immediately she looked back down.

           Yusuke bit his lip. He had been told before by other students—girls, mostly—that the expression that he usually wore could be a bit intimidating. Taking one hand away from the earphone, he rubbed his own cheeks, as if it would loosen his stern face up a little bit and bring the redhead back into reality. Pinching his own cheek, he pushed fingers underneath Futaba’s chin and lifted her face. The action was met with surprisingly little resistance.

           For a moment she stared. Then, almost without her permission, a small giggle spilled out of Futaba’s lips. It seemed mismatched with her tear streaked, red face but it was very welcomed at the moment. One of her fingers lifted from her knees to take the cheek that Yusuke wasn’t pinching. Lightly, almost teasingly, she pulled at it herself—the artist unconsciously found his eyes softening and a small smile teasing at the side of his lips. She laughed again.

           “Inari has really stiff cheeks.” She commented. One of his eyebrows cocked in irritation but the smile stayed plastered on his face.

           “I told you not to call me that, brat.”

           “Inari, Inari, Inari. No one tells Futaba Sakura what to do.” She was staring pointedly at Yusuke’s stomach—the one place where she could see the least amount of the people behind him. Her tone was defiant but her eyes were still wide with obvious fear. The artist released his own cheek, his hand moving almost on its own to curve around the hacker’s head. He kept his arm at a safe distance while laying firm fingers on the back of her hair to push her head down lightly.

           She blinked in confusion, trying to process everything.

           His mouth was close by her forehead, breath hot on her skin.

           The hand once on her chin was now on the side of her earphone, holding it firmly in place.

           “Do not listen to their words, concentrate on the silence of your earphones. Do not focus on them, focus on me. We don’t get along and I’m not sure if we ever will if you keep calling me INARI…” Futaba stifled another giggle. “…but you know me. Now all I ask is that you focus on me and don’t let them decide on what you do and what you are. You say no one tells Futaba Sakura what to do? I’d say from your sharp tongue and defense of your belonging, that’s true. So don’t let them tell you what to do. After all, why should someone who doesn’t even know you be allowed to have power over you when even I certainly don’t have that power?”

           “My power.” Futaba mumbled quietly, staring down at the white fabric on Yusuke’s school uniform. It looked like a comfortable silk—he went to Kosei, she remembered. Kosei was a special prep school. She really was just trying to think about anything but her situation. And surprisingly, it was working. They didn’t affect her, those people…they didn’t have power over her.

           The train seemed to come to a steady halt right as she was beginning to drift off, enveloped with an unusual and foreign feeling of comfort. Immediately she snapped to attention as the train occupants filed quickly out of the train car into Shibuya Station. Their interest in the girl huddled awkwardly in the corner seemed to wane as soon as they were alert to their schedules again. Quickly the train car emptied as Futaba was brought back to her feet by balancing on Yusuke’s arm. In retrospect she would repaint the scene with her knees not shaking awkwardly as she was led into the station with the large crowd.

           “Would you like to clean up your face before we go meet with everyone?” Yusuke asked quietly, almost sympathetically. Futaba brushed a hand across her face—she could feel the salty lines on her cheek cutting through reddened skin. All she could give was a lame nod as she was led over to a fountain to have her glasses plucked from her face. Yusuke pulled out a pair of small towels from the art kit at his side and Futaba raised a brow.

           “For cleanup after painting.” He explained, wetting the surface lightly and patting the girl’s face. She made a face as the rough surface ran across the sensitive skin, but it took the salty lines away with it. Before she could even touch her face, it was squirted with a burst from the fountain directed by the artist’s thumb followed by a fluffing with the second towel. “You’re lucky I just bought these. Normally they’d be covered with old paint.”

           Futaba was quiet as her face was toweled off, the heat of the train car fading from her face along with the blemished red of the tears. Her glasses were popped back onto her face as soon as the dry towel pulled away; she shifted the bridge of her nose to adjust them over her brown eyes. Her vision took a few moments to focus, finally adjusting in on the image of Yusuke folding up the towels and placing them carefully back in the bag at his side. She shifted her backpack up her back self-consciously.

           “Hey, Ina…Yusuke?”

           “Mmh? You’re going to be calling me by my name from now on?” Yusuke turned to the hacker with a smile on his face. And god did the sincerity in that smile almost kill Futaba right there and then. It took all of her willpower to not slap her hands over her mouth and run like a madwoman. But no. She couldn’t just turn tail and run from him—from the Phantom Thieves. Not after what they had done for her.

           “D…dream on.” She huffed, pulling out the wrinkles in her shirt and taking a more frustrated tone to cover up how exhilarated and happy he was making her feel. “You’ll always be Inari to me. But! But.”

           “But?”

           “…Thanks, Yusuke.”

           He stared blankly for a moment, then his expression melted into the most sincere smile that Futaba had yet to see from him. And along with it, it felt like her own insides melted with it as the tall boy offered his hand out to the hacker. “I think we should get going. Everyone is going to be waiting for us, aren’t they? Their little Alibaba, was it?”

           “I was thinking more like Oracle.” Futaba wagged her finger in his face. “But hey, they’ll be waiting for their Inari too.”

           “That’s Fox to you.”

           “I’m sure.” She gave an exaggerated wink, slowly regaining her composure as they waded through the crowds of Shibuya Station—all of them now feeling so invisible and inconsequential. “Inari.”

[chanoyu-to-wa]

Nampō Roku, Book 3 (18.19):  Rikyū's Kiri-taji [桐簞笥]¹.

18.19) Rikyū's kiri-taji [桐簞笥].

[The writing reads:  (to the right of the upper sketch) Rikyū kiri-taji (利休桐簞笥)²; (to the right of the lower sketch) onaji uchi (同内)³.]

_________________________

◎ While there is no doubt that this entry (and the text-entry to which it is related*) was intended (by the person responsible for doctoring the collection of documents that became Book Three of the Nampō Roku in Tachibana Jitsuzan’s hands) as a description of the Rikyū tabi-dansu [利休旅簞笥], the second sketch is too similar to the dōko -- rather than to Rikyū’s tana (which has two shelves, rather than one, as shown in the sketch) -- for this to be allowed to pass without comment.

    The tabi-dansu was, as is well known, created in 1590, for use during the siege of Odawara.  The dōko, on the other hand, was devised by Jōō as the final step in the evolution of a way to simplify the host’s bringing the various portable utensils into the tearoom at the beginning of his temae -- a process that progressed began with the various mizusashi-dana, and continued with Zeni-ya Sōtotsu’s taji [簞笥], and the yoshi-dana [葭棚].  If we assume that the contents of Book Three were, in fact, originally based on a secret document written by Jōō (as seems to have been the case, according to descriptions of this otherwise unknown document in Rikyū’s early densho†), then it would be perfectly understandable that Jōō included a section (however, brief) on the arrangement and use of the dōko.

    It seems likely that this entry was conflated with the tabi-dansu (which did not come into existence until almost 35 years after Jōō’s death) in the early Edo period, at a time when certain people or official entities with a vested interest in the contents of Nambō Sōkei’s wooden chest were deliberately attempting to increase the number of tana‡, and so Jōō’s entry was (perhaps deliberately) mislabeled (with an introductory sketch appended to it that purportedly shows the door of the tabi-dansu -- albeit even here, the sketch is more ambiguous than informative), as a follow-on from the previous discussion of the taji**, since the dōko itself is not really amenable to being removed from the preparation area and displayed at the head of the utensil mat.

    That said, I will treat the material in the spirit in which Jitsuzan included it in his work, as being a valid reference to Rikyū’s tabi-dansu. ___________ *See the installment entitled Nampō Roku, Book 3 (6, 7):  Concerning the Taji [簞笥]; and Rikyū’s Kiri-taji [桐簞笥].

    The URL for that post is:

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/185717715183/namp%C5%8D-roku-book-3-6-7-concerning-the-taji

    This collection of sketches appear to have been intended as illustrations to accompany the entries that constitute parts 1 to 17 of Book Three of the Nampō Roku.

†Though it appears that a number of kiri-kami were added to the collection during the early Edo period.

‡This was done to accommodate the greatly expanding body of tea practitioners that resulted from the official regulation that chanoyu had to be included in all official receptions.  At that time, most of these pieces existed as only a single example -- the production of copies did not begin until the inventory of originals could no longer be expanded, and thus became exhausted.

**While the taji was perhaps the spiritual precursor of Rikyū‘s tabi-dansu, it more directly influenced the creation of the dōko.

¹I have used Rikyū's preferred pronunciation in the title and caption.

     This tana is usually called the Rikyū tabi-dansu [利休旅簞笥] today -- and it is under this more familiar name that I will usually refer to it in my comments.

²The first sketch shows the exterior of the tabi-dansu.  The small circle near the top (circled in the copy of the sketch, below) is supposed to represent the latch.

    The locking mechanism is shown in detail in the following photos -- disassembled on the left (the door has been removed and leaned against the front of the tana so that both its front, and its upper edge, can be seen clearly), and sealed with a paper cord on the right.  The pin is inserted into holes drilled through the top of the box and through the door, so that the three eyes are aligned.  The paper cord is passed through the three rings, and then tied*.

    The sketches suggest that the person responsible for adding this entry had never seen Rikyū's kiri-taji (tabi-dansu), and was also unaware of how it had actually been used by him. ___________ *Possibly, in Rikyū‘s case, the ends of the cord were untwisted and then flattened out, and glued to the wood, with Rikyū‘s name-seal impressed over them, to protect against the taji being opened by someone other than himself.  This kind of cord could easily be broken with the fingers, thus making a knife unnecessary (Hideyoshi objected to even these small knives being wielded in his presence).

    This paper cord would not actually prevent someone from tampering with the box, if someone were intent on doing so, but if it had been broken or changed, it would alert Rikyū to the fact.  This would be enough to deter anyone from attempting to open it.

³Onaji uchi [同内].

    “The interior of the same.”

    In other words, this is a sketch of the way the utensils are arranged in the tabi-dansu (at least in the opinion of the person who added this page to the collection).

==============================================

I. The upper sketch shows the exterior of the kiri-taji.

    The small oval near the top of the box is supposed to represent the locking mechanism.  It is important to note that, in addition to a missing top shelf (in the second sketch), the handles by means of which the box was carried into the room are also absent -- suggesting that the person who drew this sketch had never seen the original, and was basing his idea more or less on one of the other antique taji that had been used during the sixteenth century.

    Both Shibayama Fugen, and Tanaka Senshō, in their very brief commens on this entry, recount that this tana was created by Rikyū for use during Hideyoshi’s siege of Odawara (Odawara seibatsu [小田���征伐]) during the summer of 1590.  However, contrary to what some more modern commentators state, this tana does not appear to have been used when serving tea out-of-doors*.  Rather it seems to have been used as a portable dōko† that was employed while serving tea (probably just usucha) indoors, in the large temple rooms used as venues during Hideyoshi’s war conferences with his officers and other courtiers. ___________ *Since this was a siege, rather than a pitched battle, there would have been little need for Hideyoshi and his officers to involve themselves in reconnoitering the vicinity of the castle -- which was the usual occasion when tea would have been served “in the field” in the manner discussed in Book One.

†By 1590, Rikyū was using a dōko in every one of his tearooms -- including a mizuya-dōko in his 2-mat Mozuno ko-yashiki (which was the first example of this kind of dōko).

    An ordinary dōko (shown below, on the left) is a wooden box, with a floor, three sides (it is open on the side that faces toward the tearoom), a top, and a shelf spanning the middle (which also acts as a brace to stabilize the box, keeping it rigid:  the shelf is usually a little more than half the depth of the box, allowing the hishaku to be hung from a peg in front of the shelf).  It is usually 2-shaku 2-sun wide (in a 4.5-mat room), or 2-shaku 5-bu (in Rikyū’s 2-mat rooms), and around 1-shaku 5-sun deep.  The back side is usually at least partly hinged (sometimes doubly so, with a small door that allows the koboshi to be taken away unobtrusively while the front side of the dōko is still open to the room), allowing the dōko’s contents to be accessed from outside the room.

    The similarity to the interior of the tabi-dansu is clear.  (Indeed, as mentioned above, the sketch of the tabi-dansu is even closer to the dōko than to the object that it purportedly depicts, suggesting that whomever drew it was surely aware of the correspondence between the two kinds of tana-mono.)

    In contrast to this, a mizuya-dōko (on the right, above) is a larger construction (generally 3-shaku wide) that is built as a permanent part of the tearoom itself, with plastered walls on the right and left, and one (Rikyū), or a pair of (Sōtan), sliding door(s) on both sides (the back side usually opens onto the veranda that serves as a mizuya -- though in Sōtan’s Konnichi-an room it opens onto a pathway at the rear of the building).  The floor contains a sunken, copper-lined sink, covered by a sunoko [簀子] (a floor made of bamboo clums that have been split in half placed with the cut-side facing downward, which allow water to drain through the spaces between them).  The mizuya-dōko usually has a tsuri-dana that stretches across a little more than half of the space, while the lower part of the dōko (the side closest to the host’s entrance) is occupied by a large water vessel (Rikyū’s was a wooden hand-bucket, while Sōtan seems to have preferred a ceramic jar of the sort commonly found in an ordinary mizuya -- allowing utensils to be washed, and the kama refilled, within the mizuya-dōko itself).

    It is important for the reader not to confuse the dōko with the mizuya-dōko -- especially when dealing with old documents -- since this is something of which even many modern tea teachers are guilty.  While the mizuya-dōko enjoyed a certain popularity during the Edo period, the only example in existence during Rikyū’s lifetime was the one in the Mozuno ko-yashiki (above).

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II. The second sketch shows the arrangement of the utensils inside the kiri-taji.

    Note -- as mentioned above, that the top shelf (on which the cup of the hishaku rests) is missing.  It is also rather odd to place the mizusashi between the hishaku and the futaoki (usually the latter two are placed close together); but then, the mizusashi was probably not placed in the tabi-dansu in any case (its place in the sketch being taken by the mizu-koboshi).

    In the kaiki that is preserved as Book Two of the Nampō Roku, the dōko [洞庫] was still a feature of the 4.5-mat room, while the tsuri-dana (as a Shū-un-an dana [集雲庵棚]*).  But within a year or so of that time Rikyū began to eliminate the tsuri-dana completely, and replace it with a dōko even in the 2-mat room.  His motivation being that, even when the host steadfastly used only the most wabi of utensils, the tsuri-dana still had the aura of “displaying” those utensils associated with it.  By enclosing them in a dōko, however (which the guests were forbidden to open), Rikyū finally succeeded in removing virtually every taint of display from the wabi small room, and so focus the attention of the guests onto the bokuseki, the chabana, and the tea itself.  By the time of the siege of Odawara, the dōko appears to have become indispensable for Rikyū’s style of tea -- as the Rikyū Hyakkai Ki [利休百會記] (which documents the chakai that Rikyū hosted between the Ninth Month of 1590 and the Third Month of 1591) makes clear.

    Turning first to look at the setting in which the kiri-taji was intended to be used, in addition to the tabi-dansu, Rikyū also created the small tsurukubi-gama [鶴首釜] (which, like the second small unryū-gama, had matsugasa kan-tsuki [松笠鐶付], as can be seen in the photo) and its “matching” tsurukubi-furo [鶴首風爐] (which, rather than shaped like a crane’s neck and body as some scholars posit, was actually a miniature black-lacquered ceramic mayu-buro [眉風爐]) for use during the siege.  These two utensils are shown in the photo, below.

    This small furo would have been placed on an ō-ita† (as were all small furo, which would make any sort of mizusashi-dana superfluous); and the small size of the kama‡ means that an extra large mizusashi -- most likely the kiji-tsurube [木地釣瓶]** -- would have been mandatory (not just as a matter of course, but on account of the rather large number of people who would be expected to participate in such conferences).  According to what few and fragmentary records exist from the time of the siege, the presumed arrangement of the room would have resembled that shown below (though the size of the room is very uncertain).

    Here, Hideyoshi (“Ⓗ”) would have sat on the jō-dan, with his personal guards (“Ⓖ”), who probably did not drink any tea, seated along the shōji that opened out onto the veranda (it was from there that Rikyū would have entered, bringing the kiri-taji with him, at the beginning of his temae), with his personal attendant (“Ⓐ”) seated in front of him, and to his left (this person would have accepted the chawan from Rikyū’s assistant, “ⓐ”, and raised it up onto the jō-dan for Hideyoshi to take).  Rikyū (“Ⓡ”), meanwhile, would have been seated in front of Hideyoshi (so that Hideyoshi was able to observe Rikyū’s actions closely).  His generals and other courtiers (“Ⓒ”) would have been ranged around the periphery of the room.  Since this was not a formal chakai, Rikyū would most likely have served only usucha, probably using a large natsume, and a (or a pair of) Raku chawan.  As the participants would have been concentrating on military matters, the tori-awase would have been kept as simple and understated as possible (using new utensils that would not risk distracting anyone from their thoughts).

    The furo and kama, and mizusashi, would have been under guard from the time they were set up in the room (some minutes prior to the arrival of Hideyoshi and his court).  At the beginning of the temae, Rikyū would have brought out the kiri-taji -- containing the chawan, ō-natsume, hishaku, futaoki, and koboshi (probably a mentsū) -- and rested it to the left of the mat that was being used for the temae.  (The kiri-taji has been colored red in the above sketch.)

    At the end of the temae, Rikyū would have returned all of the utensils to the taji, and removed it from the room -- probably without haiken.  The most serious part of the discussions would most likely have taken place after Rikyū departed (thus the service of tea would have provided Hideyoshi and his court with time to organize their thoughts).

    As for the way the things were arranged inside the kiri-taji, this would have been done as shown above (the selection of utensils reflects the kinds of things that Rikyū would have used) -- surely overseen by one, or more, of Hideyoshi’s personal guards (who then would be in charge of keeping watch over the tabi-dansu until it was taken into the room where tea was going to be served).

    Note that, as was mentioned previously, the hishaku is turned so that it faces toward the side (rather than toward the back), as if hung on a peg nailed into the wall of the tana††.  If oriented in this way, it is perfectly stable even when the taji is picked up, carried, and set down again‡‡.  The mentsū, meanwhile, is turned so that the seam is facing toward the left.  Thus it can be simply lifted onto the mat without having to be rotated to correct its orientation***.  (When used during the service of koicha, the chaire’s shifuku, and also a chaire-bon, if there was one, would be placed on the upper shelf at the end of the temae.)

    The upper shelf is missing from the sketch in Book Three of the Nampō Roku, suggesting that the person who drew it was unfamiliar both with Rikyū‘s tabi-dansu or its use in Rikyū‘s temae (where a habōki is necessary, even when only serving tea) -- or else misinterpreted a sketch of the dōko as being a picture of the kiri-taji.

    Contrary to what the modern schools teach, this tana was never placed on the utensil mat, or used as a mizusashi-dana, by Rikyū†††. ___________ *A Shū-un-an dana [集雲庵棚]* is a tsuri-dana that is attached to the far left-hand corner of the room, rather than to a sode-kabe (as Rikyū’s original tsuri-dana had always been).  The Shū-un-an dana, as the name implies, was created by Nambō Sōkei, though  clearly based on Rikyū’s original idea. By 1586 (if not earlier) Rikyū seems to have installed a Shū-un-an dana in all of his small rooms (allowing him to eliminate the need for a sode-kabe, and so reduce the small room from being a nijō-daime [二疊臺目] to one of just two mats).

†The ō-ita [大板], which was created by Jōō for use under the small furo, measures 1-shaku 3-sun square.  Made from a piece of the ten-ita of a damaged daisu, the ō-ita was painted with shin-nuri.

‡The small size of this kama -- which holds 3 mizuya-bishaku of water -- means that it is used exactly the same as the small unryū-gama.  That is, 2 hishaku of water are added immediately after the kama is opened for the first time (at the beginning of the temae, when the host will warm the chawan before performing the chasen-tōshi), and every time hot water is taken from the kama it has to be replaced with a hishakuful of cold water.

**The kiji-tsurube (and probably all other large mizusashi, regardless of their size or what they are made of) is too big to fit in the tabi-dansu.  Therefore it would have to have been arranged on the utensil mat beforehand (as was the usual practice), rather than carried out in the taji as the sketch implies.

††This probably was not done because an extra shelf would be desirable -- for the shifuku, and possibly a chaire-bon (since the bon-chaire temae was performed when serving tea to very important guests -- according to Rikyu’s various kaiki); yet Rikyū also had to keep in mind that the tana would be carried into, and out of, the room, and so had to be kept as small as possible (since if it were too cumbersome, the likelihood of disarranging the utensils enclosed within it when passing through the doorway would be so much greater).

‡‡To achieve the same degree of stability when the hishaku faces toward the back wall of the box, a separate piece of wood, with a hole to receive the end of the handle of the hishaku, has to be placed on top of the floor of the box.  This piece of wood is later removed and used (as a hegi [ヘギ as an abbreviation of ヘギ 板 = 曾木板 or 枌板, among other forms], a flat board, no more than several bu thick, used as a base when setting things on the ground) under the chawan when preparing tea out-of-doors.  However, as mentioned above, there is no evidence that Rikyū ever used the kiri-taji outside; and while early examples of the tabi-dansu have survived, the earliest removable boards appear to date from the second half of the Edo period.

***According to Rikyū, the mentsū should be oriented parallel to the host’s kane.  That is, a line passing from the far end through the seam will be parallel to the kane on which the host is sitting.  In a room of the kind shown in the sketch, the seam faces toward the lower end of the utensil mat.

    When the hishaku rests on top of the mentsū, its handle rests upon this imaginary line.

†††The focus of chanoyu in the Edo period was concentrated on the utensils.  Thus, everything that physically could be brought into the tearoom was used there, irrespective of the actual historical uses associated with these things.  And, having been brought out, the utensils were forced to conform to the demands of the contemporary practice, resulting in anomalies such as an object originally intended as a sort of portable dōko being used as a mizusashi dana.

[maketakunai]

Toumyu Mihotose 4/23 Live Viewing Report and Stage Summary

Hello! I watched the new Toumyu, Mihotose no Komoriuta, once live and once at the live viewing, and now I have a nice(?) report about it to share with you!

Warnings:

-ALL the spoilers -Very tl;dr, it’s almost 6k long lmao -Written very unseriously and in Asuka-language -Tsuntsun for Kuri-chan -Many editorializing comments -I was writing this while watching the LV and I forgot some parts -Ishikari (Ishikirimaru/Nikkari) contents www -Otokomichi is JUSTICE

Notes:

-Nikkari Aoe = Araki = Nikkaraki, etc - “Nikkari is the best sword” directly translates to “there was a fight scene and Nikkari was really cool in it.” But also he’s the best sword -Ookurikara = Kuri, Kara, etc. -Sengo Muramasa = Sengo, Senbon, etc. -Kebiishi = KBC = a big bad guy -bug = Matsudaira (Tokugawa) Nobuyasu, Ieyasu’s son -Links to historical figures’ Wiki pages tossed in where relevant but I’m no expert on Sengoku Period/Tokugawa family history myself, so, yeah.

The show starts with Ishikiri drawing lovely pictures at the sword house. He shows Kuri but Kuri doesn't like it. Even though it's very nice! He explains that he's writing the story of their adventure, and Kuri asks him to show it to him when he's done. Ishi's like are you interested :)? and he's like NO I DON'T MAKE FRIENDS ok

Ishi decides to start with a cool flashback to when Sengo-chan came home from the sword bakery, pink lights flash all around. Ota Motohiro must be stopped. Stop him. A strange song plays. Tonbon says OH NO you're here and Senbon is like “Hey! Let's get naked!” and poms his pompom. Spicy.

Tenbu 11 Mikawa - Nikkari and Kuri coming back from expedition, suddenly bad guys are attacking the people! It turns out that these people just so happen to be the Tokugawa family vassals, like, Honda Tadakatsu and all them! But unfortunately they all get murdered by the retrograde army. Regrettable.

A guy carrying a bb gets stabbed, a lot, then just as he's about to kick it the swords show up and he passes the bb off to Araki wwwwwww My favorite line in the entire show: “この子はどうすればいいのかな”Just in this really soft and 8D;;; smiley nervous voice “Um, Ookurikara? What :T do you think I should do with this kid :T?” wwwwwww “DONT TALK TO ME”

Back at the sword house, Ishikiri's talking to the boss, they say it's going to be intense! Ishikiri wants him to leave it to him. The sword boss also says there's a high chance of “them” showing up and to be careful!! D: nuooo...

Meanwhile, Tonbon introduces Senbon to Mononon, he mysteriously manages to refrain from hitting on him for possibly the only time in this musical. Or, possibly before he can, they get called in to see the sword boss.

They go see him with Ishikiri, he gives them their mission to find the kids that have been attacked in the middle of expeditions and save them and figure out what's going on.

These four sing a song about going out to battle, it's kinda good. Monoyon's tights are intense.

Nikkari is the best sword

Kuri tells him to go alone, it'll be easier to protect the bug that way, but bad guys show up and Araki's like “sorry, I'd love to, but it looks like we are tied together by destiny~~~~~” They fight some bad guys, when suddenly who shows up but a hot pink sword! Senbon Muramasa shows up to uchigatan some randos. “instead of an introduction, how about we take our clothes off?” “Hahahaha what”

Mononon visits next to bring luck to all the swords

Tonbon storms in a while later to spear some guys.

Finally slow sleepy Ishikiri, so chill, the chillest of all swords, shows up, and destroys like twenty guys in a single attack because he is an ootachi. The best sword

at some point during this scene Nikkari ducked off the top left hand side of the stage to drop off the baby, a little while later a bad guy kinda wandered over there and suddenly Nikkari sword plunged out of the darkness and assassinated him, it was so cool, Nikkari is the best sword

So!!! Finally the six swords are together and we can sing! The most important song!

TOUKEN RANBU TSUYOKU TSUYOKU KITAESHI HAGANE IMA

Here he is, it's Mr. KBC. He looks like Darth Vader, I was very scared to see him ahahahah. It was ok in the LV but when I watched it live I kept getting really scared every time they said something about KBC or when he showed up ;;;;;

Nikkaraki explains the situation about everyone dying, bb starts crying, Ishi takes it and cheers it up for a bit, it cries again, Monoyon discovers! This bug is Tokugawa Ieyasu. Monoyon cuddles it and talks about how it's his treasure. His most precious bug. I feel like there was just a lot of laughter in this scene for whatever reason. Well. Nikkaraki and Ishi and Senbon are all in one place. Of course there's going to be a lot of casual hahahas and huhuhus flying out of any given conversation.

Lullaby one sung by Monoyon Sada-chan to lull the baby Ieyasu to sleeps. This nen nen nen nen nen kororin song will be repeated many times throughout this musical so please be prepared. Well. The title of this silly musical is “the lullaby of 300 years” so what else can we expect! It would be stranger if there wasn't a lullaby being sung a bunch!

Swords are trying to figure out what they should do now that all the Tokus are dead, obviously history cannot continue on its usual track if the kid who is going to grow up to unify the country is suddenly an orphan and has lost like 95% of his army/family/etc. thingy. Just then Ishi has an idea so crazy it just might work! What if, to keep history on course and ensure that those bad Retrograders will not show up and ruin everything again... we become the Tokugawa retainers....

He sings a song to gently persuade the other swords to his way of thinking. Koko ni kibou ga aru, a bug~ we can't let anything happen to this bug~

Yes, so, we will become the erased retainers, hahahaa, I will be Hattori Hanzo :|b we will make history happen just as it did before! But, Senbon thinks he is an evil Muramasa Demon Sword cursed to bring misfortune so he will go away, Kuri is not interested in anything but stabbing dudes so he will go away too, oh no. Meanwhile Nikkaraki will become Sakai Tadatsugu, a nice advising fellow. Monoyon will become Torii Mototada, a very reliable and loyal retainer! Famously, in the end, he sacrificed his life when he and 2k troops managed to hold off 40k of Ishida Mitsunari's forces long enough to let Ieyasu's forces regroup in time for the battle of Sekigahara. Perfect for a Monoyon! Tonbon is supposed to be the Honda Tadakatsu replacement (his former owner) but he has no faith in such a thing.

Little cute Nikkari was shocked to learn the warmth of a bb ;n; He and Ishi have a little private chat about the past. “Before, I asked you why I couldn't become a holy sword, and you said it was probably because I cut down a child, even if it was a ghost... I never thought I would be able to understand the warmth of a child, but holding this bug in my arms, I think I'm starting to understand what you meant...” “Well, you may have cut down a ghost child before, but this time, the child you have saved will become a god. I'd say that's pretty holy.” “A-ah... really ;;o;;/ ;n;” is I think the gist of the conversation they have here, tbh I'm a little fuzzy on the details but what is important here is that they laughed softly together and gave each other a lot of soft meaningful looks.

Ishikari is real

Now a montage of fool swords tryna raise a baby wwwwww narrated by Ishi. I cannot help but notice that we do not get the chance to see any of Ishi's amusing parental blunders, why are you trying to erase history!!!11!11!1 “To absolutely no one's surprise, Monoyon Sada-chan was the single best sword parent, as expected of the little waki who stayed by his side as his treasure~” Monoyon came out with the bug and played peekaboo and stuff with him, making the bug laugh, but suddenly the bug started crying! “Oh no, looks like you pooped a lot, let's get your diaper changed!” says the cheerful waki.

“Mr. Nikkari also surprisingly took to childcare like a sword to stabbing dudes” Araki shoved the baby bucket wwwwww in previous shows he came out with a stroller thing and was pushing it like a normal human but in raku he was just like. Shoving it and letting it roll on its own while he walked behind it wwwww He picked up the bug and then said “You know, i don't hate soft things.... maybe I'll eat you!!!” a good sword parent

“Tonbon seems like he should have his shit together, but perhaps he was the roughest and most disastrous of all of them.” Tonbon came out with the bug strapped to his back and started flailing around his spear. At first the bug liked it but then it Did Not and he panicked and unsuccessfully tried to cheer up and continue spear practice with the crying bug wwwwww

“Senbon and Kuri were protecting us from a bit farther away. Probably. Separately. Probably.” “Hey, Kuri, want to ~~~live with me~~~” “I DON'T MAKE FRIENDS” “But I~~~ extremely~~~ want to become ve-ry good friends with you~~~~”

Time skip!! The Ieyasu bug became a smiley bigger bug of 10 or so, very cute! I want to squish it. Nikkari and Ishi? and Monoyon are talking with the bug. He clearly loves his sword family very much! But, he doesn't know they're swords, of course...! (also it makes you wonder if these kids are supposed to be in disguise or if this bug just grew up like “well my one dad has green hair and my other dad has pink hair and my other other dad is blond with pink tips and my other other other dad has normal-ish brown hair but I have literally never not seen him with anything less than flawless eyeshadow, i'm sure all kids grow up this way” Also??? They have to be doing other things like castle management and raising armies and whatnot, right, so probably the implication is that they're supposed to look like normal randos of the time period bUT ALSO LIKE what if they don't??? what if they are just like. Clearly otherworldly swords and the bug's just like Nothing Is Wrong and so nobody else has the nerve to question it wwwwww) Anyway they have a chat or something and Monoyon's like “Let's sing a song little one! KAA KAA, GEKKO GEKO” and the bug sings it too and it's so precious wwww i love

Senbon and Kuri are visiting to report their status. romanchikku Muramasa Fwamily song? Side note Mokkun worked really hard to imitate Suwabe's weird katakana pronunciation of desu and things, side note 2 how does Suwabe do that? Anyway Tonbon sang a couple bars of a song, then explained to Kuri (who DOESN'T WANT TO KNOW, HE DOESN'T MAKE FRIENDS but Ton's like chill, it might come up in the mission so just let me tell you this ok) that there was a legend that Mr. Muramasa Demon Sword was bad luck to Tokugawa thingies, then Sen sang his song about night and darkness and moon thingies. Clearly he is very worried about this mission!!

Nikkari came out and Senbon got EXTREMELY NERVOUS AND PANICKY. “Sh-SHOULD WE GET NAKED????” “There's no need for that.... right now 8D” standing in silence, Senbon wiggling “HAHA WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME” “it sure is. A time 8D” Nikka tried to give him some advice like “hey it's nice trying new things, like, me raising a bug, who would have thought it but it's p good!” but Sen was too shook to deal wwww (did I miss something, why would Senbon be nervous about Nikkari all of a sudden? Is it just because he walked in while he was showing Emotional Vulnerability through song? Is it because he relies on his aggressive flirting as a means of keeping people away, except for not only does it not bother Nikkari but Nikkari is Extremely Into It and is flirting back and Senbon can't actually deal with that? Did they hook up sometime during the intervening ~10 years but it didn't go so well and now it's awkward? I really just don't know.)

is this a new song or is this the same song still. anyway more singing! Kuri sang too maybe! Cool bug growing up montage with it, the small bug had sword practice with his best boy Monoyon and then spun around and transformed into a cool adult! Probably, exactly like that.

And, his first child was born, a small bug named Nobuyasu (known as “bug” from here on). I don't remember this so much in the LV but in the live show, Ieyasu, like, kept passing the bug to Ishi but then the bug would start crying and so he'd have to take him back. He played with the bug and made silly sounds and it was really cute :)

OK now time for battle again! This is the battle of Okehazama where Ieyasu's ally the Imagawa clan gets rekt by Oda Nobunaga but the Tokugawa turn out totally ok :) Monoyon advisor, when asked about the luck of this battle, told Ieyasu something to this effect, hey! that's spoilers! Senbon flirted with Kurichan outrageously.

So there are these soldier dudes standing around and this little farmer guy called Gohei comes out and he's like wow! A war! My first war! and the soldiers are like “you, a soldier? Give it up, you won't last five seconds :/” They go to beat him up and Gohei's like STAY BACK and they're like OH NO he's got a weapon but then he just pulls out this tiny little sickle wwww They menace him a bit as he flails the sickle around and then who appears suddenly but Kuri Kara-chan!!! Gohei became friends with Kurichan, somehow, somehow. Somehow. Basically he's like “o-OH hey BRO yeah this is my BRO if you mess with me, you mess with my BRO” and Kuri doesn't really do anything lmao just stands there and all the soldier guys are too intimidated by his existence www Eventually they're like “w/e let's go guys :|;;;” only the poor two soldiers that are stuck with Kuri between them and the exit like slowly awkwardly move toward him, then give these incredibly deep respectful bows before dashing away. Gohei runs after them like “that's what you get you NERDS,” and taunts them by shaking his butt in their general direction, only he forgets he still has his sickle in his hand and stabs himself in the ass. Regrettable. Kuri turns to go now that this tomfoolery is over with but Gohei stops him and says “Um, hey... what's... war like?” and. I. Well I forgot what Kuri said in response =u=;; but after that he said something along the lines of “it's no place for someone like you :/” and ran off!

Then we get a battle scene, not so much with swords battling I think? Mostly a lot of human soldiers? But also Ishi is there for sure! At some point the whole scene kind of wobbles and falls into slow motion and Ishi has this small dissociation moment where he's just surrounded by all this horror and bloodshed and violence and he's kind of just slowly turning around taking it all in.... before he turns back to his fight and finishes off his enemy. Poor sweet Ishi ;n;

At the end of the battle the swords meet up again. Kuri's like “hmph ;/ is that all there was to this battle ://” and Ishi is really not having this today so he's like. “Oh 'is this all' huh so the many lives that were lost today mean absolutely nothing to you, all right, if that battle just now wasn't enough for you, that's fine, I have good news for you, DRAW YOUR SWORD I'M GOING TO FIGHT YOU” They have a sword battle where Ishi clearly has the advantage. He kind of pushes Kuri around like “hmm :/ your sword is very light isn't it?” and Kuri is unhappy.

Senbon breaks it up. “exCUSE ME. What are you doing you are NOT ALLOWED TO GET NAKED WITHOUT ME” Ishi's like haha oh you're right! he's Into It too wwwwww

Then Ieyasu finally turns up and he's like oh hey who's this cool guy I've never seen before, he was great in that battle thingy! Hey! Guy! What's your name! Ishi(?), seeing his chance, says “oh 8D Mr. Ieyasu 8D This is of course none other than Sakakibara Yasumasa!” Ieyasu says Wow cool! Hey Mr. Sakakibara, how about you fight with my team, it'll be real nice to have you! And in a surprising moment, the Kuri kneels down and swears allegiance to Ieyasu. Nice

Lullaby 2? Probably. Probably sung by Ieyasu to his bug? That's my heart's impression but I didn't take any actual notes on this. Anyway it grew from a baby into a small bug that can run around!! Again, very cute!!!

The bug ran up to Ishi to show him a nice flower he found! “Do you know what flower this is?” “Hahaha. Yes, it's called aconite. (In Japanese, torikabuto, “bird helmet” www)” and the bug's like “Wow cool!!” and then Ishi's like “By the way it's extremely poisonous hahaha” and the bug got scared and threw it across the stage www. Ishi had him do HaraKiyo and it was very cute www The bug has been watching this war go on and such and he wants to be useful. Ishi(?) tells him “well to be useful you have to work on your swords practice” but he only likes flowers, not swords. He wants to do something useful with flowers! Then Gohei came into the scene and wanted to learn swords from Kuri but he was like Nah. Then Gohei told a sad story about how war took everything from him, his parents got killed in a war and he and his little sister survived but after that they had no food and his sister starved and how now he has to be strong too. Then the bug asked Kuri to teach Gohei as well and Kuri had no choice but to agree to his lord (a very loyal sword? Kinda cute...) and bug and Gohei became friends? And the bug looked at Gohei's hands. “A-ah, this is embarrassing, I'm sorry, my hands are all hard from farming...” Meanwhile poor little Kuri-chan having agreed to this absurd demand is waiting at the corner of the stage. Ishi's like “Ah, is it ok to keep your sword teacher waiting?” and Gohei's like OH NO I'M SUPER GOMEN and ran after the very annoyed Kuri Kara. The bug looked at his own hands as he walked away. “My hands... are very soft...” Perhaps, I get the feeling that Ishi is feeling a bit melancholy here, but maybe that is just because of what is to come...?

Now Ieyasu is allied with the Oda forces and is participating in their battle vs. Azai Nagamasa. Again, Monoyon advisor tells him that luck is on their side...!

Nikkari is the best sword

Tonbon is still deeply uncertain about being a good replacement for his former master, Honda Tadakatsu, which is a problem because this is a battle where Honda played a pivotal role. Monoyon Sada-chan, reliable as all wakis are, thinks of a clever way to make him get it together. “Tonbo! There's someone who's been badmouthing your former master!” he says! Tonbon gets mad! Who is it!! Who is this guy!!! I will FITE HIM!! But Monoyon points to him and says “The one insulting your master.... is you!!” Basically to not believe in himself is insulting to the master who always trusted him as a weapon, maybe? Tbh I forgot what his point actually was OTL Anyway he gives him a pep talk about how he can be the best Honda Tadakatsu if he believes in himself and isn't dumb. Then Ton sings a song about he will become Honda and breaks into the enemy stronghold singlehandedly against like 10000 guys. Cool sword.

After a successfully won battle, we get a scene with Gohei and bug and Kuri, bug has a request! He wants Gohei  to teach him how to farm. Gohei says ofc!! but if it's okay, in exchange, he wants bug to teach him how to read. Ofc it's okay!! says the bug, and he doesn't know many yet but he'll do his best to learn new words so he can teach them to him too! then they sword together with Kuri, Ishi sings a song and we get another growing up montage, welcome Ohno Mizuki, thank you for your self.

WHY AM I HERE BY HIS SIDE WHY AM I DOING THIS IS THERE ANOTHER WAY Ishi says and aggressively rips out pages from his notebook. Bless

Suddenly Senbon shows up to a meeting of swords and Ieyasus and declares that he is now Ii Naomasa and he's going to join their team. Please stop your wicked ways. Also like no offense but.... why... what was the buildup to this change of heart......

And Nikkari saw that Ishi was stressin' out and not letting anyone into his heart so he tried to strike up a conversation and help him but he got rejected..... please fall in love............. let him support you in your time of suffering.....

SO HISTORICALLY it turns out that what happened is that this very bug that the swords have raised from childhood will be ordered by Ieyasu to kill himself quite soon...! Not only that, the one who assisted his suicide aka actually killed him was none other than Hattori Hanzo, currently being portrayed by our boy Ishi Kiri Maru. Oh no! Meccha trouble. No wonder the poor little big sword is so sad and doesn't have time for love :/ Probably everyone knew about this except like Kuri bc he doesn't make friends. As the sword who stayed by Ieyasu's side to the end, Monoyon remembers that Ieyasu always regretted this to the end of his life.... and even he isn't quite sure why he had him killed. A nice sad slow rendition of TKRB plays over this scene.

Now we're going to fight something! Cool!

Nikkari is the best sword

Bad guys from the time army thingy come for the first time in a while and they fight them, Senbon is kind of losing his chill but it's fine, also he definitely sat on an enemy uchi or something and spanked him

Swords are defending Ieyasu and bug and Gohei and sending them deeper into the building to hide from the bad guys, but bad guys keep spawning! Eventually all the other swords are distantly located and the only one left is Kuri-chan! He does his best to fight all the guys, alone, just like you wanted, right :? He kind of collapses in exhaustion after he finished off the last one... right? Except OH NO there was one uchi or something left and it ran up to stab Ieyasu! But!! Gohei jumped in front of it and took the hit, giving Karabou enough time to get back to his feet and finish the uchi! Rest in RIP gohei. “That's why I didn't want to be friends :((“ nice live viewing camera work slowly zoomed in on the Kuri's 1 (one) emotion.

Ishi comes out to visit and pray at Gohei's grave. He has a song about “I want to save you, but everything keeps spilling from my fingers. Why do we fight, I don't want to lose any more of the things I'm holding onto....” He fights with Kuri by unspoken mutual agreement and afterwards Ishi tells him his sword has gotten heavier. Nikkaraki comes out and tells him Ishi is praying not just for Go but for all soldiers and things and even enemies and just everything. “why is he fighting then” probably he wants to put an end to all war...

sad Kuri whose feels are now getting in the way of his ability to fight and he's dokidoki artichokey. He goes to give Go's grave a flower except then he doesn't. “Idk what will happen when no more war but..  maybe I want to see it!! And only then will I give you a flower” ok that's fine but what are you going to do with the one you have now tho

and the sad baby bug visits the grave, full of regrets...

NO KBC IS WAITING STOP YOUR EVIL THESE SWORDS ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN

Mononon is under attack! From bad Sengo “COME ON NO ESCAPING GET NAKED” “WHY DO I HAVE TO GET NAKED” “BC WHEN YOU LOSE IN PRACTICE FIGHTS YOU HAVE TO GET NAKED” “BUT I WON” “WELL THEN YOU SHOULD BE STRIPPING OUT OF SHEER JOY” suddenly Araki and Sengo gets a little panicked because he's here to foil his nefarious plot. “Haha, sh-shall we all get naked then?” Araki: “Ok but I only get naked after a fight” “o-okay GOOD CHANCE LET'S ALL GET NAKED” Monoyon: “Anyway what's so good about getting naked” “SHALL I SHOW YOU 8D” Ton: DO NOT BE FOOLED BY HIS EVIL WAYS then Kuri came out and Sen almost stole his heart(?) by pretending to be hurt but then he didn't. Then because all four of the great Ieyasu generals were together Sengo made them line up and pose for no reason. Nice

Ishi came in and asked if they were having fun “WE'RE NOT” Araki: “no it's fun we're lining up” “IT'S NOT FUN” “oh, well, that's very nice, suddenly I have to go kill the bug now so bye” nice transition

There's a big argument about “what Ishi are you really going to kill this bug!! He did nothing!! Can you really kill someone who did nothing wrong!!” and Ishi snaps back that it can't be helped! This is how history goes and we have to protect history! He is suffering so much :(((( Nikkari probably makes them let him go. After some discussion the other swords are going to go help him kill him(?) for moral support(??) and everyone's sad especially Monoyon, they tell him it's ok and he doesn't have to come, he should just bring luck to everyone instead of death. He trails sadly after everyone on their death mission anyway.

the bug talks to his father Ieyasu. He wants to be slain because poor Gohei's death traumatized him and because he doesn't have the determination to be in the war anymore. Can't deal. Can't hold a sword anymore. Dad shoves his sword back in his face and screams at him that he has to fight!! He storms off and Ishi comes to take his place, presumably to kill him. Cool bgm of that yurayurara song whose name I don't actually know. The Ishi's sword is half drawn and he is frozen as bug confesses his inability to succeed his father. But then he sings his lullaby and Ishi gets his heart broken. His sword slides slowly back into the sheath. “Hanzo, I have a request of you. Please kill me” <//////3

approximately 2.5 seconds after Ishi decides that he really can't kill the bug after all, the KBC arrives to ruin everyone's day. Thus begins a very difficult and long fight against the single OP enemy D||!! (Also. I have to ask. Is the KBC automatically dispatched without any other info on the situation as soon as a change in history is detected, or like. were there a big panel of KBCs monitoring the silly swords going about like forty years of child-raising like “well yeah technically they’re not supposed to be here doing this, but those other guys already screwed things up and I’M not about to become a surrogate sword parent, let’s just.... leave them alone for now....”)

Everyone is being tossed around but our very strong and sturdy ootachi is still standing strong! Ishi fights the KBC singlehandedly and declares his intention of wrecking the KBC even if he breaks in the process, kind of??? implied???? that????? he's getting corrupted or something???? something is very wrong, but then, the bug shows up and gets stabbed trying to save Ishi from KBC. Everyone fights KBC and Ishi yells over his fallen bug!!!!!!!

Then they all fight together, they say lines about getting hurt (awakened?) they all stab the guy and then suddenly light flashes out!!! Very similar to the end of Tenroudenmyu when The Thing happened.

Next, timeskip! to the day of Ieyasu's death. ;n; he is an old man! Monoyon shows up and Ie recognizes him as Mototada, then he sees Nikkaraki, “wow, you came for me too Tsunetsugu!” then everyone! “Wow, everyone! Sorry, I'm the only one who lived such a long life.....”

“I always hated war. Sorry for being such a pitiful and terrible aruji” the monoyon shakes its head nyuaaa “when I first held the bug, the bug who was happy with just a lullaby... I cursed even that small happiness. I wanted to bring war to an end.” gets out of bed “How's that!!! I did it!! I got rid of it!!!” “i wonder if this was for the best.... that it took this much spilled blood to make it here.... Nobuyasu... sorry....” and keeps apologizing over and over. Intention to keep calling for him until the end. Then a cloaked figure shows up, who is it? It is none other than our bug Nobuyasu, but! he has become Gohei!! A humble farmer planting his crops in peace! Nice!!! and the world is beautiful! The Ieyasu is so happy and he falls back into Mononon's arms, softly singing the start of the lullaby until he passes away. Monoyon starts singing with him but stops because he is in tears. Araki advises him to smile :)

They come back! Sen and Ton are arguing about Tokugawa stuff again, then they're going to practice fighting, then Monoyon, a Fool, wants to join and Sen says “Ok, but by the end we might both not be wearing a-ny-thing at all~~~” “W-Well that would be! A problem!” Monoyon runs away chased by the cackling Senbonzakura. Nikkari and Ishi are sitting down looking at Ishi's book, Ishi shows him his nice picture of him! “ehhhh~ so that's how you see me...?” Ishi is shocked www then he shows him Kuri “Ah yeah, I can imagine it perfectly” “right!!” “his face when he sees THAT” wwwwwww heartbroken. Then Nikkari sits next to him and looks at the gloomy Ishi and says “Ishikiri?” “Hmm?” and starts laughing until Ishi laughs back and they both laugh with big smiles on their faces!!!!!!! I love them!!!!!! Laughing is the best in the end!!!! (the cry of my heart)

Ishi writes some more stuff, then realizes he has to go to horse duty, accidentally leaves his book behind. Sneaky Kuri finds it, flips through it until he gets to a certain page, then softly smiles for just a second before he frowns again.

Everyone sings the lullaby song together!!! The full version! the end of the first act!!!! Very nice!!!

Act 2

Starts with weird vines and a haunted house? Why? I don't know. No one knows. Some nice dancing by our ensemble guys.

A cool song. I liked the Nikkari and Ishi kecha part, Ishikari is real. They all had cool black cape thingies and the lining of Senbon's was pink and beautiful. I love it.

“Shall we get naked?” says Senbon and they take off their first layer of clothes. another cool song. Centered by Senbon Muramasa. At the end he does a sexy dance move where Tonbon spins him around and he ends with his leg wrapped around him :) whoa. Muramasa fwamily.

The part where they determine who slacked off the most in today's musical. Tonbon says “I have never once slacked off in my life!!” unfortunately for him at the show I saw live he was chosen www Senbon or someone was like “so much for never slacking off 8D” hahaha. At that show, he said his “近寄らせはせん！ ”(I will not let anyone get closer!) line except he followed it up with “...except for you, Aruji~♥” Thank you................. I love you..........

At senshuuraku, a miracle occurred and the sword chosen to say an embarrassing romanchikku line to the audience was none other than... Both!!!! Ishikirimaru and Nikkari Aoe!!!!!!!!! At the same time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I lost it tbh I was screaming alone in my house at 9:14 pm. Anyway they went back to back and took turns saying parts of their lines together and Ishi shot the audience to the heart with a bang and Nikkaraki blew a kiss and anyway Ishikari is real, thank you...

Nikka to Kuri: “I'm going to have you accompany me a while longer.” Araki/Zaiki duet. Endless Fighter? That was the primary Englishy bit in the chorus. Some mystery notes in there. Pretty catchy? I don't really have a good ear for songs to start with but this is the only one that I can still remember some of the tune and lyrics to which says something probably! :D;;;

Ishi and Mononon duet. A lot of high notes, I don't know that this was necessary? But it was cute, they're cute. Cute swords.

Tonbon solo, probably the best song(?)? Because y'all spi can SING. He was really cool and cute too :(((!!!! Wonderful!!!!!! Very much he deserved this solo!!!!

Soft and slow song with swords wandering through the audience. Ishi peekaboo'd the live-viewing camera wwww Kuri showed the camera an X because he doesn't make friends, thanks. There was a very important moment in the live viewing where Ishi was singing and Nikkari just kinda stopped and watched him with a really soft look..... Ishikari is real.....

When I watched it live, Kuri was going to walk down our aisle (where a lot of Kuri oshis were waving lights for him) but then he was like EXTREMELY NAH and turned around and went back to where he came from :T Brat. In character but like come on. At least Monoyon hung out at our area for a while and Ishikiri came and harakiyo'd some people, please purify me Ishikirimaru.........

Next they brought out the drums and the human actors and had some flag waving! Cute tokugawas!!!! Cool drums!

Next, everyone takes off their second outfit and we get a song that is not Otokomichi. Like it's a p good song, like, it would be really hype if it was a leadup to Otokomichi, but, it's not Otokomichi, so, what's the point...? why even have a sword musical? Without Otokomichi? Tbh

In Not!Otokomichi their little prop thingy they played with was a small version of one of those jingly shrine bell thingies where there's a lot of bells attached to the one thing? And it had like rainbow strings -u-! Great! Like this maybe vvv

Finally we end with Touken Ranbu (song) drum version and the redressed swords sing a final reprise of it!! Right!! This is how you have to end the swords musical!! I'm lookin' at you Tenrouden!!!

At Japan senshuuraku, they announced a DVD for the live they held at Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, only a year after it happened but that's fine. Then they announced a new myu to be happening between November and January of this year, with no further information! That's fine! I didn't want to know what swords were appearing in this one, of course not! It's fine!!!!! Last, they announced Dream Live Swords 2017 for this December, to be held at Budokan and Osaka Castle Hall and Saitama Super Arena!! Holy cannoli!! Big houses for lots of swords!!! Please bring back all the swords for this but ESPECIALLY my Shinsengumi swords :V Please give Kanesan an ever larger audience for his haikus......... thank you.......................

Personal Rating: 7.5/10

I enjoyed it a lot! And I know for many people this was their favorite swords musical this far :O The casting as always was flawless, the only equally perfect casting decision to Araki Hirofumi as Nikkari Aoe that has ever been made is Ogoe Yuuki as Horikawa Kunihiro. And, I was happy to see it live! But, I thought Tenroudenmyu was superior in having bigger emotional moments as well as having overall catchier songs (esp. in part 2 ><). And, there wasn’t really anything in Tenrouden where I was like “ok but why” like there was in Mihotose. Also they took Otokomichi out????? I’m legit really upset about this lol. But, I also think there were some things this one did that improved on previous ones, like trying to share the focus more equally between all six rather than having two kind of leftover swords just hanging out in the background. And it very much feels like they’re trying to take the overall narrative somewhere rather than limiting it to the Swords Angst Over Their Former Masters plot we’ve had before, especially by bringing the KBC in. I’m really looking forward to seeing what they do with the next one...! *____*

Thank you for reading! Please share your thoughts on swords musicals as well! Discussions and dissenting opinions are always welcome *u*

[samcybercat]

"Right… Well… I’m not sure how we ended up kissing like that…” Momotori? 8D

“That’s not how beetles do it though.”

…It was at that point when Nitori realised that he was about to be subjected to a topic of conversation that was too weird, even for him. And if Nitori was honest with himself, he was a pretty weird guy. He kept his umbilical cord in a box on his desk because it had sentimental value, he had a water flea observation diary from grade school on hand just in case he ever needed it and he wore t-shirts with pictures of animals on them that looked like they’d had a run-in with Picasso and then been squashed by a truck. Nitori was weird and he’d be… actually, probably not the first to tell someone that, because he gets self-conscious about it. But once he’d gotten to know a person well enough, if they haven’t already figured it out for themselves, then he’d gladly tell them.

Even so, beetle reproduction was where the line was firmly drawn. It wasn’t that Nitori had any problem with beetles doing whatever it was that they do, he just didn’t need to know about it. That was a whole different kettle of weird that Momo was far more interested in than Nitori was. So as Momo went into graphic detail about exactly how beetles do whatever beetles do, Nitori stared very hard at the book he was pretending to read and hummed loudly in his head to try and block it out.

“…So I guess that’s where the confusion comes from,” Momo concluded, after far too long.

It sounded as if he was finished now, so Nitori chanced looking up from the book and pretended to have been listening the whole time.

“That’s all very interesting, Momo. You should be on the Discovery Channel or something,” he said, “Your show could be called… um, the Beetle Kiss-Kiss Show or something like that.”

“But beetles don’t kiss, I just told you that!” Momo wailed, “If you ever come across a kissing bug then you’re in big trouble, because those things are dangerous, but they don’t kiss for the same reason that people do.”

“I’m sorry, I guess this just goes over my head,” Nitori admitted. But since he was fully aware of what could come of asking Momo what they did instead of kissing, he didn’t dare; “I guess I just never thought about that kind of thing.”

“Kissing’s actually kind of weird,” said Momo, completely oblivious to how much cheek he of all people had calling anything weird after what he’d just been saying, “…I mean, hardly any other animals do it except for us. Chimpanzees do, but does that really count? Plus, I think it’s for a different reason.”

Nitori snapped his book shut. Now Momo had his attention.

“You don’t mean that, do you?” he gasped, “Not even cute little penguins?”

“Well, penguins don’t have lips, so how could they?” Momo replied.

“That means… not ducks either?” Nitori asked.

“Nah, not even a little bit,” confirmed Momo, “But ducks are actually pretty interesting. Did you know they have the longest pe-”

“Yes, I knew that!” Nitori screeched, before Momo could carry on and ruin ducks for him. Beetles were one thing, but Nitori actually liked ducks and didn’t want to have to think of Momo’s gross facts whenever he saw one. It was best to move this conversation along; “So why do people kiss if other animals don’t do it?”

“I don’t know,” Momo said, with a shrug, “There’s been studies on it, but I’m not interested in learning about people, so I never read any.”

Nitori stared at him; “…You mean to tell me that you can recite what a beetle gets up to off by heart, but you’ve never wanted to find out why humans do what they do?”

“Don’t say it like that! You make it sound strange,” Momo protested.

“Because it is strange!” pressed Nitori, “I’m sorry, Momo… That sounded worse than I meant it to. What I’m trying to say is that maybe one day you’ll be with someone and you’ll want to try these things, but you won’t know what to do because you’ve been spending all this time thinking about anything else except how people do stuff.”

Momo folded his arms and pouted, which made him look far too adorable and even Nitori could admit that.

“Maybe I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t want to talk about how cool beetles are anyway…” he muttered.

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of it that easily,” said Nitori, “Let’s suppose that you do find the perfect person someday who’s as interested in insects as you are, but even then they want to kiss you sometimes. Then what are you going to do?”

“I never thought about that…” Momo admitted. He took a few moments to reflect upon this and then, in true Momo fashion, he freaked out, raising his hands to rub through his hair frantically; “Gaaaah, Aiiii…! What am I going to do? I can’t let them down!”

“Calm down, Momo. Right now there’s no one to let down,” Nitori pointed out.

“But one day there will be! Maybe there’ll even be many people, because I’m pretty great. But they’ll all leave when they find out that I can’t even kiss them right!” cried Momo.

“I’m sure by that time you’ll have figured out-”

“…You’re right! You can help me figure it out!” Momo interrupted.

“That wasn’t what I said,” Nitori tried.

But it was too late. Momo had grabbed him by the shoulders and was staring deep into his eyes in a way that looked completely manic. The Mikoshiba brothers had these intense yellow eyes that Nitori had never seen on any other person before. When they stared at you, you knew about it. And part of Nitori wasn’t… completely opposed to that, but right now Momo’s face looked a little unsettling.

“Please, Ai… please, please can we kiss each other so I can figure this out?” Momo begged.

“W-w-what makes you think I k-know all about this…!” Nitori wailed, his face now bright red.

“Because you have all those magazines under your bed, don’t you? I know you spend a lot more time thinking about it than I do, so you’re probably an expert. I need some of your expertise to help me understand,” said Momo.

“Okay, first of all, never talk about my magazines again,” Nitori warned, “Second of all, I’m… not that much of an expert, but I guess I could… try to teach you what I know.”

“Thank you so much, Ai! You won’t regret it!” cheered Momo.

Right. So they were doing this. R-right… Nitori better get himself ready. He took a deep breath and started to speak again.

“So the first thing you need to do is-”

That was when Momo chose to slap their faces together in what was probably the most unromantic way possible. It was a miracle that he didn’t leave them both with a concussion, but he did come at Nitori with enough force to knock them both down onto the bed. Then the next thing that Nitori knew was all lips. At least until the tongue got involved. W-wait… they were doing tongues, too? Apparently that was the case. You could say something for Momotarou Mikoshiba, when he went at something, he gave it his all and he was definitely going at this. Nitori felt himself resting back and actually begin to enjoy it, in some weird way. Even in Nitori’s wildest fantasies about Rin it hadn’t ever been this intense.

By the time Momo pulled back, they were both panting. Momo looked down at him with a face almost as red as Nitori assumed his own was and his hair looked even more messed up than usual. A long moment passed in which neither of them knew what to say, but then Nitori figured that he had to say something, so he tried to pull himself together.

“Right… Well… I’m not sure how we ended up kissing like that…” he managed, “But that’s… definitely one way to do it…”

Now Momo beamed down at him, satisfied to have gotten Nitori’s praise.

“Okay cool, so I’ve got this kissing people thing sorted then,” Momo replied, “Now I don’t have to worry about it any more.”

“Hold on, I wouldn’t go that far,” said Nitori, “I mean, you can certainly kiss people without also head-butting them at the same time, for a start.”

“I mean… I guess?” mused Momo, “But in the animal kingdom, head-butting is a way-”

“Look, I’m not talking about the animal kingdom, I’m talking about Momo and his sweetheart,” Nitori snapped, “You also have to learn to kiss them in a tender way to get all of your, um, soft feelings across.” …As if there was anything about this guy that was soft.

“…Oh, okay then. So I still have some things to learn,” agreed Momo, “So will you teach me how to do the tender kissing as well?”

Nitori sighed, “…All this kissing. You should take me out to dinner first and then I’ll think about it.”

“Sure! Where do you want to go? There’s this sweet place in town that does the best spaghetti with fried eggs, we could totally go there tonight if you want,” Momo offered.

“I was… joking?” replied Nitori. Although actually, the invitation was quite nice. It wasn’t often that Nitori got asked out on a date, even if it was for the ulterior motive of teaching about kissing, “…Actually, sure. Let’s go to that place. I mean, not because I won’t teach you otherwise, because that’d be mean, but getting out for a while might be nice.”

“It’s a date,” Momo cheered, just in case Nitori had any doubt that it… um, wasn’t a date; “I can’t wait to try all this kissing stuff in public so people can see how great we are at it!”

“Hold on a second, I didn’t say we’d be doing the kissing at the restaurant! At least not the way you were kissing me just before anyway,” retorted Nitori.

Momo smirked; “…Why? Are you worried that other people might get jealous?”

Oh no… that was… way too smooth to have come out of Momo’s mouth. It made Nitori feel weird things inside and he just wasn’t having it. So he grabbed the nearest pillow and started to beat Momo across the chest with it.

“You will behave when we’re on our date, got it?” he insisted.

“Got it! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go ask Sousuke for some advice about dating,” Momo said, pulling himself up off the bed.

“W-wait… I thought I was the one giving you the advice,” whined Nitori.

“Yeah, for kissing. But I can’t ask you for advice about dating if you’re the one I’m dating. So it has to be Sousuke now, since I bet he knows all about dating and junk,” Momo reasoned. He was already halfway to the door.

“You shouldn’t… assume that about him…” Nitori mumbled. By the time he’d pulled himself up properly from the bed, Momo had disappeared around the door, so Nitori yelled, “Get back here by seven, okay? Or I’m leaving without you!”

“Got it!” Momo called.

…And that was how Nitori got his first date with Momo. When he looked back on it, even just the next day, he wouldn’t be able to tell someone exactly how it happened. They were just a weird couple of guys, he supposed. And maybe weird wasn’t all bad.

[the-nysh]

Tagged by @nyam and @jenny-opm! Thanks <3

Some long stuff under the cut:

1: Are you named after someone? I THINK it was after somebody in the hospital I was born in that my parents happened to like at the time. :P Nothing too big. 2: When was the last time you cried? 2012 for real. Otherwise tears from laughing too hard, or weeping from revisiting some old fic feels since then. :’)   3: Do you like your handwriting? Ahahaha no. XD If I try I can pretend to make it ‘pretty’ but that takes too long, so most of the time it’s just quick chicken scratch notes only I can decipher. (Conditioned from all the lectures I’ve been to where speed is imperative) 4: What is your favorite lunch meat? Concerning sliced deli meats for sandwiches, I usually prefer ham over turkey. Pastrami has its moments too. 5: Do you have kids? Nope! Not financially viable for that. Brother has two toddlers tho, and that’s enough in the family for now (and even THEY are at the limit of his expenses even with his perfect job). 6: If you were another person, would you be friends with you? Hmmm, perhaps as a friendly, competitive rival to provide further motivation and productivity as a challenger. To kick my own ass into gear, so to speak. XD 7: Do you use sarcasm? In real life, sure sometimes, depending on context. Mostly for lighthearted jabs, but otherwise I try to be as clear as possible. 8: Do you still have your tonsils? Yep. Only surgery I’ve had is for wisdom teeth. 9: Would you bungee jump? No thanks! (what if it snaps?) I’ve done aerial maneuvers in airplanes and that’s plenty enough vertical diving for me. XD 10: What is your favorite kind of cereal? Granola on yogurt, or hot oatmeal. :3 11: Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Nah, too uselessly repetitive. Shoes are in permanent double knots and I just slip them on and off at the heel. (only tie when they get loose) 12: Do you think you’re a strong person?  Physically, heh nope. Mentally? If being super stubborn, powering thru by willpower alone, or putting on a front when responsibility matters (but still quaking inside), then maybe. Often try to avoid such stresses tho. 13: What is your favorite ice cream? Ever, ever? Cookies and cream. :3 Real oreo bits even better. 14: What is the first thing you notice about people? Probably their overall mood or demeanor. The way they carry themselves if they’re open or defensive to conversation. Can even tell by the way people type in chats sometimes. Dealing in customer service, there are plenty of ways to turn a business smile genuine or further forced after their initial approach. 15: What is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? Hmm, plenty. Probably skeletal asymmetry, as there’s nothing to do about it.   16: What color pants and shoes are you wearing now? Black lounge pants and white socks. (inside) 17: What are you listening to right now? Currently the news on tv. 18: If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Forest green :) 19: Favorite smell? Probably soft, comforting things that evoke nostalgic memories.   20: Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? Ah, can’t remember. I keep my phone turned off and have it set so that all calls/messages are forwarded to my computer’s email. :P So other than that probably something work related. 21: Favorite sport to watch? Other than the Olympics, gaming speedruns. (the strats they discover can be insane!) 22: Hair color? Light brown. Used to be blonde when I was a kid. 23: Eye color? Also light brown. 24: Do you wear contacts? I don’t need vision correction yet! But if/when I do, I’ll choose glasses. (I don’t want foreign objects in my eyes uwaaah!) 25: Favorite food to eat? Hmm, probably curry. Tasty stuff that varies in flavor from country of origin! Otherwise huevos rancheros for breakfast. (mmmm good stuff) 26: Scary movies or comedy? I prefer a good laugh over sustained anxious tension. (Despising cheap jump scares) Unless it’s psychological horror, then that’s some interesting lingering stuff to think about. 27: Last movie you watched? Moana in the theater. :3 28: What color of shirt are you wearing? Maroon, long sleeved (with black hoodie over it) 29: Summer or winter? Definitely winter, about this time, because it rains and everything turns green (and starts to bloom) instead of the usual brown for the rest of the year. It never snows here by the ocean! 30: Hugs or kisses? Hugs. But only with close friends/family.   31: What book are you currently reading? Only read fics nowadays! (haven’t touched a book in years) 32: Who do you miss right now? Probably my college buddies. (everyone’s moved far away…) 33: What is on your mouse pad? Whole family never uses mice; we use trackman wheels! 8D 34: What is the last TV program you watched? Star Trek on bbc. 35: What is the best sound? Natural white noise – like rain, babbling brooks, wind through the grass/leaves (bonus with bird songs). Basically relaxing things that suggest the earth is breathing. 36: Rolling stones or The Beatles? Before my time to fully appreciate. But I suppose I’m more familiar with the Beatles thanks to my parents.   37: What is the furthest you have ever traveled? LAX to Tokyo! 38: Do you have a special talent? How about screwing up my sleeping schedule? 8D Buahaha! 39: Where were you born? California coast~

Ok, now here’s the tagging (for those who wanna): @negroymorado, @lawlietismyfavorite, @dolltrash-etc, @ymirsworld, @andrei-elotina, @thecrimsonclouds, @thecruixe, @criscura